Colorado Is Still the Nation's Number One State For Auto Thefts

Colorado is known for a lot of things - and not all of them are positive. Here's one.

4,000 Cars Stolen Every Month In Colorado

Did you know Colorado has the highest motor vehicle theft rate in the United States? It's true. More than 4,000 cars in Colorado have been stolen every month so far in 2022 and we are on pace to exceed 48,000 for the year - which would be an all-time high. The estimated total value of these cars is nearly $1 billion.

According to a report from the Common Sense Institute, Colorado led the nation in stolen vehicles in 2021 - and the motor-vehicle rate has increased another 17.2% putting the state in the unfavorable top spot in the nation again this year.

Four Colorado Cities Ranked in the Nation's Top 10

Four Colorado cities account for more than half of the state's stolen vehicles. Denver, Aurora, Westminster, and Pueblo rank in the top 10 in the United States for motor vehicle thefts - out of 185 cities. Denver is ranked #2 and Aurora is #3. Those four cities account for 53% of Colorado's stolen vehicles.

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What Is the #1 Location For Stolen Vehicles In Colorado?

Here's something to think about before you drive to Denver to save money by flying out of Denver International Airport. More vehicles are stolen from DIA than any other location in Colorado. Sure, you may pay more to fly out of Grand Junction or Montrose, but you've also got a much better chance of finding your car waiting for you when you return from your trip.

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Car Thieves Are Getting Away With It

Unfortunately, most people who steal cars are getting away with it. The arrest rate per motor vehicle theft is only 9.4%. And here's an alarming statistic. Commander Mike Greenwell with MATT says 97% of the people arrested for auto theft in the last three years have multiple arrests for auto theft. The people that are stealing cars keep stealing even when they do get caught.

Older Vehicles Are Not Immune to Auto Theft

By the way, just because you may drive an older vehicle, it doesn't mean you are immune to auto theft. 6% of vehicles stolen in Colorado are valued at less than $25,000 and 5% are valued at under $15,000.

The 11 Most Stolen Vehicles In Colorado

Lock it up, here's a list of the most stolen vehicles in Colorado over the past year.

LOOK: See how much gasoline cost the year you started driving

To find out more about how has the price of gas changed throughout the years, Stacker ran the numbers on the cost of a gallon of gasoline for each of the last 84 years. Using data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics (released in April 2020), we analyzed the average price for a gallon of unleaded regular gasoline from 1976 to 2020 along with the Consumer Price Index (CPI) for unleaded regular gasoline from 1937 to 1976, including the absolute and inflation-adjusted prices for each year.

Read on to explore the cost of gas over time and rediscover just how much a gallon was when you first started driving.

Source: Colorado Is Still the Nation’s Number One State For Auto Thefts