10 worst cities for house crime

San Fransisco tops our list

By Susan Meyer

Updated March 19, 2024

Reviewed By Ross Martin

Table of contents:

Cities 1 - 3
Cities 4 - 6
Cities 7 - 10
Methodology

Identifying the most dangerous places for property crime

Property-related crime is common across the U.S. In fact, there are 2.5 million burglaries each year in the country, and over half of those crimes include home invasion. But some areas are more prone to house crime than others. Population density and crime rates both impact home insurance and auto insurance costs, so it's important to know where your city stands — both from safety and financial perspectives.

The Zebra set out to find the worst areas for house crime by analyzing the 50 most populous cities in the U.S. using three data points:

Property crime rate per 100,000 people: This includes multiple types of crime, including burglary, theft, motor vehicle theft and arson.
Robbery rate per 100,000 people: Robbery is defined as taking anything of value by force or threat.
Arson volume: Data collected by states, including damage to structures as well as mobile and other types of property.

As you can see, there's a natural overlap in these statistics. Arson is still considered a property crime, and property crime could also include robbery if there are threats or violence involved. But the overall trends can tell us what areas have bigger safety issues.

Here are the top 10 cities with the most house-related crime.

#1: San Francisco, California

San Francisco ranks second for both robberies and property crime out of the cities we analyzed. The state of California's arson volume also ranks first, although it is one of the largest states in the U.S. On a positive note, San Francisco has focused on enforcement since these FBI numbers were released. As a result, the city reported in January 2024 that property crime dropped by 32% — a promising step for public safety.^[1]

San Fransisco by the numbers

Property crime per 100,000 people: 3,523.60
Robbery crime per 100,000 people: 217.40
Arson volume: 3,620

#2: Memphis, Tennessee

Memphis has the highest property crime rate out of the cities we analyzed, surpassing 4,000 incidents per 100,000 people. Robberies also ranked in the top three, while arson rates in Tennessee were average compared to other states. Recent data suggests that overall crime in Memphis is at a record high, but that car thefts have declined.^[2]

Memphis by the numbers

Property crime per 100,000 people: 4,053.4
Robbery crime per 100,000 people: 207.1
Arson volume: 878

#3: Los Angeles, California

Los Angeles actually ranks average when it comes to property crime, with the rate per 100,000 people at around 2,140. However, recent releases from the city indicate that property crime is on the rise.^[3] Additionally, the robbery rate takes the fourth spot on our list, which helped land Los Angeles as a trouble spot for home-related crime.

LA by the numbers

Property crime per 100,000 people: 2,140.7
Robbery crime per 100,000 people: 157.3
Arson volume: 3,362

#4: Riverside, California

Like Los Angeles, Riverside made it to the top of our list due to local robberies and state-wide arson. There are over 113 robberies per 100,000 people, which is quite high compared to other areas. Property crime is average at 2,275.1 incidents per 100,000 people.

Riverside by the numbers

Property crime per 100,000 people: 2,275.1
Robbery crime per 100,000 people: 113.4
Arson volume: 3,362

#5: San Antonio, Texas

San Antonio is a tough city for homeowners because of its high property crime rate, which is 3,280.7 per 100,000 people. Robberies aren't quite as common at just 86.7 per 100,000. Texas does, however, have one of the largest volumes of arson compared to other states, at just under 3,000 per year.

San Antonio by the numbers

Property crime per 100,000 people: 3,280.7
Robbery crime per 100,000 people: 86.7
Arson volume: 2,921

#6: Sacramento, California

Robbery rates in Sacramento exceed 100 incidents per 100,000 people. Meanwhile, property crime rates are just under 2,000 per year, but that number is growing. In fact, a recent news story says that property crime in Sacramento is up 6.1% since 2021.^[4]

Sacramento by the numbers

Property crime per 100,000 people: 2,193.9
Robbery crime per 100,000 people: 102
Arson volume: 3,362

#7: San Jose, California

San Jose's property crime rates hover around 2,400 per 100,000 people, ranking it 15th in the cities we analyzed. Robberies come to just 93 per 100,000 people, which placed the city 19th on our list. While house crime isn't as ubiquitous as in other California cities, San Jose is beginning to impose stricter bail requirements for repeat offenders.^[6]

San Jose by the numbers

Property crime per 100,000 people: 2,400.60
Robbery crime per 100,000 people: 93.10
Arson volume: 3,362

#8: Nashville, Tennessee

Nashville ranks 12th in the nation for property crime, coming in just under 2,500 incidents per 100,000 people each year. The robbery rate is slightly higher in comparison, ranking 8th for 119 incidents per 100,000 people. The good news for homeowners in Nashville is that residential burglary is on the decline.^[7]

Nashville by the numbers

Property crime per 100,000 people: 2,449.5
Robbery crime per 100,000 people: 119.1
Arson volume: 878

#9: Columbus, Ohio

Both property crime and robberies in Columbus are above average compared to all the cities we researched, reaching 2,390 and 99.9 incidents per 100,000 people, respectively. Ohio also places 17th for arson incidents.

Columbus by the numbers

Property crime per 100,000 people: 2,390.3
Robbery crime per 100,000 people: 99.9
Arson volume: 1,091

#10: Austin, Texas (tied)

Robberies are relatively low in Austin, coming in with less than 60 incidents per 100,000 people. Property crime, however, is higher. The city ranks 13th in this category on our list, with more than 2,400 property crimes per 100,000 people.

Austin by the numbers

Property crime per 100,000 people: 2,410.2
Robbery crime per 100,000 people: 56.9
Arson volume: 2,921

#10: Cleveland, Ohio (tied)

Cleveland ties Austin for the final spot on our list of worst cities for house crime. However, the data is flipped in this Ohio city. Property crime is lower at just 1,851 incidents per 100,000 residents. Robberies, on the other hand, place seventh on our list at around 120.

Cleveland by the numbers

Property crime per 100,000 people: 1,851.4
Robbery crime per 100,000 people: 120.5
Arson volume: 1,091

Methodology

The Zebra pulled three data points to analyze the top 50 MSAs (by population) in the U.S. related to house crime and robberies.

Property Crime Rate (FBI)
Robbery Rate (FBI)
Arson Volume (FBI)^[7]

MSA data was used where applicable, and we sometimes substituted city or state data as necessary.

Sources