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Property crime
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The National Crime Victimization Survey (NCVS) measures the property crimes of household burglary, motor vehicle theft, and property theft.  Since the survey information is obtained from a sample of households, it does not include property crimes affecting businesses or other commercial establishments.  If these crimes are reported to the police, they are included in the FBI’s Uniform Crime Reports (UCR).  NCVS includes property crimes affecting victims and household members that were not reported to the police.   

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Publications & Products


Victims of Identity Theft, 2014 Presents findings on the prevalence and nature of identity theft from the 2014 Identity Theft Supplement to the National Crime Victimization Survey.
  Press Release | Summary (PDF) | PDF (697KB) | ASCII file (41KB) | Comma-delimited format (CSV) (Zip format)
Part of the Identity Theft Series

Criminal Victimization, 2014 Presents 2014 estimates of rates and levels of criminal victimization in the United States.
  Press Release | PDF (745KB) | ASCII file (42KB) | Comma Separated Values (CSV) (Zip format)
Part of the Criminal Victimization Series

Criminal Victimization, 2012 Presents 2012 estimates of rates and levels of criminal victimization in the U.S. This bulletin includes violent victimization (rape or sexual assault, robbery, aggravated assault, and simple assault) and property victimization (burglary, motor vehicle theft, and property theft).
  Press Release | PDF (836K) | ASCII file (38K) | Comma-delimited format (CSV) (Zip format 48K)
Part of the Criminal Victimization Series

Criminal Victimization, 2012 FOR SECOND CONSECUTIVE YEAR VIOLENT AND PROPERTY CRIME RATES INCREASED IN 2012 Increases driven by simple assaults and crime not reported to police
  Press Release
Part of the Criminal Victimization in the United States Series

Household Burglary, 1994-2011 Presents rates and trends in household burglary from 1993 to 2011. The report explores overall trends in household burglary and examines patterns in completed household burglary by type and value of items stolen, percentage of burglaries reported to the police and insurance companies, and police response.
  Press Release | PDF (1.1M) | ASCII file (13K) | Comma-delimited format (CSV) (Zip format 23K)

Household Burglary, 1994-2011 FINANCIAL LOSS DUE TO HOUSEHOLD BURGLARY INCREASED FROM 1994 TO 2011
  Press Release

Firearms Stolen during Household Burglaries and Other Property Crimes, 2005-2010 Presents findings on the theft of firearms during household burglaries and other property crimes from 2005 through 2010.
  Press Release | PDF (632K) | ASCII file (23K) | Comma-delimited format (CSV) (Zip format 46K)

Crime Against People with Disabilities, 2008 Presents findings about nonfatal violent and property crime experienced in 2008 by persons with disabilities, based on the National Crime Victimization Survey (NCVS).
  Press Release
Part of the Crime Against People with Disabilities Series

Criminal Victimization, 2009 Presents the annual estimates of rates and levels of violent crime (rape or sexual assault, robbery, aggravated assault, and simple assault), property crime (burglary, motor vehicle theft, and property theft), and personal theft (pocket picking and purse snatching).
  Press Release | PDF (420K) | ASCII file (24K) | Spreadsheet (Zip format 23K)
Part of the Criminal Victimization Series

Victimization During Household Burglary Presents findings from the National Crime Victimization Survey (NCVS) on the characteristics of burglary, with comparisons between households where members were present and not present.
  Press Release

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Terms & Definitions

Burglary Unlawful or forcible entry or attempted entry of a residence. This crime usually, but not always, involves theft. The illegal entry may be by force, such as breaking a window or slashing a screen, or may be without force by entering through an unlocked door or an open window. As long as the person entering has no legal right to be present in the structure a burglary has occurred. Furthermore, the structure need not be the house itself for a burglary to take place; illegal entry of a garage, shed, or any other structure on the premises also constitutes household burglary. If breaking and entering occurs in a hotel or vacation residence, it is still classified as a burglary for the household whose member or members were staying there at the time the entry occurred.
Attempted forcible entry-A form of burglary in which force is used in an attempt to gain entry.

Completed burglary - A form of burglary in which a person who has no legal right to be present in the structure successfully gains entry to a residence, by use of force, or without force.

Forcible entry - A form of completed burglary in which force is used to gain entry to a residence. Some examples include breaking a window or slashing a screen.

Unlawful entry without force -A form of completed burglary committed by someone having no legal right to be on the premises, even though no force is used.

 
Larceny The unlawful taking of property other than a motor vehicle from the possession of another, by stealth, without force or deceit. Includes pocketpicking, nonforcible purse snatching, shoplifting, and thefts from motor vehicles. Excludes receiving and/or reselling stolen property (fencing), and thefts through fraud or deceit.
 
Motor vehicle theft Stealing or unauthorized taking of a motor vehicle, including attempted thefts.
Completed motor vehicle theft - The successful taking of a vehicle by an unauthorized person.

Attempted motor vehicle theft - The unsuccessful attempt by an unauthorized person to take a vehicle.

 
Property crime Property crimes including burglary, motor vehicle theft, or theft. This category includes both attempted and completed crimes.
 
Theft Completed or attempted theft of property or cash without personal contact. Incidents involving theft of property from within the sample household would classify as theft if the offender has a legal right to be in the house (such as a maid, delivery person, or guest). If the offender has no legal right to be in the house, the incident would classify as a burglary.
Completed - To successfully take without permission property or cash without personal contact between the victim and offender.

Attempted - To unsuccessfully attempt to take property or cash without personal contact.

 
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