Criminal Statistics

A burglary takes place in the U.S. every 14.6 seconds according to the Uniform Crime Reporting Program Crime Clock.

• Property crime makes up slightly more than three-quarters of all crime in the United States.
• In 2008, there were an estimated 2,222,196 burglaries—an increase of 2.0 percent when compared with 2007 data.
• There was an increase of 3.6 percent in the number of burglaries in 2008 when compared with the 2004 estimate and an increase of 5.8 percent when compared with the 1999 estimate.
• Burglary accounted for 22.7 percent of the estimated number of property crimes committed in 2008.
• Of all burglaries, 61.2 percent involved forcible entry, 32.3 percent were unlawful entries (without force), and the remainder (6.4 percent) was forcible entry attempts.  
• Victims of burglary offenses suffered an estimated $4.6 billion in lost property in 2008; overall, the average dollar loss per burglary offense was $2,079.
• Burglaries of residential properties accounted for 70.3 percent of all burglary offenses.

34 percent of burglars entered through the front door;
23 percent through a first-floor window;
22 percent through the back door;
9 percent through the garage;
4 percent entered through a basement;
4 percent through an unlocked entrance;
2 percent through a storage area;
and only 2 percent entered anywhere on the second floor.

A study in Connecticut showed that 12 percent of burglaries occurred through an UNLOCKED door and that in 41 percent of alarmed homes that were burglarized, the security system was not turned on.