Report: District of Columbia tops national property crime rates

(The Center Square) — The District of Columbia, New Mexico and Colorado topped the list for the highest property crime rate in the United States, according to a new report. 

The Hirsch Law Group compiled 2024 FBI data across all 50 states and the District of Columbia to determine where criminal activity is surging. The District of Columbia recorded 6,982 property crime cases per 100,000 residents, with the most common offense being theft or larceny. 

New Mexico followed in second place with 4,946 property crime cases per 100,000 people. Colorado was in third with 4,080 cases per 100,000 residents. 

The report considered three categories of criminal activity: crimes against persons, property crimes and crimes against society. Tennessee was the only state to land in the top ten for all three categories, earning fifth for crimes against persons, fifth for crimes against society and ninth for property crimes

In the District of Columbia, assault accounted for 21,437 of its 22,320 offenses against persons. In D.C., there were 3,178 incidents of crimes against people per 100,000 residents, topping the national leaderboard. 

Since President Donald Trump was elected, he has spent considerable effort cracking down on crime in the District of Columbia. 

Since Aug. 11, 2025, the streets in D.C. have maintained a steady presence of National Guard troops to crack down on crime in the district. The Department of War estimates it would cost $1.4 billion to keep troops in the district through January 2029, a priority of the Trump administration. 

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In 2024, the nation's capital recorded the highest vehicle theft rate at 842 per 100,000 residents. 

Since the crackdown, crime in the city has reportedly gone down. The Metropolitan Police Department reports overall crime has fallen 20% in the last year, with motor vehicle thefts down 53% and, robbery down 16%, and total property crime down 22%. 

"A clear national decline in vehicle theft rates is significant, residents of high-risk jurisdictions still face major problems in this area," the report reads. "This perfectly illustrates the importance of using per capita rates to properly assess crime levels."

Vermont, Hawaii, Connecticut, Minnesota and New Jersey all recorded fewer than 900 crimes per 100,000 residents.

"Even in low-crime areas, assault and sex offenses were the two commonest crimes, with all states facing a persistent burden when it comes to prevalent crimes against persons categories," the report reads.

The Hirsch Law Group said high crime rates in certain states appear to counteract progress toward a lower national average. 

"Ultimately, while national crime trends show overall signs of improvement, the data reveals a deeply uneven landscape in which a small number of states carry a disproportionate criminal burden," the report reads.