Crime by type
St. Louis Crime by Type
A category-by-category breakdown of the offenses behind St. Louis's crime numbers.
Overview
What drives crime in St. Louis
St. Louis carries both elevated property crime and a violent-crime rate that draws national attention, with the heaviest concentrations in north-side neighborhoods. The categories below outline how each type tends to surface across the city.
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 | 1,773 | 1 in 56 | +26% | Moderate |
| Motor Vehicle Theft | 386 | 1 in 259 | +21% | Moderate |
| Aggravated Assault | 319 | 1 in 314 | +19% | Average |
| Burglary | 303 | 1 in 330 | +12% | Average |
| Robbery | 80 | 1 in 1,256 | +8% | Average |
| Rape | 38 | 1 in 2,654 | +12% | Average |
| Homicide | 6 | 1 in 17,833 | +12% | Average |
Drill down
What's actually reported in St. Louis
The most common specific offenses behind each category, from reported incident descriptions.
Theft 7,881 reports
Other 5,327 reports
Shooting 4,407 reports
Assault 4,038 reports
Vandalism 2,978 reports
Motor Vehicle Theft 2,627 reports
Detail
Crime types in St. Louis, explained
Motor Vehicle Theft
Vehicle theft is common across the city and has surged in waves tied to certain vulnerable car models, affecting both north and south neighborhoods.
Theft / Larceny
Theft is among the most-reported offenses, ranging from break-ins of parked cars to shoplifting along commercial corridors and near the downtown core.
Burglary
Residential and commercial burglaries occur citywide, with higher rates in north-city neighborhoods that have more vacant or distressed properties.
Aggravated Assault
Aggravated assault is heavily concentrated in parts of the north city, while southern residential neighborhoods like St. Louis Hills report far fewer incidents.
Robbery
Robberies cluster around commercial strips, the downtown area, and higher-traffic corridors, with north-side neighborhoods seeing elevated counts.
Homicide
St. Louis's homicide rate ranks among the highest of large U.S. cities, but the incidents are sharply concentrated in specific north-side neighborhoods rather than spread across the city.