New Mexico's recorded burglary rate was nearly eight times New Hampshire's in an analysis by Liberty Home Products, highlighting a wide gap between the highest and lowest rates among the 48 states examined.
The study, which cites the FBI's Crime Data Explorer and Uniform Crime Reporting Program, placed New Mexico first with 404.9 burglaries per 100,000 residents. The state recorded 8,607 burglaries, considerably fewer than several larger states but the highest total relative to population in the analysis.
Oklahoma ranked second, with 15,064 burglaries and a rate of 365.3 per 100,000 residents. Louisiana followed in third place at 326.2 per 100,000, with 15,063 recorded offenses. Although the two states' burglary totals differed by just one incident, their population sizes produced different rates.
Washington placed fourth, with 25,137 burglaries and a rate of 314.2 per 100,000 residents. Nevada rounded out the top five, recording 10,223 burglaries, or 311.5 per 100,000.
The ranking illustrates why the largest number of recorded offenses does not necessarily translate into the highest burglary rate. Comparing incidents per 100,000 residents accounts for differences in population, allowing a more meaningful comparison between large and small states.
California, for example, recorded 108,270 burglaries, the largest total in the analysis and more than 12 times New Mexico's count. But California ranked eighth because its population-adjusted rate was 275.1 per 100,000 residents. North Carolina showed a similar pattern. Its 34,035 recorded burglaries exceeded the totals in each of the five highest-ranking states, yet its rate of 303.9 per 100,000 placed it sixth.
Arkansas ranked seventh, with 8,758 burglaries and a rate of 281.2 per 100,000. Behind California, Colorado placed ninth at 272.7 per 100,000, with 16,396 recorded offenses. Oregon completed the top 10, recording 10,567 burglaries and a rate of 247.3 per 100,000.
At the other end of the ranking, New Hampshire had the lowest burglary rate among the states analyzed: 51.4 per 100,000 residents, based on 727 recorded offenses.
Maine had the second-lowest rate at 78.6 per 100,000, with 1,112 burglaries. Connecticut followed at 81.6, while Rhode Island recorded a rate of 86.1. Virginia completed the five states with the lowest rates, recording 7,736 burglaries, or 87.1 per 100,000 residents.
The figures cover burglary as a crime category, which is broader than home break-ins alone. The FBI's definition includes unlawful entry into a structure to commit theft or another felony, encompassing residential and nonresidential properties. Forced entry is not required for an offense to qualify as burglary.
Liberty Home Products calculated the rankings by comparing each state's recorded burglaries with its population. The resulting rates describe recorded offenses relative to the number of residents; they do not establish an individual household's probability of experiencing a burglary.
The methodology supplied with the findings does not identify the year covered by the figures. It also flags limitations in the underlying data for Florida and North Dakota without explaining their nature.
Those omissions limit interpretation of the results. The analysis offers a comparison of recorded burglary rates, but it does not establish whether burglaries are increasing or decreasing in any state, explain the differences between states or measure overall public safety.
