New study reveals Maryland is the ninth state where your car is most likely to get stolen
- Maryland ranks ninth with 1,589 thefts per 100,000 residents, for a total of 98,221 thefts in five years.
- Colorado is first with 2,852 thefts per 100,000 residents, while Washington and Nevada come in second and third place, respectively.
- Texas is the state with the most total vehicle thefts in the top 10 with almost 500,000 thefts between 2021 and 2025.
A new study reveals that Maryland is the ninth state for vehicle thefts in the US.
The study, conducted by car comparison website Save Max Auto, summed all vehicle thefts registered between 2021 and 2025 from the FBI Crime Data Explorer (CDE) for each US state and compared them to each state’s population (from US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program (PEP)) to find out where there have been the most thefts per 100,000 residents.
Maryland's findings
Maryland ranks ninth, with 1,589 thefts per 100,000 residents. This figure is based on 98,221 thefts recorded between 2021 and 2025, compared to a population of 6,180,253. The average victim age in the state is 42.8. The most common location for theft was public areas such as highways, roads, alleys, streets, and sidewalks, where 37,542 incidents occurred.
Top 10 states where your car is most likely to get stolen
Colorado ranks first, with 2,852 vehicle thefts per 100,000 residents. This figure is based on a total of 167,648 thefts recorded between 2021 and 2025, compared to a population of 5,877,610. The average victim age in the state is 41.7. Data also shows that the most common location for theft is a garage or parking lot, where 36% of these incidents occurred (60,491).
Washington comes second, with 2,380 thefts per 100,000 residents. A total of 185,925 vehicle thefts were recorded during the period analyzed, against a population of nearly 8 million. Of these, almost 37% happened near the victim’s home or residence, accounting for 68,312 thefts. The average victim age is 43.7.
Nevada ranks third, with 2,376 vehicle thefts per 100,000 residents. This rate is based on 75,884 thefts recorded between 2021 and 2025, compared to a population of 3,194,176. The average victim age in the state is 44.6. Most thefts occurred at a residence or home, with 34,195 incidents taking place in these settings.
Further down the list, New Mexico follows in fourth place, with 2,214 thefts per 100,000 residents. In total, 46,807 vehicle thefts were reported over the five-year period, compared to a population of 2,114,371. The average victim age is 45. The most common location for these thefts was also a residence or home, where 27,396 incidents occurred.
Missouri rounds out the top five, recording 1,950 vehicle thefts per 100,000 residents. This figure reflects 120,803 thefts between 2021 and 2025, set against a population of 6,196,156. The average victim age in the state is 42.7. As with several other states, the most frequent location for theft was a residence or home, accounting for 41,606 cases.
Aaren James, Senior Analyst at Save Max Auto, commented on the findings: “The data highlights how, geographically, these trends appear concentrated in the western part of the country, with seven out of 10 states located either on the West Coast or in more central areas like Texas, New Mexico, and Colorado. What stood out was Maryland’s higher share of thefts in public locations such as streets and sidewalks. This suggests that, beyond population density, urban layout and street parking exposure may be contributing factors.”
ENDS
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Sources:
- FBI Crime Data Explorer (CDE)
- U.S. Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program (PEP)
Methodology:
- Data on vehicle thefts was collected from a public database provided by FBI Crime Data Explorer (CDE), covering all 50 states.
- The data was gathered automatically and checked to ensure accuracy, with multiple attempts made if any request failed.
- Total thefts for each state were calculated by adding together all recorded victims over the period from 2021 to 2025.
- Theft rates per 100,000 residents were calculated using the latest available population estimates, allowing for fair comparisons between states.
- The average age of victims was estimated using age group data.
- Additional details were analyzed to provide context, including where the theft took place (such as at a residence, on the street, or in a parking lot), the victim’s relationship to the offender, and basic offender demographics where available.
- Yearly totals were also reviewed to understand how theft trends have changed over time.
Notes:
- The data only includes reports from participating law enforcement agencies, so the true number of thefts may be slightly higher.
- Florida was excluded from the ranking due to insufficient data from participating agencies.
Table 1: States where your car is most likely to get stolen