From Road & Track · Stephen Rivers · · 1m 10s
Car Thefts Drop Nationally, Chicago Lags
Nationwide car thefts fell 21% in 2026 but Chicago saw a 2% rise.
In brief
Nationwide car thefts fell 21% in 2026 but Chicago saw a 2% rise. Car thefts dropped 21% nationally in 2026, but Chicago's metro area recorded 2% more thefts than last year. Originally reported by Road & Track.
Car Thefts Plunge 21% Nationally
Vehicle thefts dropped 21 percent during the first half of 2026, with every state recording fewer thefts than the previous year.
Chicago Missed the Memo
Chicago's metro area recorded 11,761 vehicle thefts, up 2 percent from the first half of 2025.
National Theft Rates Decline
All 50 states reported fewer vehicle thefts than the first half of 2025, with Washington, D.C. seeing a 52 percent drop.
Chicago's Theft Rate
Chicago's theft rate per 100,000 residents was 181.94, below the national average of 77.81 thefts per 100,000 people.
Chicago the Only Metro Area to Rise
Chicago was the only one of America's 10 highest-theft metro areas where vehicle thefts increased from the first half of 2025.
Bakersfield-Delano Leads
Bakersfield-Delano, California recorded 223.28 thefts per 100,000 residents, nearly three times the national rate.
The big picture
Car thefts dropped 21% nationally in 2026, but Chicago's metro area recorded 2% more thefts than last year.
