States Where You’re Most Likely to be Robbed

If you’re someone who watches the evening news regularly, you might think robberies are happening to everyone. However, according to the FBI tracking data, the rate of robbery offenses in 2022 by the U.S. population is only 66.1 per 100,000 people. 

To help put these numbers into better context, FBI tracking data is expressed by the number of incidents per 100,000 individuals every year. This is true across all violent crimes including homicide and aggravated assault. In other words, you have a 0.0661% chance of being robbed if you live in a population of 100,000 people. 

The good news is that the FBI’s 2022 report is a nice drop from 2020 when it was 73.9 people out of 100,000. The same can be said for 2017 when the number was 98.6. Since 2023 crime data likely won’t be available until later this year, let’s dive into each state and see where robberies are the most common based on the 2022 report.

50. Wyoming

If you live in Wyoming, rest assured that you live in the safest state for robbery. Only 7.9 people out of every 100,000 are the victims of a robbery every year. Wyoming also ranks as the 5th lowest state for all violent crimes.

49. Idaho

Wyoming barely edges out Idaho as the state with the lowest number of robbery attempts. With only 8.2 victims of robbery per 100,000 people, Idaho is very safe across all of the violent crime numbers.

48. West Virginia

In the land of West Virginia, the robbery rate is the nation’s third lowest. With only 10 incidents out of 100,000, it’s safe to say West Virginia is not a place to worry.

47. Maine

Tied with West Virginia for 10 robbery incidents out of 100,000, Maine feels safe. However, Maine edges out West Virginia with dramatically lower aggravated assault and homicide numbers.

46. Vermont

In 2022, only 13.3 robbery incidents occurred out of every 100,000 people in Vermont. Unfortunately, aggravated assault is far higher with 168.5 incidents out of 100,000 individuals.

45. New Hampshire

When you visit New Hampshire next time, know that it’s on the low end for robbery incidents. Out of 100,000 individuals, only 16.1, or 0.0161% of the population, are affected.

44. Iowa

Move to Iowa and know that only 21.6 robbery incidents occur out of 100,000 individuals. You can also rest comfortably knowing the homicide rate is one of the nation’s lowest at 1.7.

43. Montana

While John Dutton might be a fictional Montana governor, he’d be proud of the state’s robbery numbers. Just 0.0233% of the population, or 23.3 out of 100,000 individuals, are impacted. However, Montana has a high number of aggravated assault cases at 335.7, a disproportionate number considering its population.

42. Rhode Island

If you’re a resident of Rhode Island, you should only expect to hear about 24.6 robbery incidents for every 100,000 individuals. As a whole, Rhode Island ranks relatively low across all FBI-reported violent crime data.

41. South Dakota

For South Dakota residents, robbery is still relatively low. At 25.3 incidents in 2022 per 100,000 individuals, this still ranks in the lowest 10 states across the country.

40. Mississippi

Mississippi residents should not be fearful as robberies are not a widespread violent crime in the state. With only 25.6 residents out of 100,000 individuals, your chances are only 0.0256%.

39. North Dakota

The state with many nicknames including the Flickertail State, North Dakota is home to the Great Plains. It’s also home to 27.6 robberies out of 100,000 individuals, a relatively low number overall.

38. Nebraska

The Cornhusker State is home to plenty of corn and great college football. Residents of Nebraska only have to worry about 29.1 robbery incidents out of every 100,000 individuals.

37. Kansas

Sitting just above Nebraska is the Sunflower State of Kansas. Out of a population of 2.9 million, people only experience 29.2 robbery incidents per 100,000 individuals. In other words, you only have a 0.0292% chance of being robbed.

36. Utah

Regularly known as the Beehive State, Utah saw 29.6 robbery incidents in 2022 for every 100,000 individuals in the state. Considering Utah’s 3.3 million population, this number should make the state’s residents feel good.

35. Florida

The Sunshine State is home to Walt Disney World, cruising, and 33.6 robberies per 100,000 individuals in 2022. Considering all the tourists arriving with extra money, this number feels relatively low.

34. Alabama

With a population of 5.07 million people, Alabama has only 34.5 robbery incidents out of 100,000 individuals. However, aggravated assault jumps up to 334.1 out of the same 100,000, or a 0.3% chance of being assaulted.

33. Michigan

In the Wolverine State of Michigan, your chances of being robbed are only 36.6 out of every 100,000 individuals. This means only 0.0366% of people were victims of robbery in Michigan in 2022.

32. Massachusetts

Residents of Massachusetts are getting close to the middle of the pack statistically. As the 32nd lowest state, Massachusetts residents had 37.7 robbery incidents out of every 100,000 individuals.

31. Kentucky

The Bluegrass State of Kentucky has a population of 4.5 million people and 38.1 robbery incidents out of every 100,000 individuals. Kentucky also has relatively low levels of both homicide and aggravated assault as well.

30. Virginia

If you live in Virginia, your chances of being a robbery victim are only 0.0384%. This equates to only 38.4 incidents out of every 100,000 residents of Virginia.

29. Wisconsin

As a Chicago Bears fan, I enjoy seeing the Green Bay Packers get robbed every year. However, residents of Wisconsin only see 39.4 robbery incidents out of every 100,000 individuals. Wisconsin also has really low homicide reporting at only 5.3 incidents out of the same 100,000 individuals group.

28. Arkansas

Arkansas is The Land of Opportunity, which also means it is an opportunity for violent crime. Thankfully, only 39.7 robberies occurred out of every 100,000 individuals.

27. South Carolina

Best known as The Palmetto State, South Carolina is unfortunately on the high end across homicide and aggravated assault violent crimes. However, it’s in the middle state-wise when it comes to robbery incidents at 40.6 out of 100,000 individuals.

26. Oklahoma

A population of 4.2 million in The Sooner State means that robbery incidents impact 40.6 people out of every 100,000. This means your chance of being robbed is 0.0406%.

25. Indiana

The Hoosier State sits firmly in the middle of U.S. states as far as robbery incidents go. At 43 incidents out of every 100,000 people, Indiana surely hopes to see this number drop in the future.

24. Georgia

Starting things off with the top 25 U.S. states for robbery in Georgia. With 43.6 incidents out of every 100,000 individuals, Georgia ranks 24th in the nation.

23. Connecticut

Just above Georgia is the Constitution State of Connecticut. At 44.9 robberies out of every 100,000 residents, you have a 0.0449% of being a victim in the state of Connecticut.

22. New Jersey

When it comes to New Jersey, there are 47.6 robbery incidents for every 100,000 Garden State residents. However, New Jersey has one of the lowest homicide rates at 3.1, so a bit of a mixed bag.

21. Ohio

Residents of Ohio only have a 0.0531% chance of being a robbery victim. This equates to 53.1 incidents for every 100,000 individuals in the Buckeye State.

20. Missouri

A population of 6.17 million people in Missouri makes it feel as if 53.1 incidents are on the low end. However, it’s high enough to be the 20th most likely state to get robbed in the U.S.

19. North Carolina

In North Carolina, your likelihood of being robbed is around 0.0549% which is 54.9 incidents out of every 100,000 people according to the 2022 FBI crime tracking report.

18. Delaware

Known as The Diamond State, Delaware only has a population of just over 1 million people. Because of this, 57 robbery incidents for every 100,000 residents feels high.

17. Minnesota

Minnesota’s Land of 10,000 Lakes ties with Delaware for 57 robbery incidents per 100,000 residents. However, Minnesota has lower rates for both aggravated assault and homicide compared to Delaware.

16. Hawaii

Travel photos may paint an ideal picture of Hawaii, but the reality is that there are 66.1 robberies per 100,000 people. On the bright side, homicides are rare in Hawaii, with only 2.1 incidents per 100,00 people.

15. Tennessee

If you live in Tennessee, you should be on watch as there are 67.1 incidents for every 100,000 residents. The Volunteer State also has one of the highest rates of aggravated assault, with 507.6 incidents per 100,000 people.

14. Louisiana

The Bayou State is full of great food and outstanding culture but also 67.3 robbery incidents for every 100,000 people. Like Tennessee, Louisiana also ranks disproportionately high for aggravated assault with 502.1 incidents.

13. Pennsylvania

While it ranks very low with aggravated assault, Pennsylvania had 68.1 robbery incidents in 2022. Considering this is for 100,000 people in a state of 12.9 million people, it’s a statistic to take note of.

12. Oregon

The next time you visit Oregon, keep an eye on your belongings. With 68.6 robbery incidents for every 100,000 residents, Oregon ranks 12th highest in the U.S. for robberies.

11. Arizona

With 70.1 robbery incidents in 2022 out of every 100,000 people, Arizona ranks 11th highest in the nation. The state also ranks firmly in the middle with both homicides and aggravated assault as well.

10. Texas

Residents of The Lone Star State are not to be trifled with, but the state still saw 70.5 robbery incidents in 2022. This is good enough to get Texas into the top 10 states where you are most likely to be robbed.

9. Colorado

Colorado presents itself as an idyllic location to visit, so its robbery numbers are surprising. In Colorado, 72.6 out of every 100,000 people experienced incidents, translating to a 0.0726% chance of being robbed.

8. Alaska

It’s hard to imagine being robbed in the wilderness in Alaska, but The Last Frontier still has some populous cities. If you live in Alaska, there were 75.1 robbery incidents in 2022 according to FBI crime tracking data.

7. Illinois

The Land of Lincoln has its fair share of issues as Chicago continuously battles violent crimes. Robbery is among these crimes where Illinois saw 84.7 robbery incidents per 100,000 residents in 2022.

6. Nevada

With all of the money floating around Casinos, robberies in Nevada feel very tempting for criminals. As such, 86.1 out of every 100,000 Nevada residents reported being a robbery victim.

5. Washington

The Evergreen State, named after President George Washington, joined the union as the 42nd state. Unfortunately, it’s also among the highest for robberies with 86.8 incidents out of every 100,000 residents.

4. New Mexico

Finally breaching the 100+ robbery incident number, New Mexico is the 4th highest state for these types of crimes. At 110.6 robbery victims for every 100,000 people, New Mexico has some work to do to bring these numbers and its homicide rate of 12 incidents down.

3. New York

While New York ranks low on the homicide front, the robbery-violent crime numbers are something else. There were 112 robbery victims for every 100,000 New York State residents in 2022 according to FBI crime tracking data.

2. Maryland

For the state of Maryland, they must be taking these numbers very seriously. Maryland has pledged to take action as the state with the second-highest robbery rate of 114.2 incidents per 100,000 residents.

1. California

California, which reports the highest likelihood of robbery in the U.S., needs to take decisive action to reduce this number. With a reported 123.5 robbery incidents per 100,000 residents, this translates to 0.1235% of being robbed for every 100,00 residents in the state.

0. District of Columbia

As the District of Columbia is not a state, we’re not giving it an official ranking. However, if D.C. were a state, it would have the highest number with 357.5 robbery incidents per 100,000 residents. This is almost three times the number of robberies when compared to the state of California.

The image featured at the top of this post is ©ChiccoDodiFC/Shutterstock.com.