Home break-in statistics & facts (Updated 2024)

Home burglaries have gone down 60% over the past 10 years. Homeowners insurance covers theft. Here’s the latest facts and figures on home burglaries in 2023.

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Rachael BrennanSenior Editor & Licensed Auto Insurance ExpertRachael Brennan is a senior editor and a licensed auto insurance expert at Policygenius. Her work has also been featured in MoneyGeek, Clearsurance, Adweek, Boston Globe, The Ladders, and AutoInsurance.com.

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Jennifer GimbelJennifer GimbelSenior Managing Editor & Home Insurance ExpertJennifer Gimbel is a senior managing editor at Policygenius, where she oversees all of our insurance coverage. Previously, she was the managing editor at Finder.com and a content strategist at Babble.com.
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Ian Bloom, CFP®, RLP®Ian Bloom, CFP®, RLP®Certified Financial PlannerIan Bloom, CFP®, RLP®, is a certified financial planner and a member of the Financial Review Council at Policygenius. Previously, he was a financial advisor at MetLife and MassMutual.

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Home break-in rates in the U.S. have been falling steadily since 1991, with a significant decrease in the annual number of burglaries happening every year since 2011. [1] While this is great news, home break-ins are still a very real issue. Over 1.7 million homes were subject to property crimes in 2020, according to the FBI. [2]

Because burglary is still a serious concern for most people, it is important to have homeowners insurance coverage to protect your home and belongings in case you end up on the wrong side of these statistics. 

Home break-ins by the numbers  

Home burglary statistics change from one year to the next. While we have seen a noticeable decrease in your overall chances of home invasion, the threat is still very real. Some common home burglary statistics are listed below:

  • 522,426 burglaries occurred in the U.S. in 2020 [3]

  • 62% of those burglaries were home break-ins [4]

  • 24% of all burglaries were committed by people who knew their victim in 2020 [5]

  • $2,661 was the average loss per burglary in 2019 [6]

  • 290,909 home burglaries took place during the daytime in 2019 [7]

  • 56% of burglaries involved forcible entry in 2019 [8]

  • 38% of burglars walked into an unlocked home in 2019 [9]

  • 1.4 million firearms were stolen during home burglaries and other property crimes from 2005 to 2010 [10]

  • 50% of burglars live within 2 miles of the house they steal from [11]

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Home break-ins per year

Home burglaries decreased 60% over the past 10 years, according to our analysis of FBI data.

Here’s a look at how the numbers shake out.

Graph showing a steep decline in home break-ins from 2010 to 2022

Source: FBI Crime Data Explorer

Does homeowners insurance cover home break-ins?

Yes, homeowners insurance protects your home and personal property in the event of a break-in. This includes replacing items that were stolen, as well as covering damage to your home caused by the break-in.

But how much you’ll get from a stolen property claim depends on what type of coverage you have. There are two main types of personal property coverage: replacement cost and actual cash value (ACV).

  • Replacement cost: Your insurer pays for you to replace your stolen goods with new items, no matter how long you owned it. For example, if your stolen TV was ten years old you’ll be given enough to buy a new TV, not the amount your insurance company thinks a ten-year-old TV was actually worth.

  • Actual cash value: Your insurer pays you what your items were actually worth after years of use and regular wear and tear. If your stolen TV was ten years old you’ll be given the value of a ten-year-old TV, which may only be a few dollars. If your policy offers ACV coverage and all of your belongings are a few years old, you could receive a small payout that only covers a fraction of the cost to replace your belongings after a burglary.

Most standard homeowners insurance policies come with ACV coverage for personal property. However, you can add on replacement cost coverage for an additional expense. While replacement cost policies are more expensive, it may be worth it to ensure your belongings are fully protected.

Learn more more about actual cash value vs. replacement cost insurance policies

Expensive or rare personal property comes with coverage sublimits

When it comes to more expensive personal property — like jewelry, fire arms, and fine art — insurers set a maximum amount they’ll pay out for loss due to theft. This is typically referred to as a sublimit. For example, firearms typically have a collective sublimit of $2,500, so your insurer won’t pay out any more than that if they are stolen.

How to protect your home from break-ins and save on homeowners insurance

Security equipment like burglary alarms and smart cameras can help protect your home from break-ins and, as a bonus, it may even earn you a discount on your homeowners insurance. Many insurers offer discounts if you make your home safer, because that means you’re less likely to file a claim. 

The table below compares the average annual cost of homeowners insurance vs. the average cost when you install safety features like deadbolts, smoke alarms, and burglary alarms.

Average cost of homeowners insurance

Average cost with a deadbolt

Percentage difference

Average cost with a smoke alarm

Percentage difference

Average cost with a burglar alarm

Percentage difference

$1,754

$1,897

-0.09%

$1,892

-0.37%

$1,846

-2.97%

Take a deeper dive into homeowners insurance and theft

Frequently asked questions

Are home invasions common?

According to the FBI, there was a home burglary every 25.7 seconds in 2018. This seems scary, but there is good news — property crime has dropped sharply almost every year since 2011. In 2018 there were 378 burglaries per 100,000 people in the U.S., but in 2022 there were only 269.8 burglaries per 100,000 people.

When and where do most burglaries occur?

According to ADT, most burglaries occur during the day, specifically between 10 am and 3 pm, because burglars are more likely to find empty homes during the day. Homes in the middle of the block are more likely to be burglarized than homes with a corner lot, as are homes with low visibility or homes that show signs of neglect, like uncut grass or broken locks.

How do most burglars break into homes?

Security company ADT states that 34% of burglars come in through the front door, 23% come through a first floor window, 22% come in through the back door, 9% come in through the garage, and 12% find other points of entry, like the basement or a second floor window.

Which types of insurance would protect my property if someone broke into my house?

Stolen or damaged property would be covered by the personal property protection portion of your homeowners insurance policy, while any damage caused to your property due to the burglary would be covered under your dwelling coverage.

References

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Policygenius uses external sources, including government data, industry studies, and reputable news organizations to supplement proprietary marketplace data and internal expertise. Learn more about how we use and vet external sources as part of oureditorial standards.

  1. FBI Crime Data Explorer

    . "

    FBI Crime Data Explorer

    ." Accessed February 01, 2024.

  2. Bureau of Justice Statistics

    . "

    Criminal Victimization, 2020

    ." Accessed February 01, 2024.

  3. FBI Crime Data Explorer

    . "

    Trend of Violent Crime from 2010 to 2020

    ." Accessed November 11, 2021.

  4. FBI Criminal Justice Information Services Division

    . "

    2019 Crime in the United States

    ." Accessed November 11, 2021.

  5. Bureau of Justice Statistics

    . "

    Firearms Stolen During Household Burglaries and Other Property Crimes, 2005-2010

    ." Accessed November 11, 2021.

  6. ADT

    . "

    50+ Surprising Home Burglary Stats and Eye-opening Facts

    ." Accessed February 01, 2024.

Author

Rachael Brennan is a senior editor and a licensed auto insurance expert at Policygenius. Her work has also been featured in MoneyGeek, Clearsurance, Adweek, Boston Globe, The Ladders, and AutoInsurance.com.

Editor

Jennifer Gimbel is a senior managing editor at Policygenius, where she oversees all of our insurance coverage. Previously, she was the managing editor at Finder.com and a content strategist at Babble.com.

Expert reviewer

Ian Bloom, CFP®, RLP®, is a certified financial planner and a member of the Financial Review Council at Policygenius. Previously, he was a financial advisor at MetLife and MassMutual.

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