Crime in West Palm Beach, Florida

Property crime

The vast majority of crimes in America are property crimes, accounting for 85% of total crimes in 2019. In West Palm Beach, however, property crimes account for only about 83% of all offenses.

Despite accounting for a smaller than average share of total offenses, property crime is more prevalent in West Palm Beach than it is nationwide. There were 4,231 property crimes in West Palm Beach in 2019, or 3,751 for every 100,000 residents. Meanwhile, the national property crime rate is 2,110 incidents per 100,000 people.

Larceny

Larceny is by far the most common type of property crime in the U.S. It is also the most commonly committed type of property crime in West Palm Beach. There were 3,314 larcenies reported in West Palm Beach in 2019, or 2,938 for every 100,000 people. Nationwide, the larceny rate is 1,550 per 100,000.

Burglary

There were 464 break-ins reported in West Palm Beach in 2019, or 411 for every 100,000 residents. For reference, there were 341 reported burglaries for every 100,000 people nationwide in 2019.

Motor Vehicle Theft

Across the United States, the annual motor vehicle theft rate is 220 for every 100,000 people. In West Palm Beach, meanwhile, there were 453 motor vehicle thefts in 2019, or 402 for every 100,000 people.

Violent crime

Violent crime accounts for a relatively small share of crimes nationwide. These offenses, which are generally more egregious than property crimes, account for about 15% of the nearly 8.2 million offenses reported across the U.S. in 2019. In West Palm Beach, however, violent offenses account for a larger 17% share of all reported crime.

At 762 incidents for every 100,000 people, the violent crime rate in West Palm Beach is well above the national violent crime rate of 379 offenses per 100,000 people. Law enforcement in West Palm Beach reported a total of 859 violent crimes in 2019.

Aggravated Assault

Aggravated assault is by far the most common type of violent crime reported in the U.S. It is also the most commonly reported violent offense in West Palm Beach. There were 459 aggravated assaults reported in West Palm Beach in 2019, or 407 for every 100,000 people. Nationwide, the rate is far lower, standing at 250 aggravated assaults per 100,000 people.

Robbery

Robbery is the second most common type of violent crime in America. There were 304 robberies reported in West Palm Beach in 2019, a rate of 270 robberies for every 100,000 residents. For comparison, the national robbery rate was 82 per 100,000 in 2019.

Rape

There were 79 rapes reported in West Palm Beach in 2019, or 70 for every 100,000 people. Nationwide, there were 139,815 rapes in 2019, a rate of 43 per 100,000 people.

Murder

There were 17 homicides committed in the city in 2019. Adjusted for population, the murder rate in West Palm Beach is 15.1 murders for every 100,000 people, more than triple the national murder rate of 5 per 100,000 people.