Crime in Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania

Property crime

The vast majority of crimes in America are property crimes, accounting for 85% of total crimes in 2019. In Wilkes-Barre, however, property crimes account for only about 78% of all offenses.

Property crime is about as prevalent in Wilkes-Barre than it is nationwide. There were 852 property crimes in Wilkes-Barre in 2019, or 2,092 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 Wilkes-Barre. There were 616 larcenies reported in Wilkes-Barre in 2019, or 1,513 for every 100,000 people. Nationwide, the larceny rate is 1,550 per 100,000.

Burglary

There were 194 break-ins reported in Wilkes-Barre in 2019, or 476 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 Wilkes-Barre, meanwhile, there were 42 motor vehicle thefts in 2019, or 103 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 Wilkes-Barre, however, violent offenses account for a larger 22% share of all reported crime.

At 594 incidents for every 100,000 people, the violent crime rate in Wilkes-Barre is well above the national violent crime rate of 379 offenses per 100,000 people. Law enforcement in Wilkes-Barre reported a total of 242 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 Wilkes-Barre. There were 147 aggravated assaults reported in Wilkes-Barre in 2019, or 361 for every 100,000 people. Nationwide, the rate is 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 68 robberies reported in Wilkes-Barre in 2019, a rate of 167 robberies for every 100,000 residents. For comparison, the national robbery rate was 82 per 100,000 in 2019.

Rape

There were 24 rapes reported in Wilkes-Barre in 2019, or 59 for every 100,000 people. Nationwide, there were 139,815 rapes in 2019, a rate of 43 per 100,000 people.

Murder

There were 3 homicides committed in the city in 2019. Adjusted for population, the murder rate in Wilkes-Barre is 7.4 murders for every 100,000 people, higher than the national murder rate of 5 per 100,000 people.