Massachusetts Has One of the Lowest Burglary Rates in the Nation

Unfortunately, burglary is a reality in American society. Each year, thousands if not millions of dollars are stolen from homes, cars, and more. In the best of these cases, “stuff” is the only thing taken, not anything of sentimental value or — more importantly — anyone’s life. Luckily for Bay Staters, the rate at which homes are broken into is lower than most other states.

These figures were made available through a new study from Elite Fixtures, which is based on government data. A company representative explained that they decided to conduct the analysis since they sell home security products. What was found in the study may come as a surprise.

Represented in terms of cases per 100,000 people, the burglary rate in Massachusetts landed at 281.8. This is about 40% lower than the national average of this figure. This translates to just over 19,000 home burglaries each year in the Bay State, around 370 per week, and about 53 every day.

The states that rank the highest in terms of this rate are New Mexico (830.4), Arkansas (795.5) and Mississippi (781.4). The lowest are New York (201.7), New Hampshire (222.0), and Virginia (238.0). Overall, states in the Northeast have the lowest rate — 276.9 on average — which is 33%-52% lower than the averages in the other three U.S. regions.

Interestingly, home burglaries in general are about 75% more likely to happen during the day, despite the common representation of them at night in TV and movies. Additionally, more is typically stolen during the day — $2,258 versus $1,913.

With interest in smart home security on the rise, the question is whether this is enough to keep your belongings safe.