The Burrow
Aug 30, 2024
Everyone wants to feel safe in their home, but break-ins can shatter that sense of safety as our personal world is unjustly invaded.
It is wrong, illegal, but sadly a reality that we must all prepare for.
Considering that crime rates can have a significant impact on home and contents insurance policies as well as personal safety and everyday well-being, we’ve analysed the data to find the major break-in hotspots in Australia, the USA, and Europe.
We began by analysing the data for 51 locations (cities in Australia and the USA and countries in Europe) from multiple trustworthy sources.
The factors used were burglary rate per 100,000 people, safety score (representing the level of safety within each location) and worry score (representing the level of worry in each location). The locations were then ranked according to how prone they are to burglaries.
Let’s begin with Australia and take a look at the top five cities for break-ins.
Known for its tropical climate, Townsville boasts stunning beaches, the scenic Castle Hill, and is in close proximity to the Great Barrier Reef. Unfortunately, it ranks as the number one break-in hotspot in Australia, with a total score of 2.99 out of 3.
This is due to a burglary rate of 948.80 per 100,000, a safety score of 38.10 and a worry score of 64.98.
Cairns is a popular place to live thanks to its lush landscapes, vibrant waterfront esplanade, and easy access to the Daintree Rainforest. However, in terms of home security, Cairns is the second-most theft-prone city in Australia.
Its burglary rate is the same as Townsville (948.80 per 100,000) but its safety score is marginally higher at 38.19, with a lower worry score of 61.75. This gives it a total score of 2.91 out of 3, making it slightly safer in terms of burglaries than Townsville.
Even relatively rural locations such as Darwin can experience high levels of theft. The city is known for its scenic beauty, tranquil lifestyle and strong community, yet it comes in at number three on our list due to a total score of 2.22 out of 3.
This was reached due to a burglary rate of 577.90 per 100,000 (a large dip compared to Townsville and Cairns), a slightly lower safety score of 37.89 and a worry score of 60.94.
Next up is Geelong, the port city known for its waterfront, historic architecture, sandy beaches, thriving arts scene and many cultural attractions.
Sadly, this city is number four in terms of break-ins, with a burglary rate of 559.80 per 100,000, a safety score of 39.85 and a worry score of 62.28. This results in a total score of 2.16 out of 3, which is a lot lower than Townsville and Cairns but still worth taking into consideration.
Finally, at number five, it’s Gold Coast, a city with stunning beaches, vibrant nightlife and a range of theme parks. This coastal city is very popular for surfing and shopping, but it’s also a hotspot for break-ins.
Its total score is 2.04 out of 3, which is due to a burglary rate of 948.80 per 100,000 (the same as Townsville and Cairns), combined with a noticeably higher safety score of 53.07 and the lowest worry score out of all five cities at just 44.04.
Now let’s hop across the Pacific and take a look at the top five cities in the USA for break-ins.
The bustling metropolis of Houston is well-known for its space exploration, diverse culture and thriving energy. Unfortunately… Houston, we have a problem.
The city has a burglary rate of 736.30 per 100,000, a very low safety score of 36.45 and a worry score of 59.07. This gives Houston a total score of 2.90 out of 3, making it the number one hotspot in the USA for break-ins.
Coming in second is the truly picturesque city of San Francisco, where you’ll find the Golden Gate Bridge, historic cable cars and a thriving tech scene.
The burglary rate here is a lot lower than Houston at 574.10 per 100,000. The safety score is a little higher at 38.45 and the worry score is lower at 53.03. As a result, San Francisco has a total score of 2.27 out of 3.
The Windy City with its grand architecture and deep-dish pizzas is number three when it comes to break-in hotspots in the USA.
The burglary rate is 359.50 per 100,000 (spoiler alert: this is the lowest out of the top five USA cities), the safety score is 33.95 and the worry score came out at 55.98, which combine to create a total score of 2.24 out of 3.
Though Phoenix, a sprawling desert city where the sun rarely sleeps, has a higher rate of burglaries per 100,000 than Chicago (574.00), its safety score is higher at 46.34 and its worry score is lower at 54.87. This means that its total score is 2.05 out of 3, putting it firmly in fourth place.
We then have Jacksonville at number five, a city with an extensive park system, a bustling downtown area and dazzling beaches.
With a total score of 2.01 out of 3, it’s a major drop from Houston’s 2.90. This lively city has a burglary rate of 497.60 per 100,000, a safety score of 43.02 and a relatively low worry score of 53.96.
Last but not least, here’s some insight into the European countries that have the most break-ins. This data factors in the nation’s burglary rate and the safety score in order to arrive at a total score out of 2.
This may come as a surprise, but the home of flatpack furniture is also the top country in Europe for home break-ins. The burglary rate is 657.20 per 100,000 and the safety score is 51.70, giving Sweden a total score of 1.78 out of 2.
Head south-west from Sweden and you’ll eventually arrive in France, which is the second-most prone European country when it comes to theft. A burglary rate of 458.40 and a safety score of 44.70 results in a total score of 1.64 out of 2.
A neighbour to France and celebrated for its luxury chocolates, Belgium is number three on our list of European break-in hotspots. The burglary rate is 408.90 per 100,000 and the safety score is 50.30, giving it a total score of 1.37 out of 2.
The Brits receive more than their fair share of break-ins too, as the burglary rate is 382.40 per 100,000 and the safety score is 52.20. The total score for the United Kingdom is 1.27 out of 2, putting it in fourth place.
Last on our list is Austria, a country known for its classical music, baroque architecture and winter sports. With a burglary rate of 554.70 per 100,000 and an impressively high safety score of 70.60, this Alpine country has a total score of 0.99 out of 2.
Prevention is the best cure, as they say, and there are steps people can take to help protect their home from a break-in. Adrian Taylor, Executive General Manager of General Insurance at Compare the Market AU, explains.
“Hopefully you’ll never experience a break-in, but there are things you can do to try and reduce the chances of it happening to you, from installing an alarm, to not posting when you’re on holiday on social media. You can also add motion activated lights and ask neighbours, family or friends you trust to check on your home while you’re away,” says Mr Taylor.
“Nothing is 100% secure, however, so taking out home and contents insurance will give you that extra peace of mind that should someone break into your home, you can cover the cost of replacing the insured items that were stolen or damaged.”
Sources:
Methodology:
This dataset ranks 51 locations further broken down into 3 rankings for AU cities, EU countries and US cities, based on the number of break-ins. To do this, 3 different factors were used (only 2 are used in the European ranking). Once the data for the factors was collected, the factors were then normalised, to provide each factor with a score of between 0 and 1. If data was not available, a score of 0 was given. The normalised values were then summed, to give each location a total score out of 3 (max score of 2 for the European ranking). The locations were then ranked from highest to lowest, based on their total scores.
The factors used are as follows:
The factors were indexed as follows:
All data is correct as of 18/07/24. The ranking data shown is a compilation of multiple data sources and may not be representative of real life. All data is accurate with regards to the sources provided.