Package Theft on the Rise: Study Ranks States with the Highest Rates
Which US states are most likely to get packages stolen?
- New research reveals that Florida is the state most likely to get packages stolen.
- New Mexico and Oregon take second and third, respectively.
- Colorado and Washington round out the top five.
New research has revealed the US states that are most likely to have packages stolen, with Florida coming out on top.
The study by location intelligence experts Loqate analyzed data from the FBI’s Crime Data Explorer related to reports of larceny-theft from a property to determine which states have the highest rates based on the latest data from December 2023.
The US states most likely to get packages stolen
| Rank | Location | Population | Reports of property larceny-theft (Dec 2023) | Property larceny-theft reports per 100,000 population (Dec 2023) |
| 1 | Florida | 22,610,726 | 57,036 | 433 |
| 2 | New Mexico | 2,114,371 | 3,063 | 169 |
| 3 | Oregon | 4,233,358 | 6,212 | 150 |
| 4 | Colorado | 5,877,610 | 8,323 | 149 |
| 5 | Washington | 7,812,880 | 11,322 | 147 |
| 6 | Louisiana | 4,573,749 | 5,351 | 144 |
| 7 | Tennessee | 7,126,489 | 9,245 | 130.9 |
| 8 | Arkansas | 3,067,732 | 3,821 | 130.7 |
| 9 | Texas | 30,503,301 | 38,328 | 127 |
| 10 | North Carolina | 10,835,491 | 12,011 | 126 |
It found that the state of Florida is the US state most likely to have packages stolen. The rate of property larceny-theft in the state sits at 433 reports per 100,000 people, over double any other state, giving it the top spot. However, Florida’s theft rate has dropped significantly from a high in December 2018, which saw 1,627 reports per 100,000 people.
New Mexico takes second on the list, with a rate of 169 reports per 100,000 people. New Mexico’s current theft rate is just below its five-year high in January 2020, with 176 reports per 100,000 people.
Coming in third place is the state of Oregon, which saw a rate of 150 reports per 100,000 people. This number was at its highest in October 2020, with 186 reports per 100,000 people.
Colorado takes fourth place on the list, with a rate of 149 reports per 100,000 people. The highest rate was seen in August of 2022, with 181 reports per 100,000 people.
Rounding out the top five is the state of Washington. The state saw around 147 reports per 100,000 people in the latest data, and this number was at its highest in March 2022, with 207 reports per 100,000 people.
Commenting on the findings, Michelle Moses, director of sales & partnerships at Loqate said: “With home deliveries becoming more and more common, package theft has undoubtedly grown as an issue along with this as well. While it’s primarily an issue that affects urban communities, it’s clear from this list that it’s an issue across the country. It is important that homeowners take security measures such as using doorbell cameras and package lockers, as well as making use of signature-required deliveries where possible.
ENDS
Source: FBI Crime Data Explorer
Methodology:
- Data on larceny theft from a building from December 2023 was taken as this is the latest available data, with the rate of reports per 100,000 people taken from this specifically.
| Rank | Location | Population | Average rate of property larceny-theft per 100,000 people |
| 1 | Florida | 22,610,726 | 433.06 |
| 2 | New Mexico | 2,114,371 | 168.59 |
| 3 | Oregon | 4,233,358 | 149.53 |
| 4 | Colorado | 5,877,610 | 148.79 |
| 5 | Washington | 7,812,880 | 147.46 |
| 6 | Louisiana | 4,573,749 | 143.77 |
| 7 | Tennessee | 7,126,489 | 130.85 |
| 8 | Arkansas | 3,067,732 | 130.65 |
| 9 | Texas | 30,503,301 | 127.22 |
| 10 | North Carolina | 10,835,491 | 126.46 |
| 11 | South Carolina | 5,373,555 | 126.11 |
| 12 | California | 38,965,193 | 122.26 |
| 13 | New York | 19,571,216 | 121.19 |
| 14 | Oklahoma | 4,053,824 | 120.68 |
| 15 | Kansas | 2,940,546 | 120.52 |
| 16 | North Dakota | 783,926 | 118.18 |
| 17 | Virginia | 8,715,698 | 115.92 |
| 18 | Nevada | 3,194,176 | 115.51 |
| 19 | Montana | 1,132,812 | 113.96 |
| 20 | Delaware | 1,031,890 | 112.32 |
| 21 | Missouri | 6,196,156 | 112.01 |
| 22 | Vermont | 647,464 | 110.89 |
| 23 | Maryland | 6,180,253 | 108.45 |
| 24 | Nebraska | 1,978,379 | 107.54 |
| 25 | Arizona | 7,431,344 | 104.70 |
| 26 | Georgia | 11,029,227 | 103.24 |
| 27 | New Jersey | 9,290,841 | 103.03 |
| 28 | Minnesota | 5,737,915 | 102.30 |
| 29 | Utah | 3,417,734 | 100.53 |
| 30 | Indiana | 6,862,199 | 98.83 |
| 31 | Illinois | 12,549,689 | 97.64 |
| 32 | Pennsylvania | 12,961,683 | 97.01 |
| 33 | South Dakota | 919,318 | 95.67 |
| 34 | Connecticut | 3,617,176 | 92.39 |
| 35 | Ohio | 11,785,935 | 91.77 |
| 36 | Wyoming | 584,057 | 91.43 |
| 37 | Iowa | 3,207,004 | 88.83 |
| 38 | Michigan | 10,037,261 | 88.26 |
| 39 | West Virginia | 1,770,071 | 87.64 |
| 40 | Alabama | 5,108,468 | 87.63 |
| 41 | Mississippi | 2,939,690 | 85.41 |
| 42 | Alaska | 733,406 | 83.77 |
| 43 | Kentucky | 4,526,154 | 78.95 |
| 44 | Wisconsin | 5,910,955 | 77.24 |
| 45 | Maine | 1,395,722 | 72.58 |
| 46 | Massachusetts | 7,001,399 | 70.44 |
| 47 | Rhode Island | 1,095,962 | 65.70 |
| 48 | Hawaii | 1,435,138 | 63.86 |
| 49 | New Hampshire | 1,402,054 | 63.76 |
| 50 | Idaho | 1,964,726 | 41.58 |
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Author: David Keech
David Keech is a retired teacher and works as a sportswriter, sports official and as an educational consultant. He has reported on amateur sports since 2011, known as 'KeechDaVoice.' David can be reached at [email protected]
