When it comes to vehicle theft, California’s on top. California owns eight of the top 10 hot spots for vehicle theft in 2015, according to the National Insurance Crime Bureau’s (NICB) latest Hot Spots report.
California’s Modesto metropolitan statistical area (MSA) had the nation’s highest per capita vehicle theft rate in 2015, according to the National Insurance Crime Bureau’s (NICB) latest Hot Spots report. Albuquerque’s metro area had the second highest rate in the country.
NICB’s Hot Spots report examines vehicle theft data obtained from the National Crime Information Center (NCIC) for each of the nation’s MSAs, which often include areas much larger than the cities for which they are named. For example, the number one spot, the Modesto, Calif. MSA, includes all thefts within the entire county of Stanislaus, not just the city of Modesto.
NICB notes that in a population-based survey, an area with a much smaller population and a moderate number of thefts can—and often does—have a higher theft rate than an area with a much more significant vehicle theft problem and a larger population to absorb it.
For 2015, the 100 MSAs with the highest vehicle theft rates were:
2015 Rank | MSA | MSA Name | 2015 Thefts | 2015 Rate |
---|---|---|---|---|
1 | 33700 | Modesto, CA Metropolitan Statistical Area | 4.072 | 756.33 |
2 | 10740 | Albuquerque, NM Metropolitan Statistical Area | 6.657 | 733.71 |
3 | 12540 | Bakersfield, CA Metropolitan Statistical Area | 6.000 | 680.14 |
4 | 41500 | Salinas, CA Metropolitan Statistical Area | 2.934 | 676.20 |
5 | 41860 | San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA Metropolitan Statistical Area | 30.554 | 656.21 |
6 | 44700 | Stockton-Lodi, CA Metropolitan Statistical Area | 4.656 | 641.23 |
7 | 39380 | Pueblo, CO Metropolitan Statistical Area | 983 | 600.89 |
8 | 32900 | Merced, CA Metropolitan Statistical Area | 1.605 | 597.87 |
9 | 40140 | Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA Metropolitan Statistical Area | 25.001 | 556.92 |
10 | 46700 | Vallejo-Fairfield, CA Metropolitan Statistical Area | 2.352 | 539.34 |
11 | 41620 | Salt Lake City, UT Metropolitan Statistical Area | 6.282 | 536.80 |
12 | 36220 | Odessa, TX Metropolitan Statistical Area | 846 | 530.62 |
13 | 23420 | Fresno, CA Metropolitan Statistical Area | 5.149 | 528.18 |
14 | 41940 | San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA Metropolitan Statistical Area | 10.140 | 512.94 |
15 | 39820 | Redding, CA Metropolitan Statistical Area | 893 | 497.40 |
16 | 17020 | Chico, CA Metropolitan Statistical Area | 1.106 | 490.66 |
17 | 33340 | Milwaukee-Waukesha-West Allis, WI Metropolitan Statistical Area | 7.681 | 487.45 |
18 | 29820 | Las Vegas-Henderson-Paradise, NV Metropolitan Statistical Area | 10.046 | 475.03 |
19 | 49420 | Yakima, WA Metropolitan Statistical Area | 1.170 | 470.20 |
20 | 42660 | Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA Metropolitan Statistical Area | 17.221 | 461.25 |
21 | 13740 | Billings, MT Metropolitan Statistical Area | 775 | 460.53 |
22 | 47300 | Visalia-Porterville, CA Metropolitan Statistical Area | 2.108 | 458.40 |
23 | 26300 | Hot Springs, AR Metropolitan Statistical Area | 441 | 453.81 |
24 | 40900 | Sacramento–Roseville–Arden-Arcade, CA Metropolitan Statistical Area | 10.257 | 451.02 |
25 | 44060 | Spokane-Spokane Valley, WA Metropolitan Statistical Area | 2.430 | 443.57 |
26 | 31080 | Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA Metropolitan Statistical Area | 57.247 | 429.14 |
27 | 24420 | Grants Pass, OR Metropolitan Statistical Area | 362 | 427.16 |
28 | 49700 | Yuba City, CA Metropolitan Statistical Area | 712 | 416.48 |
29 | 46140 | Tulsa, OK Metropolitan Statistical Area | 4.018 | 409.58 |
30 | 48620 | Wichita, KS Metropolitan Statistical Area | 2.637 | 409.08 |
31 | 42100 | Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA Metropolitan Statistical Area | 1.108 | 404.16 |
32 | 31180 | Lubbock, TX Metropolitan Statistical Area | 1.229 | 394.98 |
33 | 19740 | Denver-Aurora-Lakewood, CO Metropolitan Statistical Area | 11.029 | 391.89 |
34 | 17900 | Columbia, SC Metropolitan Statistical Area | 3.165 | 390.71 |
35 | 44180 | Springfield, MO Metropolitan Statistical Area | 1.778 | 389.52 |
36 | 41140 | St. Joseph, MO-KS Metropolitan Statistical Area | 486 | 383.04 |
37 | 31460 | Madera, CA Metropolitan Statistical Area | 593 | 382.59 |
38 | 26420 | Houston-The Woodlands-Sugar Land, TX Metropolitan Statistical Area | 25.433 | 382.05 |
39 | 26900 | Indianapolis-Carmel-Anderson, IN Metropolitan Statistical Area | 7.472 | 375.70 |
40 | 28140 | Kansas City, MO-KS Metropolitan Statistical Area | 7.800 | 373.66 |
41 | 42340 | Savannah, GA Metropolitan Statistical Area | 1.402 | 369.73 |
42 | 17980 | Columbus, GA-AL Metropolitan Statistical Area | 1.144 | 364.62 |
43 | 24860 | Greenville-Anderson-Mauldin, SC Metropolitan Statistical Area | 3.155 | 360.63 |
44 | 30780 | Little Rock-North Little Rock-Conway, AR Metropolitan Statistical Area | 2.575 | 351.96 |
45 | 41740 | San Diego-Carlsbad, CA Metropolitan Statistical Area | 11.410 | 345.81 |
46 | 36420 | Oklahoma City, OK Metropolitan Statistical Area | 4.618 | 339.95 |
47 | 11260 | Anchorage, AK Metropolitan Statistical Area | 1.359 | 339.93 |
48 | 45820 | Topeka, KS Metropolitan Statistical Area | 794 | 339.62 |
49 | 20940 | El Centro, CA Metropolitan Statistical Area | 606 | 336.31 |
50 | 25260 | Hanford-Corcoran, CA Metropolitan Statistical Area | 505 | 334.51 |
51 | 27900 | Joplin, MO Metropolitan Statistical Area | 591 | 333.50 |
52 | 35380 | New Orleans-Metairie, LA Metropolitan Statistical Area | 4.180 | 330.99 |
53 | 11100 | Amarillo, TX Metropolitan Statistical Area | 856 | 326.65 |
54 | 38900 | Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA Metropolitan Statistical Area | 7.797 | 326.34 |
55 | 16620 | Charleston, WV Metropolitan Statistical Area | 717 | 325.00 |
56 | 12060 | Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA Metropolitan Statistical Area | 18.260 | 319.75 |
57 | 41700 | San Antonio-New Braunfels, TX Metropolitan Statistical Area | 7.568 | 317.44 |
58 | 19820 | Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MI Metropolitan Statistical Area | 13.506 | 313.94 |
59 | 33100 | Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL Metropolitan Statistical Area | 18.862 | 313.72 |
60 | 45220 | Tallahassee, FL Metropolitan Statistical Area | 1.178 | 311.70 |
61 | 31420 | Macon, GA Metropolitan Statistical Area | 717 | 311.61 |
62 | 16860 | Chattanooga, TN-GA Metropolitan Statistical Area | 1.688 | 308.16 |
63 | 22500 | Florence, SC Metropolitan Statistical Area | 629 | 304.68 |
64 | 27140 | Jackson, MS Metropolitan Statistical Area | 1.763 | 304.61 |
65 | 36540 | Omaha-Council Bluffs, NE-IA Metropolitan Statistical Area | 2.743 | 299.68 |
66 | 41420 | Salem, OR Metropolitan Statistical Area | 1.213 | 295.79 |
67 | 30980 | Longview, TX Metropolitan Statistical Area | 637 | 292.50 |
68 | 33660 | Mobile, AL Metropolitan Statistical Area | 1.205 | 290.09 |
69 | 31140 | Louisville/Jefferson County, KY-IN Metropolitan Statistical Area | 3.699 | 289.34 |
70 | 39900 | Reno, NV Metropolitan Statistical Area | 1.302 | 288.76 |
71 | 16700 | Charleston-North Charleston, SC Metropolitan Statistical Area | 2.104 | 282.60 |
72 | 10180 | Abilene, TX Metropolitan Statistical Area | 477 | 281.29 |
73 | 13820 | Birmingham-Hoover, AL Metropolitan Statistical Area | 3.217 | 280.80 |
74 | 45500 | Texarkana, TX-AR Metropolitan Statistical Area | 417 | 278.43 |
75 | 12580 | Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD Metropolitan Statistical Area | 7.660 | 273.83 |
76 | 21820 | Fairbanks, AK Metropolitan Statistical Area | 269 | 270.00 |
77 | 17820 | Colorado Springs, CO Metropolitan Statistical Area | 1.875 | 268.68 |
78 | 46520 | Honolulu (Urban), HI Metropolitan Statistical Area | 2.679 | 268.24 |
79 | 19100 | Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX Metropolitan Statistical Area | 19.051 | 268.22 |
80 | 38060 | Phoenix-Mesa-Scottsdale, AZ Metropolitan Statistical Area | 12.096 | 264.42 |
81 | 31020 | Longview, WA Metropolitan Statistical Area | 271 | 261.92 |
82 | 32820 | Memphis, TN-MS-AR Metropolitan Statistical Area | 3.507 | 260.91 |
83 | 29340 | Lake Charles, LA Metropolitan Statistical Area | 533 | 259.23 |
84 | 34820 | Myrtle Beach-Conway-North Myrtle Beach, SC-NC Metropolitan Statistical Area | 1.117 | 258.59 |
85 | 33260 | Midland, TX Metropolitan Statistical Area | 429 | 257.32 |
86 | 17460 | Cleveland-Elyria, OH Metropolitan Statistical Area | 5.300 | 257.18 |
87 | 45460 | Terre Haute, IN Metropolitan Statistical Area | 433 | 253.19 |
88 | 44940 | Sumter, SC Metropolitan Statistical Area | 269 | 250.28 |
89 | 41180 | St. Louis, MO-IL Metropolitan Statistical Area | 7.009 | 249.29 |
90 | 25060 | Gulfport-Biloxi-Pascagoula, MS Metropolitan Statistical Area | 968 | 248.68 |
91 | 35300 | New Haven-Milford, CT Metropolitan Statistical Area | 2.134 | 248.29 |
92 | 10780 | Alexandria, LA Metropolitan Statistical Area | 381 | 246.63 |
93 | 33860 | Montgomery, AL Metropolitan Statistical Area | 912 | 243.99 |
94 | 12260 | Augusta-Richmond County, GA-SC Metropolitan Statistical Area | 1.433 | 242.82 |
95 | 37100 | Oxnard-Thousand Oaks-Ventura, CA Metropolitan Statistical Area | 2.057 | 241.85 |
96 | 43900 | Spartanburg, SC Metropolitan Statistical Area | 786 | 241.79 |
97 | 22180 | Fayetteville, NC Metropolitan Statistical Area | 910 | 241.69 |
98 | 36500 | Olympia-Tumwater, WA Metropolitan Statistical Area | 651 | 241.53 |
99 | 46060 | Tucson, AZ Metropolitan Statistical Area | 2.429 | 240.49 |
100 | 42200 | Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA Metropolitan Statistical Area | 1.066 | 239.67 |
Source: National Insurance Crime Bureau
When the FBI released preliminary, January-June 2015 crime data earlier this year, vehicle theft was up one percent across the nation. That increase is reflected in this Hot Spots report and the trend may hold when the final FBI 2015 crime data is published in the fall. Notwithstanding these occasional increases, vehicle thefts are down dramatically around the nation over the last several years. Nonetheless, the reasons vehicles are stolen remain the same. Older vehicles are stolen primarily for their parts value while newer, high-end vehicles are often shipped overseas or, after some disguising, sold to an innocent buyer locally, according to NICB.
The NICB is supported by property/casualty insurance companies.
Topics California Auto Fraud
Was this article valuable?
Here are more articles you may enjoy.