Car Theft Rate by State 2025

What this chart shows. The motor vehicle theft rate in every US state and the District of Columbia in 2025, as thefts per 100,000 residents in the FBI's estimates. The District of Columbia had the highest rate at 673.8, followed by Nevada at 396.5, New Mexico at 320.9, California at 316.7 and Maryland at 315.6. Vermont had the lowest at 47.8, with Idaho at 52.6 and New Hampshire at 53.3. Nationally the rate fell from 256.0 in 2024 to 197.0, a drop of 23.0 per cent.

How the data is collected. The rate is each state's estimated number of motor vehicle thefts in the FBI's Crime Data Explorer file, divided by its population. The FBI adds estimates for agencies that did not report, so the totals cover every resident of every state.

Background. The FBI defines motor vehicle theft as the theft or attempted theft of a motor vehicle, meaning a self-propelled vehicle that runs on land and not on rails. Its examples include sport utility vehicles, automobiles, trucks, buses, motorcycles, motor scooters and all-terrain vehicles, so the figures are not limited to cars.

Limits. Attempted thefts count the same as completed ones, and the rate is measured against residents rather than the number of vehicles in a state. Alaska was the only state where the rate rose, from 246.2 to 278.9.