Special Report

Where Your Car Is Most Likely to Be Stolen in Every State

Thinkstock

Motor vehicle theft in the United States increased significantly in 2016, the first substantial increase in 15 years. Still, last year’s uptick is minuscule when compared to the overall downward trend in car thefts of the past quarter century. In fact, despite an increase of roughly 70 million registered vehicles nationwide since 1991, the 750,000 cars reported stolen in 2016 is less than half the peak of 25 years earlier.

Of course, where you live can increase or decrease the chances of your car getting stolen. 24/7 Wall St. determined the city in every state where your car is most likely to be stolen based on data from the National Insurance Crime Bureau.

The city with the highest rate of car thefts in a state is not necessarily the city with the poorest community or with the most widespread crime problems. The majority of these 50 cities have lower rates of poverty, higher household incomes, and higher educational attainment rates than their respective statewide rates.

Auto thefts in the United States are often carefully planned highly lucrative schemes for those who are able to evade law enforcement. According to the NICB, many cars are stolen by large organized crime rings running sizable operations.

Some cars are much more likely to be stolen than others. While expensive exotic cars may seem like the most efficient way to a large payout for a criminal, common cars like Honda Accord, Honda Civic, and Chevrolet and Ford pickup trucks are by far the most stolen vehicles in America. This is especially true of older models without modern security features.

Click here to see where your car is most likely to be stolen in every state.

To determine the city in every state where your car is likely to be stolen, 24/7 Wall St. reviewed the vehicle theft rate in each metropolitan statistical area from the National Insurance Crime Bureau’s “2016 Hot Spots Vehicle Theft” report. Total vehicles reported stolen in 2016 in each city also came from this report. The most stolen car in each state is from the NICB’s “2016 Hot Wheels” report.

Thinkstock

1. Alabama
> City with most car thefts: Mobile
> Vehicle theft rate: 375.6 per 100,000 residents
> Total vehicles stolen in 2016: 1,519
> Most stolen car in Alabama: 2004 Chevrolet Pickup (Full Size)

[in-text-ad]

Thinkstock

2. Alaska
> City with most car thefts: Anchorage
> Vehicle theft rate: 669.4 per 100,000 residents
> Total vehicles stolen in 2016: 2,273
> Most stolen car in Alaska: 1999 Chevrolet Pickup (Full Size)

Thinkstock

3. Arizona
> City with most car thefts: Phoenix-Mesa-Scottsdale
> Vehicle theft rate: 397.2 per 100,000 residents
> Total vehicles stolen in 2016: 13,435
> Most stolen car in Arizona: 1998 Honda Civic

Thinkstock

4. Arkansas
> City with most car thefts: Little Rock-North Little Rock-Conway
> Vehicle theft rate: 488.1 per 100,000 residents
> Total vehicles stolen in 2016: 3,253
> Most stolen car in Arkansas: 1994 Chevrolet Pickup (Full Size)

[in-text-ad-2]

Thinkstock

5. California
> City with most car thefts: Bakersfield
> Vehicle theft rate: 854.7 per 100,000 residents
> Total vehicles stolen in 2016: 7,176
> Most stolen car in California: 1998 Honda Civic

David Shankbone / Wikimedia Commons

6. Colorado
> City with most car thefts: Pueblo
> Vehicle theft rate: 899.4 per 100,000 residents
> Total vehicles stolen in 2016: 1,325
> Most stolen car in Colorado: 1997 Honda Accord

[in-text-ad]

Thinkstock

7. Connecticut
> City with most car thefts: New Haven-Milford
> Vehicle theft rate: 271.3 per 100,000 residents
> Total vehicles stolen in 2016: 2,294
> Most stolen car in Connecticut: 2000 Honda Civic

Thinkstock

8. Delaware
> City with most car thefts: Dover
> Vehicle theft rate: 125.1 per 100,000 residents
> Total vehicles stolen in 2016: 217
> Most stolen car in Delaware: 1997 Honda Accord

Thinkstock

9. Florida
> City with most car thefts: Tallahassee
> Vehicle theft rate: 406.0 per 100,000 residents
> Total vehicles stolen in 2016: 1,345
> Most stolen car in Florida: 2006 Ford Pickup (Full Size)

[in-text-ad-2]

Thinkstock

10. Georgia
> City with most car thefts: Savannah
> Vehicle theft rate: 380.8 per 100,000 residents
> Total vehicles stolen in 2016: 1,254
> Most stolen car in Georgia: 2004 Ford Pickup (Full Size)

Thinkstock

11. Hawaii
> City with most car thefts: Honolulu (Urban)
> Vehicle theft rate: 314.1 per 100,000 residents
> Total vehicles stolen in 2016: 3,067
> Most stolen car in Hawaii: 2000 Honda Civic

[in-text-ad]

Thinkstock

12. Idaho
> City with most car thefts: Pocatello
> Vehicle theft rate: 187.1 per 100,000 residents
> Total vehicles stolen in 2016: 158
> Most stolen car in Idaho: 2000 Ford Pickup (Full Size)

Thinkstock

13. Illinois
> City with most car thefts: Chicago-Naperville-Elgin
> Vehicle theft rate: 241.6 per 100,000 residents
> Total vehicles stolen in 2016: 22,853
> Most stolen car in Illinois: 2003 Dodge Caravan

Thinkstock

14. Indiana
> City with most car thefts: Indianapolis-Carmel-Anderson
> Vehicle theft rate: 381.1 per 100,000 residents
> Total vehicles stolen in 2016: 7,579
> Most stolen car in Indiana: 1999 Ford Pickup (Full Size)

[in-text-ad-2]

Thinkstock

15. Iowa
> City with most car thefts: Des Moines-West Des Moines
> Vehicle theft rate: 268.4 per 100,000 residents
> Total vehicles stolen in 2016: 1,402
> Most stolen car in Iowa: 2005 Chevrolet Pickup (Full Size)

Thinkstock

16. Kansas
> City with most car thefts: Topeka
> Vehicle theft rate: 500.4 per 100,000 residents
> Total vehicles stolen in 2016: 1,139
> Most stolen car in Kansas: 2000 Chevrolet Pickup (Full Size)

[in-text-ad]

Thinkstock

17. Kentucky
> City with most car thefts: Louisville/Jefferson County
> Vehicle theft rate: 411.2 per 100,000 residents
> Total vehicles stolen in 2016: 5,073
> Most stolen car in Kentucky: 1997 Ford Pickup (Full Size)

Thinkstock

18. Louisiana
> City with most car thefts: Lake Charles
> Vehicle theft rate: 330.2 per 100,000 residents
> Total vehicles stolen in 2016: 641
> Most stolen car in Louisiana: 2006 Chevrolet Pickup (Full Size)

Thinkstock

19. Maine
> City with most car thefts: Lewiston-Auburn
> Vehicle theft rate: 57.5 per 100,000 residents
> Total vehicles stolen in 2016: 61
> Most stolen car in Maine: 2002 Chevrolet Pickup (Full Size)

[in-text-ad-2]

Thinkstock

20. Maryland
> City with most car thefts: Baltimore-Columbia-Towson
> Vehicle theft rate: 310.0 per 100,000 residents
> Total vehicles stolen in 2016: 8,271
> Most stolen car in Maryland: 2012 Honda Accord

Thinkstock

21. Massachusetts
> City with most car thefts: Springfield
> Vehicle theft rate: 160.8 per 100,000 residents
> Total vehicles stolen in 2016: 1,016
> Most stolen car in Massachusetts: 1997 Honda Accord

[in-text-ad]

Thinkstock

22. Michigan
> City with most car thefts: Detroit-Warren-Dearborn
> Vehicle theft rate: 319.3 per 100,000 residents
> Total vehicles stolen in 2016: 13,712
> Most stolen car in Michigan: 2008 Chevrolet Impala

Thinkstock

23. Minnesota
> City with most car thefts: Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington
> Vehicle theft rate: 241.2 per 100,000 residents
> Total vehicles stolen in 2016: 7,580
> Most stolen car in Minnesota: 1997 Honda Accord

Thinkstock

24. Mississippi
> City with most car thefts: Gulfport-Biloxi-Pascagoula
> Vehicle theft rate: 413.3 per 100,000 residents
> Total vehicles stolen in 2016: 1,045
> Most stolen car in Mississippi: 2005 Chevrolet Pickup (Full Size)

[in-text-ad-2]

Tim Kiser / Wikimedia Commons

25. Missouri
> City with most car thefts: St. Joseph
> Vehicle theft rate: 509.5 per 100,000 residents
> Total vehicles stolen in 2016: 651
> Most stolen car in Missouri: 2004 Ford Pickup (Full Size)

Thinkstock

26. Montana
> City with most car thefts: Billings
> Vehicle theft rate: 625.4 per 100,000 residents
> Total vehicles stolen in 2016: 877
> Most stolen car in Montana: 2006 Chevrolet Pickup (Full Size)

[in-text-ad]

Thinkstock

27. Nebraska
> City with most car thefts: Omaha-Council Bluffs
> Vehicle theft rate: 410.0 per 100,000 residents
> Total vehicles stolen in 2016: 3,483
> Most stolen car in Nebraska: 2000 Chevrolet Pickup (Full Size)

Thinkstock

28. Nevada
> City with most car thefts: Las Vegas-Henderson-Paradise
> Vehicle theft rate: 582.2 per 100,000 residents
> Total vehicles stolen in 2016: 11,469
> Most stolen car in Nevada: 1997 Honda Accord

Thinkstock

29. New Hampshire
> City with most car thefts: Manchester-Nashua
> Vehicle theft rate: 56.7 per 100,000 residents
> Total vehicles stolen in 2016: 227
> Most stolen car in New Hampshire: 2012 Honda Accord

[in-text-ad-2]

Thinkstock

30. New Jersey
> City with most car thefts: Trenton
> Vehicle theft rate: 196.0 per 100,000 residents
> Total vehicles stolen in 2016: 695
> Most stolen car in New Jersey: 1996 Honda Accord

Thinkstock

31. New Mexico
> City with most car thefts: Albuquerque
> Vehicle theft rate: 1,114.0 per 100,000 residents
> Total vehicles stolen in 2016: 10,011
> Most stolen car in New Mexico: 2004 Ford Pickup (Full Size)

[in-text-ad]

Thinkstock

32. New York
> City with most car thefts: Buffalo-Cheektowaga-Niagara Falls
> Vehicle theft rate: 135.0 per 100,000 residents
> Total vehicles stolen in 2016: 1,518
> Most stolen car in New York: 1997 Honda Accord

Thinkstock

33. North Carolina
> City with most car thefts: Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia
> Vehicle theft rate: 331.6 per 100,000 residents
> Total vehicles stolen in 2016: 5,044
> Most stolen car in North Carolina: 1997 Honda Accord

Thinkstock

34. North Dakota
> City with most car thefts: Bismarck
> Vehicle theft rate: 288.7 per 100,000 residents
> Total vehicles stolen in 2016: 314
> Most stolen car in North Dakota: 1999 Chevrolet Pickup (Full Size)

[in-text-ad-2]

Thinkstock

35. Ohio
> City with most car thefts: Cleveland-Elyria
> Vehicle theft rate: 313.5 per 100,000 residents
> Total vehicles stolen in 2016: 6,689
> Most stolen car in Ohio: 2002 Dodge Caravan

Thinkstock

36. Oklahoma
> City with most car thefts: Tulsa
> Vehicle theft rate: 582.0 per 100,000 residents
> Total vehicles stolen in 2016: 5,126
> Most stolen car in Oklahoma: 1994 Chevrolet Pickup (Full Size)

[in-text-ad]

publichall at English Wikipedia / Wikimedia Commons

37. Oregon
> City with most car thefts: Grants Pass
> Vehicle theft rate: 439.4 per 100,000 residents
> Total vehicles stolen in 2016: 356
> Most stolen car in Oregon: 1997 Honda Accord

Thinkstock

38. Pennsylvania
> City with most car thefts: Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington
> Vehicle theft rate: 177.4 per 100,000 residents
> Total vehicles stolen in 2016: 10,769
> Most stolen car in Pennsylvania: 1997 Honda Accord

Thinkstock

39. Rhode Island
> City with most car thefts: Providence-Warwick
> Vehicle theft rate: 157.3 per 100,000 residents
> Total vehicles stolen in 2016: 2,511
> Most stolen car in Rhode Island: 1997 Toyota Camry

[in-text-ad-2]

Thinkstock

40. South Carolina
> City with most car thefts: Greenville-Anderson-Mauldin
> Vehicle theft rate: 561.0 per 100,000 residents
> Total vehicles stolen in 2016: 3,186
> Most stolen car in South Carolina: 2006 Ford Pickup (Full Size)

 
Thinkstock

 

41. South Dakota
> City with most car thefts: Rapid City
> Vehicle theft rate: 245.4 per 100,000 residents
> Total vehicles stolen in 2016: 315
> Most stolen car in South Dakota: 2001 Chevrolet Pickup (Full Size)

[in-text-ad]

Thinkstock

42. Tennessee
> City with most car thefts: Chattanooga
> Vehicle theft rate: 347.2 per 100,000 residents
> Total vehicles stolen in 2016: 1,881
> Most stolen car in Tennessee: 1999 Chevrolet Pickup (Full Size)

Lindsay Attaway / Flickr

43. Texas
> City with most car thefts: Odessa
> Vehicle theft rate: 540.5 per 100,000 residents
> Total vehicles stolen in 2016: 780
> Most stolen car in Texas: 2006 Ford Pickup (Full Size)

Thinkstock

44. Utah
> City with most car thefts: Salt Lake City
> Vehicle theft rate: 585.7 per 100,000 residents
> Total vehicles stolen in 2016: 6,712
> Most stolen car in Utah: 1997 Honda Accord

[in-text-ad-2]

Thinkstock

45. Vermont
> City with most car thefts: Burlington-South Burlington
> Vehicle theft rate: 61.3 per 100,000 residents
> Total vehicles stolen in 2016: 133
> Most stolen car in Vermont: 2003 Chevrolet Pickup (Full Size)

Thinkstock

46. Virginia
> City with most car thefts: Richmond
> Vehicle theft rate: 227.7 per 100,000 residents
> Total vehicles stolen in 2016: 2,791
> Most stolen car in Virginia: 2002 Honda Accord

[in-text-ad]

Thinkstock

47. Washington
> City with most car thefts: Spokane-Spokane Valley
> Vehicle theft rate: 624.8 per 100,000 residents
> Total vehicles stolen in 2016: 2,891
> Most stolen car in Washington: 1997 Honda Accord

Thinkstock

48. West Virginia
> City with most car thefts: Charleston
> Vehicle theft rate: 335.9 per 100,000 residents
> Total vehicles stolen in 2016: 1,022
> Most stolen car in West Virginia: 2003 Ford Pickup (Full Size)

Thinkstock

49. Wisconsin
> City with most car thefts: Milwaukee-Waukesha-West Allis
> Vehicle theft rate: 421.8 per 100,000 residents
> Total vehicles stolen in 2016: 6,632
> Most stolen car in Wisconsin: 2002 Dodge Caravan

[in-text-ad-2]

Thinkstock

50. Wyoming
> City with most car thefts: Cheyenne
> Vehicle theft rate: 267.6 per 100,000 residents
> Total vehicles stolen in 2016: 248
> Most stolen car in Wyoming: 2001 Chevrolet Pickup (Full Size)

Cash Back Credit Cards Have Never Been This Good

Credit card companies are at war, handing out free rewards and benefits to win the best customers. A good cash back card can be worth thousands of dollars a year in free money, not to mention other perks like travel, insurance, and access to fancy lounges. See our top picks for the best credit cards today. You won’t want to miss some of these offers.

Flywheel Publishing has partnered with CardRatings for our coverage of credit card products. Flywheel Publishing and CardRatings may receive a commission from card issuers.

Thank you for reading! Have some feedback for us?
Contact the 24/7 Wall St. editorial team.