Michigan’s Shoplifting Rate is 18% LOWER than the National Average

Photo by Porapak Apichodilok

Article courtesy of Summit Defense.

• Michigan records just 308.03 shoplifting incidents per 100,000 residents in 2024, 18% below the national average in a new report, while New Mexico ranks the worst, with 106% above average.
• Western states dominate top rankings with Oregon and Arizona ranking second and third respectively
• Adults aged 30-39 represent the highest percentage of shoplifters across 46 states

New Mexico has the highest rates of shoplifting in the US, whilst Idaho has the lowest, reveals new report on shoplifting.

A new study by Summit Defense, a criminal defense law firm, has identified the states with the highest and lowest rates of shoplifting crimes across America. The team used FBI’s Crime Explorer to assess the number of shoplifting incidents in each state in 2024, and compared it to the population of each state to understand which states have the most shoplifting cases.

Michigan findings:

Michigan ranks 36th in the study with 308.03 incidents of shoplifting per 100,000 residents. This is 18% below the national average, and the worst month for shoplifting is October. Shoplifting carries a maximum sentence of up to five years in prison along with a $10,000 fine and is classed as a felony, with shorter sentences being given for first offenders. Electronics and clothing are some of the most shoplifted items.

The states with the most shoplifting incidents

New Mexico tops the study with a shoplifting rate of 777.97 incidents per 100,000 residents in 2024, more than double the national average. January saw the highest monthly rate with 82.04 incidents per 100,000 people, making it the single worst month for shoplifting in any state throughout 2024.

Oregon ranks second with 675.98 shoplifting incidents per 100,000 residents in 2024, which is 79% above the national average. Oregon’s worst months for shoplifting are August (61.51), November (59.87), and December (58.66).

Arizona places third with 587.83 incidents per 100,000 people. The 30-39 age group accounts for 32% of shoplifting cases in Arizona, followed by those aged 20-29 at 24%.

Delaware ranks fourth with 581.84 incidents per 100,000 residents. July saw the most shoplifting activity in Delaware with 55.99 incidents per 100,000 residents.

New York completes the top five with 558.55 shoplifting incidents per 100,000 people, 48% above the national average. August was New York’s worst month with 51.37 incidents per 100,000 residents.

The states with the least shoplifting incidents

Idaho reported the nation’s lowest shoplifting rate at 176.90 incidents per 100,000 residents, 53% below the national average. February was Idaho’s worst month with 16.75 incidents per 100,000 people.

Maine had the second-lowest rate with 211.70 shoplifting incidents per 100,000 residents, 44% below the national average. May saw the most cases of shoplifting in the state at 19.57 incidents per 100,000 people.

Rhode Island ranks third-lowest with 216.25 incidents per 100,000 residents. The state’s peak month was October with 22.27 incidents per 100,000 people, less than a third of the worst month in top-ranked New Mexico.

Hawaii places fourth from the bottom with 217.22 shoplifting incidents per 100,000 residents. April was Hawaii’s worst month with 23.34 incidents per 100,000 people.

Alaska completes the bottom five with 232.22 shoplifting incidents per 100,000 residents, 38% below the national average. July was Alaska’s peak month with 23.30 incidents per 100,000 people.

Speaking on the findings, Rabin Nabizadeh from Summit Defense said: “Shoplifting may seem tempting for many, but it’s just not worth the risk, and when people adopt the mindset of seeing shoplifting as a more insignificant crime, then more people often commit it and the effect that this can have on businesses is enormous.

This study highlights where shoplifting is an epidemic and needs urgent attention from lawmakers, law enforcement and local businesses in the state.”

Methodology

This study examines shoplifting crime rate data by state for the 2024 calendar year, using figures from the official FBI Crime Data Explorer (https://cde.ucr.cjis.gov/). It identifies the states with the highest shoplifting crime rates and highlights the three months in each state with the greatest number of shoplifting incidents. The analysis also explores the age distribution of offenders, pinpointing the top three age categories most involved in shoplifting for each state. Finally, the study compares each state’s shoplifting crime rate to the national average for 2024, offering a clear view of how individual states fare against the broader national context.

Complete Rankings: States by Shoplifting Crime Rate (2024)

Sources:

FBI Crime Data Explorer – https://cde.ucr.cjis.gov/ AP News Election Results 2024 – https://apnews.com/projects/election-results-2024/?office=P