Crime by type
Philadelphia Crime by Type
A category-by-category look at how crime tends to manifest across Philadelphia.
Overview
What drives crime in Philadelphia
Different offenses concentrate in different parts of the city. Gun violence is tightly bound to a set of long-struggling neighborhoods, while property crime ranges more broadly across commercial and transit corridors. Here is how each category typically plays out in Philadelphia.
By category
Rates and odds by crime type
Estimated annual rate per 100,000 residents and your everyday odds, with risk level relative to the U.S. average.
| Offense | Per 100k/yr | Annual odds | vs. U.S. | Risk |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Theft / Larceny | 2,341 | 1 in 43 | +67% | Moderate |
| Motor Vehicle Theft | 532 | 1 in 188 | +67% | Moderate |
| Aggravated Assault | 411 | 1 in 244 | +53% | Moderate |
| Burglary | 402 | 1 in 249 | +49% | Moderate |
| Robbery | 103 | 1 in 972 | +39% | Moderate |
| Rape | 48 | 1 in 2,076 | +43% | Moderate |
| Homicide | 8 | 1 in 13,065 | +53% | Moderate |
Drill down
What's actually reported in Philadelphia
The most common specific offenses behind each category, from reported incident descriptions.
Theft 68,886 reports
Assault 31,944 reports
Other 16,894 reports
Vandalism 12,337 reports
Burglary 4,228 reports
Shooting 3,268 reports
Detail
Crime types in Philadelphia, explained
Motor Vehicle Theft
Auto theft rose sharply citywide in recent years and now affects neighborhoods well beyond the traditional hot spots, with theft from parked cars especially common near commercial strips.
Theft / Larceny
Theft is the most frequently reported crime, led by retail theft, package theft, and break-ins to vehicles concentrated around shopping corridors and transit stations.
Burglary
Residential and commercial burglaries cluster in North and West Philadelphia and in areas with vacant properties, though they occur across the city.
Aggravated Assault
Aggravated assaults, many involving firearms, are a major driver of the city's violent-crime totals and concentrate in North, West, and parts of the lower Northeast.
Robbery
Robberies follow foot traffic and transit lines, with recurring clusters around busy commercial corners, SEPTA stations, and nightlife districts.
Homicide
Homicides remain heavily concentrated in a set of North, West, and Southwest neighborhoods and are overwhelmingly tied to gun violence, even as citywide totals have declined from their peak.