The U.S. States Where Your Car Is Most Likely to Get Stolen in 2026

Every 48 seconds, a car is stolen somewhere in the United States. In 2025 alone, that added up to more than 650,000 vehicle thefts nationwide – and new research shows the risk is far from evenly spread.

To mark National Vehicle Theft Prevention Month, the Wheels Away team dug into the numbers behind the headlines. We looked at vehicle theft rates in every state alongside how often people are actually searching for things like “car theft near me” and “vehicle theft prevention.” The result is a clearer picture of where theft is happening most – and where drivers are the most worried about it.

Here’s what we found.

The 10 Riskiest States for Vehicle Theft in 2026

Rank	State	Thefts per 100k	Theft Searches per 100k	Risk Score /100
1	California	348.0	149.7	91.5
2	Nevada	318.3	156.1	89.0
3	Maryland	272.9	153.1	78.6
4	New Mexico	318.3	130.3	75.8
5	Colorado	280.1	144.8	75.8
6	Texas	240.3	146.3	68.8
7	Illinois	223.0	149.0	66.8
8	Michigan	171.3	166.3	65.5
9	Missouri	280.2	114.2	60.2
10	Alaska	232.2	131.7	59.8

California Tops the List

California recorded 136,988 vehicle thefts in 2025, working out to 348 thefts for every 100,000 residents. That’s roughly double the rate of neighboring Arizona. It’s not a huge surprise given California has more registered vehicles than any other state, along with dense metro areas that make an easy target for thieves.

Concern matches the reality: Californians make around 59,000 theft-related searches a month, the kind of numbers that show this isn’t just a statistic; it’s something drivers are actively worried about.

Nevada and Maryland Round Out the Top Three

Nevada comes in second, with 318.3 thefts per 100,000 residents and the highest search volume of any state in the top ten (156.1 per 100,000). Las Vegas’s huge tourist footfall and the sheer number of rental cars parked around the city play a big part here.

Maryland takes third place, with 272.9 thefts per 100,000 residents and over 9,500 theft-related searches every month. Search terms like “car crime” suggest vehicle security is very much on residents’ minds.

A Look at the Rest of the Top 10

New Mexico (4th) punches above its weight for a smaller state, recording 318.3 thefts per 100,000 residents.

Colorado (5th) sees 280.1 thefts per 100,000 residents, with the Fort Collins–Denver–Colorado Springs corridor and its major interstates making it easy for stolen vehicles to move on quickly.

Texas (6th) reports the second-highest total theft count in the country — over 75,000 in a single year — driven by its size and major metro hubs like Houston, Dallas and Austin.

Illinois (7th) logs 223.0 thefts per 100,000 residents, with Chicago driving much of the state’s theft activity and search interest.

Michigan (8th) is a standout case: despite a comparatively moderate theft rate, it has the highest level of public concern in the entire country.

Missouri (9th) shows the opposite pattern — a high theft rate (280.2 per 100,000) paired with the lowest search volume in the top ten, suggesting many residents may be underestimating their risk.

Alaska (10th) is the only state in the top ten where theft is trending upward, with a 7% year-on-year increase from 2024 to 2025.

What Happens After a Car Is Stolen – and Recovered

Luke Oswald, automotive specialist at Wheels Away, has seen firsthand what happens once the initial shock of a stolen vehicle wears off.

“A theft record can create real challenges for owners. Once it’s logged as stolen, the history stays with the vehicle. That makes buyers more cautious and can affect resale value significantly — if the vehicle ends up with a salvage title after an insurance claim, we typically see values drop by around 30%.”

Beyond the financial hit, Oswald says many owners simply stop trusting their vehicle the way they used to.

“There’s often a feeling that their personal space has been violated, combined with concerns about future reliability and the possibility of theft happening again. For a lot of owners, the hidden costs of theft aren’t just repair bills or a hit to resale value — it’s the uncertainty afterwards. Many decide that selling and making a fresh start is the most practical way forward.”

Protecting Yourself and Knowing Your Options

Whether you live in a high-risk state like California or Nevada, or somewhere further down the list, vehicle theft can leave a lasting mark on a car’s history and value. If your vehicle has been stolen, recovered, or left with a salvage title after an insurance claim, it’s worth understanding your options before deciding what to do next.

Wheels Away helps drivers across the country sell unwanted, damaged, or theft-recovered vehicles quickly and transparently, with instant quotes and free collection included.

Methodology

Wheels Away ranked all 50 states using a weighted Vehicle Theft Risk Index combining vehicle theft rates per 100,000 residents (60% weighting) with monthly search volumes for theft-related terms, standardized per capita (40% weighting). Theft data reflects 2025 figures; search data reflects 2025 search volumes. Source: National Highway Traffic Safety Administration