Package theft statistics show porch-piracy has become America’s most common front-stoop crime — and the data point worth remembering is this: 1 in 4 Americans (25%) have had a package stolen at some point, and 41.8 million were victims in the last 12 months alone, representing roughly $15 billion in consumer losses in 2025. The good news: thefts dropped 16.5% year-over-year from 2024 — the first meaningful decline since the pandemic-era surge.

In this guide, we break down the latest package theft figures by state, housing type, victim response, and the renters-insurance gap that leaves apartment residents — who face 3.5× the theft risk of homeowners — most exposed.

Key Package Theft Statistics In America

  • Ever a victim: 1 in 4 Americans (25%) – have had a package stolen at some point in their lives.

  • Past-year victims: 41.8 million Americans (31%) – were hit by porch theft in the previous 12 months.

  • Total packages stolen 2025: 104 million – roughly 1 of every 215 US deliveries went missing or stolen.

  • Consumer losses: $15 billion – in direct out-of-pocket package value lost by US shoppers in 2025.

  • Retailer losses: $22 billion – in additional replacement, refund, and chargeback costs absorbed by sellers.

  • Average stolen package value: $144 to $222 – depending on whether the methodology weights by parcel count or by victim recall.

  • Share of all US shipments: 0.46% – of every parcel that left a warehouse in 2025 ended up stolen.

  • YoY decline: 16.5% – fewer thefts in 2025 than in 2024 — the first meaningful drop since 2020.

  • Apartment risk multiplier: 3.5× – apartment residents are 3.5 times more likely than homeowners to lose a recent package.

  • Police reports filed: 23% – fewer than 1 in 4 victims actually reports the theft to law enforcement.

  • No refund or replacement: 25% – of victims eat the full cost — no carrier refund, no retailer replacement.

  • USPIS arrests: 1,800 annually – made by US Postal Inspectors, leaving roughly a 1-in-17 chance of catching a reported thief.

Marquee figures: Security.org 2025 Package Theft Annual Report (US adult survey, n=3,307, October 2025); volume, dollar loss, geographic and prevention data: Capital One Shopping package-theft research, 2025–2026.

Package Theft By State And Metro Area

Geographic concentration of package theft doesn’t match population — it tracks more closely with single-family stoop access, multi-family density, and length of average delivery dwell time. Two complementary rankings tell the story.

Top 5 states by package theft rate (past 3 months)

  • Kentucky: 12% – highest reported theft rate of any US state.

  • North Dakota: 11% – second-highest despite low overall population density.

  • Nebraska: 10% – tied for third with the next two states.

  • Iowa: 10% – high-rate Midwest cluster continues.

  • Alaska: 10% – rural exposure plus longer delivery times.

Source: Security.org 2025 Package Theft Annual Report.

Top metros by per-capita theft incidents

  • Virginia Beach, VA: 4,199 per capita – highest reported metro rate in 2025.

  • Baltimore, MD: 3,416 per capita – dense rowhouse layout drives exposure.

  • San Antonio, TX: 2,813 per capita – sprawling suburban delivery footprint.

Source: Capital One Shopping Research, 2025–2026 package theft data.

Package Theft By Housing Type And Neighborhood Setting

The single biggest predictor of whether your package gets stolen isn’t your state or income — it’s whether you live in an apartment and how urban your neighborhood is.

By housing type

  • Apartment residents: 3.5× higher risk – than homeowners in single-family detached housing for recent (past-90-day) package theft.

  • Single-family homeowners: baseline – porch dwell time is typically shorter and door cameras more common.

Source: Security.org 2025 Package Theft Annual Report.

By neighborhood setting

  • Urban: 18.8% risk – accounts for 42% of all victims; foot-traffic and shared lobbies drive exposure.

  • Suburban: 12.7% risk – 43% of victims; longest dwell times but lower stoop visibility.

  • Rural: 9.9% risk – 14% of victims; lowest absolute exposure despite higher per-victim package values.

Source: Capital One Shopping Research, 2025–2026.

How Victims Respond: Reporting, Refunds, And Recovery

Most victims do something after a porch theft — but only a minority do the two things that actually drive recovery: filing a police report and notifying the carrier in writing.

  • Reported to seller: 64% of victims – the most common first move; retailers usually triage faster than carriers.

  • Filed a police report: 23% – fewer than 1 in 4, despite the report being required for most insurance claims.

  • Replaced by seller: 27% – received a replacement product at no cost from the retailer.

  • Refunded by seller: 19% – got their money back from the retailer instead of a replacement.

  • Refunded by carrier: 8.5% – recovered cost via UPS, FedEx, USPS, or Amazon Logistics directly.

  • Received nothing: 25% – absorbed the full loss with no refund, replacement, or insurance reimbursement.

Source: Capital One Shopping Research, 2025–2026. Police reporting cross-confirmed in Security.org 2025 report.

Prevention: How Americans Are Fighting Back

Prevention behaviors have shifted decisively toward technology in the past five years. Video doorbells in particular have become a household standard rather than a security-enthusiast purchase.

  • Track packages en route: 88% – the default behavior — nearly everyone now monitors the carrier’s tracking page.

  • Use a security camera: 62% – a porch or driveway camera, usually integrated with a video doorbell.

  • Stay home for delivery: 46% – almost half of Americans have rearranged a workday to be present for a high-value package.

  • Use video doorbells: 30 million households (30%) – roughly one in three US households now has a video doorbell installed.

  • Use in-home delivery: 3% – still a niche — Amazon Key and equivalent services have low penetration.

Source: Capital One Shopping Research, 2025–2026. Video doorbell market share: Amazon Ring 40%, Google Nest 24%.

After a half-decade of escalating porch-piracy headlines, the 2025 data shows the first meaningful retreat. The 16.5% year-over-year drop from 2024 is driven by three converging factors: video-doorbell saturation, retailers shifting to package-locker pickup, and stepped-up USPIS enforcement.

  • Total US package theft losses 2025: $15B consumer + $22B retailer – down from the 2024 combined estimate, but still the second-highest year on record.

  • Year-over-year change 2024 → 2025: −16.5% – first decline since 2020 — Security.org’s report also notes theft numbers “dropped a bit from 2024.”

  • Recent victims (past 90 days): 9 million Americans (3%) – continuing baseline rate even as the annual total improves.

  • USPIS catch rate: 1 in 17 reported thefts – roughly one arrest per 17 cases that make it into law-enforcement reports.

  • Holiday-gift thefts (lifetime): 31 million Americans – have lost at least one holiday gift to porch theft — Q4 remains the peak risk window.

Sources: Capital One Shopping Research, 2025–2026; Security.org 2025 Package Theft Annual Report.

The Renters Insurance Gap: Why Most Package Theft Claims Aren’t Worth Filing

Here’s the part no porch-piracy report mentions: the average stolen package is worth less than most renters insurance deductibles — which means the very people most exposed to package theft (apartment residents) are the ones least able to recover via insurance.

  • Average package value: $144 to $222 – the loss most victims absorb.

  • Typical renters insurance deductible: $500 to $1,000 – meaning a single stolen package almost never clears the threshold to file a claim.

  • Apartment dwellers exposed: 3.5× the homeowner risk – yet roughly half of US renters carry no insurance at all.

  • What renters insurance actually covers: personal property off-premises – a standard policy covers theft of your stuff anywhere — including a package en route or sitting in a shared lobby.

The practical implication: porch theft is rarely the trigger for filing a renters insurance claim — but coverage does kick in for the catastrophic case (a stolen iPhone shipment, a missing laptop, a multi-package burglary event). For the day-to-day $150 loss, your better recovery path is the retailer’s policy or the carrier’s claim form. For everything above your deductible, the renters policy is the safety net.

For the full picture on how many renters actually carry coverage and what it costs, see our companion guide on renters insurance statistics, and if you’re uninsured, compare renters insurance quotes online in under five minutes.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does renters insurance cover stolen packages?

Yes. A standard renters insurance policy covers personal property anywhere in the world, including packages stolen from your porch, apartment lobby, or in transit. The catch is your deductible — typically $500 to $1,000 — usually exceeds the value of a single stolen package, so most porch-theft losses aren’t worth filing. Coverage matters most when multiple packages or a high-value electronics shipment go missing.

Should I file a police report for a stolen package?

Yes — even though only 23% of victims do. A police report is required by most retailers and insurance carriers before they’ll issue a refund or accept a claim. File online via your local department’s non-emergency portal; the case number is what the retailer will ask for.

How many packages are stolen in the US each year?

Roughly 104 million packages were stolen in the US in 2025 — about one of every 215 deliveries. That’s a 16.5% drop from 2024 but still represents $15 billion in direct consumer losses and another $22 billion in retailer refund and replacement costs.

Which states have the worst package theft?

Kentucky leads with 12% of residents reporting a recent stolen package, followed by North Dakota (11%), Nebraska, Iowa, and Alaska (each at 10%). By metro area, Virginia Beach, Baltimore, and San Antonio top the per-capita incident rankings in 2025.

What’s the average value of a stolen package?

Between $144 and $222 depending on the methodology — Capital One Shopping’s parcel-weighted figure is $144 while Security.org’s victim-recall survey lands at $222. Both fall well below the typical $500–$1,000 renters insurance deductible.

How can I prevent package theft?

The single most effective change is a video doorbell — 30 million US households now have one and the visible camera alone deters most casual thieves. Combine it with package tracking (88% of Americans already do this), a delivery box or smart locker for high-value items, and pickup at a UPS Store or Amazon Hub for anything above $300.

Methodology

The figures in this guide are aggregated from two primary US package-theft studies plus complementary government enforcement data:

  • Security.org 2025 Package Theft Annual Report — first-party survey of 3,307 American adults conducted October 2025. Margin of error ±1.7 percentage points at the national level; state-level breakouts have wider error bars and should be read directionally rather than precisely.

  • Capital One Shopping Research, package theft statistics 2025–2026 — aggregates carrier-reported parcel loss data with a US consumer survey. Volume and dollar figures use parcel-weighted methodology; victim-rate figures use survey methodology.

  • US Postal Inspection Service enforcement data — arrest counts (1,800 annually) and “1-in-17 catch rate” calculations as cited in the Capital One Shopping research.

Caveats. Average package value varies meaningfully across the two surveys ($144 vs $222). Capital One Shopping’s lower figure weights by parcel count, capturing the long tail of low-value items; Security.org’s higher figure reflects victim recall, which over-indexes on memorable high-value losses. Both are valid; we report the range. State-level theft rates from Security.org reflect the past 90 days only, not annualized totals.

Last data collection: October 2025. Page refreshed: May 2026. Published by Simply Insurance LLC, a Medu Netjer company — an independent insurance education platform.

Media And Press Inquiries

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