Home Burglary Statistics 2025: What the Latest Data Reveals

For a long time, home break-ins have been a real worry for many families. They don’t just risk your stuff. They can also put people in danger, which is why this problem still feels so personal and stressful.

Most burglars don’t rush in without thinking. They usually take time to watch a home first. They look for easy ways in, check if anyone is around, and notice what safety steps are already there. That also means you can act early, like adding a security system or fixing weak spots, so your home is less likely to be picked.

In this guide, we will show you a full picture of home burglary. We cover the latest home burglary statistics, the places burglars hit most, the times they strike, and the best ways to stop them. With this information, we hope you can successfully stay out of burglars' sights.

Key Home Burglaries Statistics at a Glance in 2025

Home break-ins still happen, even with better tech and safer cities. Many people ask if this problem is still common today. The latest home burglary statistics give a clear picture.

In 2024, there were 779,542 home burglary cases. Full 2025 totals are not out yet, but mid-year reports show a drop. Home burglaries in the first half of 2025 were down about 19% compared with 2024. Even so, the number is still high enough to make home security a real need for many families.

A break-in happens fast and often. One home burglary takes place about every 25.7 seconds on average. The average loss per case is around $2,661. Another hard fact shows up in the data too: only about 11% of cases get solved, so many people never get their things back.

Home Burglary Statistics Over Time: Are Break-ins Still Falling?

The drop from 2024 to mid-2025 looks real. Still, one year on its own can be misleading, so a longer view helps. The numbers from 2014 to 2024 show what has been happening over time.

This table makes the pattern clear. Over these 11 years, home burglaries have gone down every single year compared with the year before. The fall wasn’t a one-off. It was steady.

A lot of things likely helped, but one change stands out. More homes now use burglar alarms and other security systems. These setups are thought to scare off around 60% of people who might try to break in.

Geographic Patterns: Home Burglary Statistics by State

Do break-ins follow a location pattern? Looking at state data helps answer that. Below are 2022 home burglary statistics by state, shown as cases per 100,000 people.

So, can burglary risk be guessed by place? To a point, yes. New Mexico has the highest rate in the country, with Washington State close behind. Some states sit much lower, like New Hampshire and Maine. That gap shows location really does matter.

The reasons are not just one thing. Money pressure, job levels, drug crime, and how strong local policing is can all push rates up or down. Cities also tend to have more break-ins because more people live close together, so there are more chances for crime. Rural areas often see fewer cases, but they still have risks, like slower police response or crimes committed by someone the victim knows.

Suburbs are not a “safe zone” by default either. Many burglars see suburban homes as having more valuable stuff, and daily routines there can be easy to predict. Because of that, some criminals are shifting more and more toward suburban areas.

When Do Home Burglaries Happen?

Burglars usually don’t break in at random. Many of them watch a home first and learn the owner’s routine. A time gets picked when the place is empty, because that lowers the chance of getting caught. Surveys show about 72% of break-ins happen when no one is home.

During the day, the most common window is 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. The peak is often around lunchtime, roughly 12:30 p.m. to 1:00 p.m. Those hours line up with work and school, so many homes sit quiet.

During the week, weekdays are riskier. Break-ins happen almost twice as often from Monday to Friday compared to weekends. People are more likely to be home on weekends, and their plans are less steady, which makes things harder for burglars.

During the year, summer is the busiest season for burglaries, especially in July and August. Fall comes next, then spring. Winter has the lowest rate. Weather matters too. Clear, calm days make it easier for a thief to move around. Bad storms or extreme weather often push crime down, since fewer people want to be outside.

How Home Burglaries Start: Most Common Entry Points

Knowing how burglars usually get in helps you protect the right spots. Here are the common entry points, based on InterNACHI’s burglary-resistant homes guide.

Most break-ins happen on the first floor. Around 81% of burglars enter that way, while only about 2% try getting in through the second floor.

Doors and windows are the main targets. About 34% come through the front door, 22% through the back door, and 23% through a first-floor window. Fewer people break in through the garage (around 9%) or the basement (about 4%).

Overall, this means the front door, back door, and first-floor windows are the places to focus on first. Strong locks, good lighting, and cameras in these areas can lower your risk a lot. InterNACHI also notes that unlocked doors or open windows still play a role in many break-ins, so basic habits matter too.

Who's Most at Risk for Home Burglary

Burglars tend to choose targets only after repeatedly comparing options and identifying the least risky home to break into. If you or your home match the following characteristics, you should be especially cautious:

• The homeowner is a woman, especially women who live alone or frequently share their whereabouts or routines on social media.
• Homes located in affluent neighborhoods or positioned mid-block, especially those with trees or bushes near doors and windows that provide concealment for intruders.
• Households that own luxury vehicles.
• Homes without security systems or surveillance cameras.
• Doors and windows that are clearly unlocked—or even left completely open.
• Doors that appear weak or easy to kick in.
• Obvious signs that no one is home, such as an overgrown lawn, accumulated newspapers or mail, uncleared snow in the yard, or empty garbage bins.

How to Prevent a Home Burglary

Now that you know how burglars think and when they strike, a few smart habits can lower your risk a lot. Here are practical steps you can take:

1. Avoid sharing too much online. Try not to post your daily routine, new purchases, or travel plans in real time.
2. Make the home look lived in. Keep the lawn tidy, pick up mail and newspapers, and use small tricks like leaving a light, TV, or radio on when you’re out.
3. Use strong doors and locks. Solid doors with inside hinges and good deadbolts are harder to force open. A smart video door lock can help. The eufy FamiLock S3 Max is one example. It unlocks with palm-vein recognition and also lets you see visitors live, check entry logs, and review activity in the app.
4. Don’t leave spare keys in obvious places. Under the mat, near the frame, or in a flowerpot are the first places burglars look.
5. Close curtains or blinds when needed. This stops people from seeing inside and guessing if no one is home.
6. A dog can be a strong warning sign. Even if the dog is small, clear “Beware of Dog” signs can still make a burglar think twice.
7. Watch for strange marks outside. Some burglars leave small signs on doors or walls to signal an easy target. If you see anything odd, remove it right away.
8. Install security cameras at entry points. Choose models with motion alerts, night vision, and app control, so you can check things anytime.

A full system can give stronger coverage. The eufy PoE NVR Security System S4 Max, for example, uses a 4K wide-angle camera plus a 2K PTZ camera to cover a full 360° view. When movement shows up, the system zooms in to catch details, and if someone moves out of one camera’s view, another one tracks them.

Conclusion

Looking at home burglary statistics over the years helps you see the pattern. Break-ins tend to happen at certain times, in certain places, and in homes that look easy to enter. Once you know that, it’s easier to plan ahead instead of getting caught off guard.

The best protection is often simple. Lock every door and window, even for short trips. Keep the outside of the house neat, bright, and lived-in. If you can, add a security system or cameras. These steps don’t guarantee safety, but they make your home a much harder target.

FAQs

What are the odds of a home burglary?

The chance of a home break-in in the U.S. is not huge for one single house, but it’s not tiny either. Across the country, a burglary happens about every 25 to 30 seconds. That adds up to a lot of homes each year, so the risk is real even if you don’t hear about it every day.

Some homes are easier targets than others. Places with no alarm, dark entry areas, or routines that are easy to guess tend to get hit more. Homes with security systems are much less likely to be picked, because burglars usually look for the quickest, quietest way in.

What house is most likely to be burgled?

Homes get burgled most when they look easy and low-risk. No visible cameras or alarm signs, quiet streets, or a house that seems empty during the day can make it stand out.

Unlocked doors or windows, dark entry areas, and big shrubs that hide someone also attract burglars. If valuables are obvious, like a luxury car outside or pricey items seen through windows, the risk goes up. Burglars usually pick the simplest target.

What state has the most home burglary?

New Mexico has the highest home burglary rate in the U.S. In 2022, it was about 604 break-ins per 100,000 people. Washington was next at roughly 563 per 100,000.

Rates are higher in some places because of a mix of issues, like money pressure, job problems, drug crime, and how stretched local police are.

What type of houses do burglars avoid?

Burglars usually skip houses that look hard to break into. If they see cameras, alarm signs, motion lights, or strong doors and windows, they often move on to an easier place.

They also avoid homes where someone might show up anytime. Busy neighbors, dogs, open sightlines with nowhere to hide, and yards that look cared for all send a clear message that the home is watched and not worth the risk.