Crime in Kansas City, Missouri

Property crime

The vast majority of crimes in America are property crimes, accounting for 85% of total crimes in 2019. In Kansas City, however, property crimes account for only about 73% of all offenses.

Despite accounting for a smaller than average share of total offenses, property crime is more prevalent in Kansas City than it is nationwide. There were 19,124 property crimes in Kansas City in 2019, or 3,856 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 Kansas City. There were 12,253 larcenies reported in Kansas City in 2019, or 2,471 for every 100,000 people. Nationwide, the larceny rate is 1,550 per 100,000.

Burglary

There were 3,070 break-ins reported in Kansas City in 2019, or 619 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 Kansas City, meanwhile, there were 3,801 motor vehicle thefts in 2019, or 766 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 Kansas City, however, violent offenses account for a larger 27% share of all reported crime.

At 1,431 incidents for every 100,000 people, the violent crime rate in Kansas City is well above the national violent crime rate of 379 offenses per 100,000 people. Law enforcement in Kansas City reported a total of 7,099 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 Kansas City. There were 5,159 aggravated assaults reported in Kansas City in 2019, or 1,040 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 1,443 robberies reported in Kansas City in 2019, a rate of 291 robberies for every 100,000 residents. For comparison, the national robbery rate was 82 per 100,000 in 2019.

Rape

There were 347 rapes reported in Kansas City 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 150 homicides committed in the city in 2019. Adjusted for population, the murder rate in Kansas City is 30.2 murders for every 100,000 people, many times higher than the national murder rate of 5 per 100,000 people.