Washington Ranks as the Second Worst State for Holiday Season Burglary

A new study has revealed Washington as the state with the second highest burglary rates in the country during the holiday season.

According to the data, Washington ranks second worst in the nation, with 46.63 burglary incidents per 100,000 people. This is over double the national average of 22.5. Washington State averages approximately 3,621.25 incidents per year during the month of December between 2020 and 2023.

The extensive analysis of burglary incidents across U.S. states was conducted by the Ladah Law Firm in Vegas using data collected from the FBI’s Crime Data Explorer. This research, focused on burglary incidents during December (the Christmas/Holiday season), represents an average calculated over four years (December 2020, 2021, 2022, and 2023) to identify the states with the highest risk of burglary per 100,000 residents.

The FBI’s Uniform Crime Reporting (UCR) Program defines burglary as the unlawful entry of a structure to commit a felony or theft. The UCR Program has three subclassifications for burglary: forcible entry, unlawful entry where no force is used, and attempted forcible entry.

In 2023, the Snohomish County Robbery Burglary Unit (RBU), which consists of four detectives and one sergeant, reviewed over 400 cases in unincorporated Snohomish County and the contract cities of Darrington, Index, Gold Bar, Granite Falls, and Sultan. Of these, 201 cases were assigned to detectives, with over 50 resulting in arrests or referrals for prosecution.

Top 10 States for Burglary Incidents in December:

1. Florida — 88.5 burglary incidents per 100,000 people
2. Washington — 46.6 burglary incidents per 100,000 people
3. Oklahoma — 45.0 burglary incidents per 100,000 people
4. New Mexico — 41.0 burglary incidents per 100,000 people
5. Arkansas — 39.3 burglary incidents per 100,000 people
6. Louisiana — 38.5 burglary incidents per 100,000 people
7. Nevada — 34.9 burglary incidents per 100,000 people
8. Colorado — 33.1 burglary incidents per 100,000 people
9. North Carolina — 31.8 burglary incidents per 100,000 people
10. South Carolina — 31.5 burglary incidents per 100,000 people

Here’s a map of the burglary rates in December:

US Burglary Rate by State (click to expand)

Looking at the study, Ramzy Ladah, owner of Ladah Law Firm, commented,

“Christmas burglaries in Washington hit victims with emotional and financial trauma that often extends into the following year. Therefore, homeowners should secure their properties, install outdoor lighting systems, and collaborate with neighbors to monitor any suspicious activity.”

Outside of Washington, Florida topped the list of U.S. states with the highest burglary rates (88.5 burglary incidents per 100,000 people) during the Christmas season between 2020 and 2023.

New Hampshire is least prone to burglaries during the Christmas season, with 4.4 burglary incidents per 100,000 people in December between 2020 and 2023.