What city has the most stolen cars?
Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, California is the city with the most car thefts (or rather the CBSA, a metro area defined by the NICB.) 72,460 cars were stolen there in 2023.
San Francisco-Oakland-Berkeley, California, is in the No. 2 spot with 40,977 cars stolen. These two areas account for a large percentage of California's 208,668 stolen vehicles in 2023.
Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, portions of which are in Illinois, Indiana and Wisconsin, landed at No. 3 by volume at 36,272.
Rounding out the top five are two CSBAs in Texas: Houston-The Woodlands-Sugar Land, Texas, and Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, Texas. Meanwhile, Denver-Aurora-Lakewood, Colorado, dropped down the list from third to seventh with a 22% decrease in thefts.
Top 10 metro areas for car theft
These metro areas, or CBSAs as defined by the NICB, had the most stolen cars in 2023.
| Rank | CBSA | 2023 thefts | % Change 2022-2023 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA | 72,460 | -0.5% |
| 2 | San Francisco-Oakland-Berkeley, CA | 40,977 | 28% |
| 3 | Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN-WI | 36,272 | 9% |
| 4 | Houston-The Woodlands-Sugar Land, TX | 35,119 | 7% |
| 5 | Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX | 34,119 | 13% |
| 6 | New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA | 33,596 | 6% |
| 7 | Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA | 31,328 | 2% |
| 8 | Denver-Aurora-Lakewood, CO | 24,489 | -22% |
| 9 | Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV | 21,119 | 52% |
| 10 | Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD | 23,339 | 19% |
Top 10 states for car theft
These were the top 10 states for stolen cars in 2023.
| Rank | State | 2023 theft rate* | 2022 theft rate* |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Washington, D.C. | 1,149.71 | 700.06 |
| 2 | Colorado | 583.25 | 731.28 |
| 3 | Nevada | 572.70 | 480.81 |
| 4 | Washington | 554.44 | 603.54 |
| 5 | California | 534.49 | 520.17 |
| 6 | New Mexico | 489.67 | 540.57 |
| 7 | Missouri | 441.61 | 482.60 |
| 8 | Maryland | 427.99 | 260.94 |
| 9 | Oregon | 394.14 | 540.57 |
| 10 | Texas | 383.00 | 350.10 |
*theft rate per 100,000 residents
Top 10 most stolen cars
Now that you know which cities have the most car theft, let's look at the vehicles that car thieves are most likely to steal. Pickup trucks are no longer the most-stolen vehicles in the U.S.
The most stolen car in 2023 was the Hyundai Elantra, followed by the Hyundai Sonata and the Kia Optima. Kia had the most models in the top 10 list at four.
Here are the 10 most common vehicles stolen in 2023, according to The National Insurance Crime Bureau (NICB):
| Rank | Vehicle make/model | 2023 total thefts |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Hyundai Elantra | 48,445 |
| 2 | Hyundai Sonata | 42,813 |
| 3 | Kia Optima | 30,204 |
| 4 | Chevrolet Silverado 1500 | 23,721 |
| 5 | Kia Soul | 21,001 |
| 6 | Honda Accord | 20,895 |
| 7 | Honda Civic | 19,858 |
| 8 | Kia Forte | 16,209 |
| 9 | Ford F150 Series Pickup | 15,852 |
| 10 | Kia Sportage | 15,749 |
What are the safest cities for car theft?
The NICB car theft data indicated that the following are the cities with the least car theft, listed by metro area with the least thefts first:
| Rank | Metro area | Car theft rate, 2022* |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Kahului-Wailuku-Lahaina, HI | 0 |
| 2 | State College, PA | 17.67 |
| 3 | Gettysburg, PA | 26.41 |
| 4 | Barnstable town, MA | 29.26 |
| 5 | Glenn Falls, NY | 30.81 |
| 6 | Watertown-Fort Drum, NY | 34.29 |
| 7 | Chambersburg-Waynesboro, PA | 34.42 |
| 8 | Midland. MI | 34.66 |
| 9 | Bloomsburg-Berwick, PA | 38.55 |
| 10 | Logan, UT-ID | 40.55 |
*Per 100,000 population
This table includes only cities on the mainland, Hawaii and Alaska and excludes U.S. territories.
How to prevent car theft
The NICB offers a four-pronged approach to preventing thefts:
- Remove your keys, roll up the windows, lock the doors and park in well-lit areas.
- Deploy a visible or audible device warning that your car is protected – a steering-wheel lock or an audible alarm.
- Install an immobilizing device that keeps thieves from starting the car – smart keys, kill switches, fuse cut-offs and fuel-pump disablers.
- Utilize devices that track and recover a stolen car, such as onboard telematics systems.
“These rankings highlight the persistent threat of vehicle theft across the country. NICB works with law enforcement agencies and industry partners to deploy advanced technologies and strategies to combat vehicle theft from organized criminal networks and individuals. Even as we work to deter crime, it is crucial for owners to remain vigilant and take proactive measures to protect their vehicles," NICB President and CEO David J. Glawe said in a press release.
What should you do if your car is stolen in one of these cities?
Regardless of where you live or what type of car you drive, it’s important to know what to do if your car is stolen.
The first thing you should do is call the police to report the theft. Once you've completed the police report, call your insurance company. The claims representative will provide you with the next steps.
Car insurance and car theft
You’ll need comprehensive coverage for your car insurance to cover a stolen car. If you have a loan or lease on your vehicle, your lender will require you to carry full coverage, including comprehensive.
Comprehensive is a relatively small part of most drivers' premiums and will pay out the actual cash value of your car if it's stolen. This optional coverage comes with a deductible, the portion you pay on a claim before insurance kicks in to cover the balance. Deductibles vary, but $500 is a common amount.
Frequently asked questions: Highest car theft cities
What percent of stolen cars are recovered?
According to the NICB data, 85% of stolen vehicles are recovered. Of those, 34% are recovered within 24 hours, and 45% within two days.
How does a stolen car affect insurance rates?
In most cases, a stolen car claim on your policy will raise your rates, but the severity of the increase will depend on your specific insurance company. Insurance companies have proprietary surcharge schedules, which will determine your rate increase after an issue such as a speeding ticket, an accident or a claim for car theft.
Does living in one of the cities with the highest car theft rate affect my car insurance rates?
Insurance companies consider a variety of factors when calculating a car insurance premium. These factors include not only your driving record and the type of vehicle you are driving but also where you live and where your vehicle is stored.
If you live in a high-crime area, you will pay more for car insurance. In most cases, drivers in major urban areas will pay more for coverage than drivers in rural areas. Statistics show that more car accidents and thefts occur in cities.
Finally, you will pay more for coverage if your vehicle spends the night parked on the street instead of in a garage. All of these location factors will impact your car insurance rates.
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