California cities are among top 10 for car theft in US. These models are common targets

Angela Rodriguez
·2 min read
47

California is one of the top 10 states for vehicle theft in the country, according to data collected by the National Insurance Crime Bureau, a not-for-profit organization that fights insurance fraud and crime.

The NICB’s October report shows data from the National Crime Information Center for metro areas and states with the highest rates of vehicle theft during 2022, according to the website.

For every 100,000 residents, NICB data shows that California had about 520 car thefts in 2022, which is an approximate 13% increase from 2021.

Where did California rank on the list?

Here’s where California ranked on NICB’s top 10 states by car theft rates list, according to an Oct. 25 news release:

  1. Colorado

  2. District of Columbia

  3. Washington

  4. Oregon

  5. New Mexico

  6. California

  7. Missouri

  8. Nevada

  9. Texas

  10. Tennessee

While California was not No. 1 per capita, the report states California led the country in total vehicle thefts with 203,018 thefts in 2022.

California’s cities with highest car theft rates

Bakersfield ranked No. 2 on the NICB top 10 metropolitan areas in the country with high theft rates. The area’s car theft rate was about 1,072 per 100,000 residents in 2022. This is an approximate 11% increase from the previous year.

San Francisco-Oakland-Berkeley ranked No. 8 on the NICB top 10 metropolitan areas in the U.S. with high theft rates. The area’s car theft rate was about 699 per 100,000 residents in 2022, an increase of about 17% from 2021.

What cars are most commonly stolen?

According to a previous report from the NICB, these vehicles are most commonly stolen in California:

  1. 2001 Chevrolet Pickup (full size)

  2. 2000 Honda Civic

  3. 2006 Ford Pickup (full size)

  4. 1997 Honda Accord

  5. 2013 Hyundai Sonata

  6. 2015 Kia Optima

  7. 2001 GMC Pickup (full size)

  8. 2001 Honda CR-V

  9. 2007 Toyota Camry

  10. 2002 Chevrolet Tahoe

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