Crime in Morgantown, West Virginia

Property crime

The vast majority of crimes in America are property crimes, accounting for 85% of total crimes in 2019. In Morgantown, however, property crimes account for about 88% of all offenses.

Despite accounting for a higher than average share of total offenses, property crime is less prevalent in Morgantown than it is nationwide. There were 489 property crimes in Morgantown in 2019, or 1,563 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 Morgantown. There were 383 larcenies reported in Morgantown in 2019, or 1,224 for every 100,000 people. Nationwide, the larceny rate is 1,550 per 100,000.

Burglary

There were 71 break-ins reported in Morgantown in 2019, or 227 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 Morgantown, meanwhile, there were 35 motor vehicle thefts in 2019, or 112 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 Morgantown, however, violent offenses account for a smaller 12% share of all reported crime.

At 214 incidents for every 100,000 people, the violent crime rate in Morgantown is below the national violent crime rate of 379 offenses per 100,000 people. Law enforcement in Morgantown reported a total of 67 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 Morgantown. There were 53 aggravated assaults reported in Morgantown in 2019, or 169 for every 100,000 people. Nationwide, the rate is higher, standing at 250 aggravated assaults per 100,000 people.

Robbery

Robbery is the second most common type of violent crime in America. There were 5 robberies reported in Morgantown in 2019, a rate of 16 robberies for every 100,000 residents. For comparison, the national robbery rate was 82 per 100,000 in 2019.

Rape

There were 9 rapes reported in Morgantown in 2019, or 29 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 Morgantown.