Motor vehicle theft, one of the most serious offenses tracked by the FBI, is on the rise in the United States. There were a total of 810,400 motor vehicle thefts nationwide in 2020, the most in over a decade.
Motor vehicle theft can be either the theft or attempted theft of a vehicle, such as a car, truck, ATV, or motorcycle. Some experts attribute the rising rates of vehicle theft to the COVID-19 pandemic, which led to vehicles sitting unattended and unused for longer than usual. Additionally, vehicle theft is often committed for monetary gain, and the pandemic sent unemployment soaring and left many Americans struggling financially.
While motorists nationwide now face a greater risk of vehicle theft than they have in many years, in some parts of the country, car owners are far more likely to be victims of car theft than in others.
Using data from the FBI’s 2020 Uniform Crime Report, 24/7 Wall St. identified the states where your car is most likely to be stolen. States are ranked by the number of motor vehicle thefts reported for every 100,000 people.
Depending on the state, motor vehicle theft rates range from as low as 42 incidents per 100,000 people to as high as 524 per 100,000. Nationwide, the vehicle theft rate stands at 246 per 100,000. States with the lowest vehicle theft rates are located mostly in the Northeast, while states with the highest rates are disproportionately concentrated in the West. Here is a look at the 10 most stolen cars in America.
Click here to see the states where your car is most likely to be stolen
Click here to see our detailed methodology
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50. Vermont
> 2020 vehicle thefts per 100K people: 42.4
> Total vehicle thefts: 264 (the lowest)
> Property crimes per 100K people: 1,217.0 (6th lowest)
> Total property crimes: 7,586 (the lowest)
> Population: 623,989
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49. Maine
> 2020 vehicle thefts per 100K people: 63.8
> Total vehicle thefts: 862 (2nd lowest)
> Property crimes per 100K people: 1,156.2 (4th lowest)
> Total property crimes: 15,610 (5th lowest)
> Population: 1,344,212
Source: Sean Pavone / iStock via Getty Images
48. New Hampshire
> 2020 vehicle thefts per 100K people: 76.4
> Total vehicle thefts: 1,044 (4th lowest)
> Property crimes per 100K people: 1,098.9 (2nd lowest)
> Total property crimes: 15,014 (4th lowest)
> Population: 1,359,711
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47. Idaho
> 2020 vehicle thefts per 100K people: 96.7
> Total vehicle thefts: 1,767 (7th lowest)
> Property crimes per 100K people: 1,111.9 (3rd lowest)
> Total property crimes: 20,313 (10th lowest)
> Population: 1,787,065
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46. Massachusetts
> 2020 vehicle thefts per 100K people: 99.2
> Total vehicle thefts: 6,835 (17th lowest)
> Property crimes per 100K people: 1,053.2 (the lowest)
> Total property crimes: 72,602 (21st lowest)
> Population: 6,892,503
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45. New York
> 2020 vehicle thefts per 100K people: 101.7
> Total vehicle thefts: 19,656 (12th highest)
> Property crimes per 100K people: 1,410.7 (10th lowest)
> Total property crimes: 272,788 (4th highest)
> Population: 19,453,561
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44. New Jersey
> 2020 vehicle thefts per 100K people: 115.7
> Total vehicle thefts: 10,278 (23rd lowest)
> Property crimes per 100K people: 1,158.2 (5th lowest)
> Total property crimes: 102,875 (24th highest)
> Population: 8,882,190
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43. Pennsylvania
> 2020 vehicle thefts per 100K people: 121.0
> Total vehicle thefts: 15,474 (16th highest)
> Property crimes per 100K people: 1,644.1 (17th lowest)
> Total property crimes: 210,167 (9th highest)
> Population: 12,801,989
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42. Virginia
> 2020 vehicle thefts per 100K people: 126.3
> Total vehicle thefts: 10,853 (24th highest)
> Property crimes per 100K people: 1,456.4 (11th lowest)
> Total property crimes: 125,114 (18th highest)
> Population: 8,535,519
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41. West Virginia
> 2020 vehicle thefts per 100K people: 127.2
> Total vehicle thefts: 2,271 (10th lowest)
> Property crimes per 100K people: 1,399.4 (9th lowest)
> Total property crimes: 24,976 (12th lowest)
> Population: 1,792,147
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40. Rhode Island
> 2020 vehicle thefts per 100K people: 142.7
> Total vehicle thefts: 1,509 (5th lowest)
> Property crimes per 100K people: 1,245.5 (7th lowest)
> Total property crimes: 13,166 (3rd lowest)
> Population: 1,059,361
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39. Wisconsin
> 2020 vehicle thefts per 100K people: 161.0
> Total vehicle thefts: 9,393 (22nd lowest)
> Property crimes per 100K people: 1,485.7 (12th lowest)
> Total property crimes: 86,654 (25th lowest)
> Population: 5,822,434
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38. Wyoming
> 2020 vehicle thefts per 100K people: 165.5
> Total vehicle thefts: 964 (3rd lowest)
> Property crimes per 100K people: 1,610.6 (16th lowest)
> Total property crimes: 9,379 (2nd lowest)
> Population: 578,759
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37. Delaware
> 2020 vehicle thefts per 100K people: 168.7
> Total vehicle thefts: 1,665 (6th lowest)
> Property crimes per 100K people: 1,961.4 (25th highest)
> Total property crimes: 19,355 (9th lowest)
> Population: 973,764
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36. Illinois
> 2020 vehicle thefts per 100K people: 169.5
> Total vehicle thefts: 21,332 (8th highest)
> Property crimes per 100K people: 1,559.4 (13th lowest)
> Total property crimes: 196,287 (10th highest)
> Population: 12,671,821
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35. Ohio
> 2020 vehicle thefts per 100K people: 171.7
> Total vehicle thefts: 20,077 (11th highest)
> Property crimes per 100K people: 1,850.3 (22nd lowest)
> Total property crimes: 216,363 (6th highest)
> Population: 11,689,100
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34. Maryland
> 2020 vehicle thefts per 100K people: 172.9
> Total vehicle thefts: 10,469 (25th lowest)
> Property crimes per 100K people: 1,609.8 (15th lowest)
> Total property crimes: 97,487 (25th highest)
> Population: 6,045,680
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33. Florida
> 2020 vehicle thefts per 100K people: 176.1
> Total vehicle thefts: 38,271 (3rd highest)
> Property crimes per 100K people: 1,769.4 (19th lowest)
> Total property crimes: 384,556 (3rd highest)
> Population: 21,477,737
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32. Michigan
> 2020 vehicle thefts per 100K people: 184.5
> Total vehicle thefts: 18,385 (13th highest)
> Property crimes per 100K people: 1,360.9 (8th lowest)
> Total property crimes: 135,633 (16th highest)
> Population: 9,986,857
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31. North Carolina
> 2020 vehicle thefts per 100K people: 193.6
> Total vehicle thefts: 20,520 (10th highest)
> Property crimes per 100K people: 2,226.5 (16th highest)
> Total property crimes: 236,026 (5th highest)
> Population: 10,488,084
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30. Iowa
> 2020 vehicle thefts per 100K people: 197.1
> Total vehicle thefts: 6,235 (16th lowest)
> Property crimes per 100K people: 1,698.2 (18th lowest)
> Total property crimes: 53,725 (15th lowest)
> Population: 3,155,070
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29. Mississippi
> 2020 vehicle thefts per 100K people: 205.0
> Total vehicle thefts: 6,083 (15th lowest)
> Property crimes per 100K people: 2,101.6 (23rd highest)
> Total property crimes: 62,351 (19th lowest)
> Population: 2,976,149
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28. Alabama
> 2020 vehicle thefts per 100K people: 222.0
> Total vehicle thefts: 10,926 (23rd highest)
> Property crimes per 100K people: 2,136.8 (19th highest)
> Total property crimes: 105,161 (23rd highest)
> Population: 4,903,185
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27. Indiana
> 2020 vehicle thefts per 100K people: 228.5
> Total vehicle thefts: 15,435 (17th highest)
> Property crimes per 100K people: 1,783.2 (21st lowest)
> Total property crimes: 120,453 (19th highest)
> Population: 6,732,219
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26. Connecticut
> 2020 vehicle thefts per 100K people: 236.8
> Total vehicle thefts: 8,422 (20th lowest)
> Property crimes per 100K people: 1,565.1 (14th lowest)
> Total property crimes: 55,670 (16th lowest)
> Population: 3,565,287
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25. Georgia
> 2020 vehicle thefts per 100K people: 238.2
> Total vehicle thefts: 25,506 (6th highest)
> Property crimes per 100K people: 2,007.4 (24th highest)
> Total property crimes: 214,988 (7th highest)
> Population: 10,617,423
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24. Arizona
> 2020 vehicle thefts per 100K people: 241.7
> Total vehicle thefts: 17,937 (14th highest)
> Property crimes per 100K people: 2,227.7 (15th highest)
> Total property crimes: 165,323 (12th highest)
> Population: 7,278,717
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23. Montana
> 2020 vehicle thefts per 100K people: 247.6
> Total vehicle thefts: 2,676 (12th lowest)
> Property crimes per 100K people: 2,120.8 (22nd highest)
> Total property crimes: 22,917 (11th lowest)
> Population: 1,068,778
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22. Kansas
> 2020 vehicle thefts per 100K people: 248.1
> Total vehicle thefts: 7,229 (18th lowest)
> Property crimes per 100K people: 2,199.1 (17th highest)
> Total property crimes: 64,077 (20th lowest)
> Population: 2,913,314
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21. Minnesota
> 2020 vehicle thefts per 100K people: 250.0
> Total vehicle thefts: 14,146 (20th highest)
> Property crimes per 100K people: 2,124.9 (20th highest)
> Total property crimes: 120,212 (20th highest)
> Population: 5,639,632
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20. Kentucky
> 2020 vehicle thefts per 100K people: 256.8
> Total vehicle thefts: 11,497 (22nd highest)
> Property crimes per 100K people: 1,779.5 (20th lowest)
> Total property crimes: 79,673 (23rd lowest)
> Population: 4,467,673
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19. South Dakota
> 2020 vehicle thefts per 100K people: 259.3
> Total vehicle thefts: 2,315 (11th lowest)
> Property crimes per 100K people: 1,956.7 (25th lowest)
> Total property crimes: 17,468 (8th lowest)
> Population: 884,659
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18. Nebraska
> 2020 vehicle thefts per 100K people: 260.5
> Total vehicle thefts: 5,048 (13th lowest)
> Property crimes per 100K people: 1,909.2 (23rd lowest)
> Total property crimes: 36,991 (14th lowest)
> Population: 1,934,408
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17. Arkansas
> 2020 vehicle thefts per 100K people: 261.8
> Total vehicle thefts: 7,933 (19th lowest)
> Property crimes per 100K people: 2,613.4 (8th highest)
> Total property crimes: 79,200 (22nd lowest)
> Population: 3,017,804
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16. Louisiana
> 2020 vehicle thefts per 100K people: 266.9
> Total vehicle thefts: 12,400 (21st highest)
> Property crimes per 100K people: 2,884.4 (the highest)
> Total property crimes: 133,989 (17th highest)
> Population: 4,648,794
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15. Alaska
> 2020 vehicle thefts per 100K people: 269.3
> Total vehicle thefts: 1,969 (8th lowest)
> Property crimes per 100K people: 2,260.5 (13th highest)
> Total property crimes: 16,528 (7th lowest)
> Population: 731,545
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14. North Dakota
> 2020 vehicle thefts per 100K people: 271.0
> Total vehicle thefts: 2,074 (9th lowest)
> Property crimes per 100K people: 2,124.1 (21st highest)
> Total property crimes: 16,256 (6th lowest)
> Population: 762,062
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13. South Carolina
> 2020 vehicle thefts per 100K people: 282.1
> Total vehicle thefts: 14,718 (19th highest)
> Property crimes per 100K people: 2,721.1 (5th highest)
> Total property crimes: 141,987 (15th highest)
> Population: 5,148,714
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12. Texas
> 2020 vehicle thefts per 100K people: 287.0
> Total vehicle thefts: 84,276 (2nd highest)
> Property crimes per 100K people: 2,245.0 (14th highest)
> Total property crimes: 659,160 (2nd highest)
> Population: 28,995,881
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11. Tennessee
> 2020 vehicle thefts per 100K people: 306.4
> Total vehicle thefts: 21,098 (9th highest)
> Property crimes per 100K people: 2,492.8 (10th highest)
> Total property crimes: 171,675 (11th highest)
> Population: 6,829,174
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10. Utah
> 2020 vehicle thefts per 100K people: 316.6
> Total vehicle thefts: 10,288 (24th lowest)
> Property crimes per 100K people: 2,464.4 (11th highest)
> Total property crimes: 80,091 (24th lowest)
> Population: 3,205,958
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9. Nevada
> 2020 vehicle thefts per 100K people: 336.4
> Total vehicle thefts: 10,556 (25th highest)
> Property crimes per 100K people: 1,926.6 (24th lowest)
> Total property crimes: 60,462 (18th lowest)
> Population: 3,080,156
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8. Washington
> 2020 vehicle thefts per 100K people: 356.1
> Total vehicle thefts: 27,399 (5th highest)
> Property crimes per 100K people: 2,732.4 (4th highest)
> Total property crimes: 210,223 (8th highest)
> Population: 7,614,893
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7. Oklahoma
> 2020 vehicle thefts per 100K people: 378.0
> Total vehicle thefts: 15,047 (18th highest)
> Property crimes per 100K people: 2,705.6 (6th highest)
> Total property crimes: 107,705 (22nd highest)
> Population: 3,956,971
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6. Hawaii
> 2020 vehicle thefts per 100K people: 379.8
> Total vehicle thefts: 5,344 (14th lowest)
> Property crimes per 100K people: 2,411.4 (12th highest)
> Total property crimes: 33,928 (13th lowest)
> Population: 1,415,872
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5. Oregon
> 2020 vehicle thefts per 100K people: 391.0
> Total vehicle thefts: 16,585 (15th highest)
> Property crimes per 100K people: 2,659.0 (7th highest)
> Total property crimes: 112,782 (21st highest)
> Population: 4,217,737
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4. Missouri
> 2020 vehicle thefts per 100K people: 393.2
> Total vehicle thefts: 24,189 (7th highest)
> Property crimes per 100K people: 2,531.0 (9th highest)
> Total property crimes: 155,698 (14th highest)
> Population: 6,137,428
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3. California
> 2020 vehicle thefts per 100K people: 427.6
> Total vehicle thefts: 168,323 (the highest)
> Property crimes per 100K people: 2,138.9 (18th highest)
> Total property crimes: 842,054 (the highest)
> Population: 39,512,223
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2. New Mexico
> 2020 vehicle thefts per 100K people: 427.6
> Total vehicle thefts: 9,006 (21st lowest)
> Property crimes per 100K people: 2,841.9 (2nd highest)
> Total property crimes: 59,859 (17th lowest)
> Population: 2,096,829
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1. Colorado
> 2020 vehicle thefts per 100K people: 524.3
> Total vehicle thefts: 30,452 (4th highest)
> Property crimes per 100K people: 2,833.8 (3rd highest)
> Total property crimes: 164,582 (13th highest)
> Population: 5,758,736
Methodology
To determine the states where your car is most likely to be stolen, 24/7 Wall St. reviewed motor vehicle theft figures from the FBI’s 2020 Uniform Crime Report.
Limited data was available in the 2020 UCR for areas in Alabama, Maryland, Pennsylvania, and Illinois, though these states were not excluded from analysis.
Data for property crime — a category that includes larceny-theft, burglary, and motor vehicle theft — also came from the 2020 FBI UCR. Population figures are one-year estimates from the U.S. Census Bureau’s 2019 American Community Survey. However, these estimates were not used to calculate crime rates. Crime rates per 100,000 people were calculated using population figures provided by the FBI in the 2020 UCR.
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