Crime in Lake Wales, Florida

Property crime

The vast majority of crimes in America are property crimes, accounting for 85% of total crimes in 2019. In Lake Wales, however, property crimes account for about 87% of all offenses.

Property crime is about as prevalent in Lake Wales than it is nationwide. There were 358 property crimes in Lake Wales in 2019, or 2,118 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 Lake Wales. There were 275 larcenies reported in Lake Wales in 2019, or 1,627 for every 100,000 people. Nationwide, the larceny rate is 1,550 per 100,000.

Burglary

There were 54 break-ins reported in Lake Wales in 2019, or 320 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 Lake Wales, meanwhile, there were 29 motor vehicle thefts in 2019, or 172 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 Lake Wales, however, violent offenses account for a smaller 13% share of all reported crime.

At 325 incidents for every 100,000 people, the violent crime rate in Lake Wales is below the national violent crime rate of 379 offenses per 100,000 people. Law enforcement in Lake Wales reported a total of 55 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 Lake Wales. There were 46 aggravated assaults reported in Lake Wales in 2019, or 272 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 8 robberies reported in Lake Wales in 2019, a rate of 47 robberies for every 100,000 residents. For comparison, the national robbery rate was 82 per 100,000 in 2019.

Rape

There was one rape reported in Lake Wales in 2019, or 6 for every 100,000 people. Nationwide, there were 139,815 rapes in 2019, a rate of 43 per 100,000 people.

Murder

While there were 16,425 murders nationwide in 2019, none were reported in Lake Wales.