Table 3

Crime in the United States
Offense and Population Percent Distribution by Region, 2008

Region	Population	Violent crime	Murder and nonnegligent manslaughter	Forcible rape	Robbery	Aggravated assault	Property crime	Burglary	Larceny- theft	Motor vehicle theft
United States Total¹	100.0	100.0	100.0	100.0	100.0	100.0	100.0	100.0	100.0	100.0
Northeast	18.1	14.7	14.1	12.3	17.2	13.7	12.6	10.6	13.7	10.0
Midwest	21.9	19.3	19.7	25.4	19.1	18.7	20.9	20.4	21.4	18.3
South	36.7	43.2	45.2	38.2	40.2	45.2	43.2	47.3	42.7	37.8
West	23.3	22.8	21.1	24.1	23.5	22.4	23.2	21.7	22.2	33.9

¹ Because of rounding, the percentages may not add to 100.0.
NOTE: Although arson data are included in the trend and clearance tables, sufficient data are not available to estimate totals for this offense. Therefore, no arson data are published in this table.

Data Declaration

Provides the methodology used in constructing this table and other pertinent information about this table.

The South had 36.7 percent of the Nation’s population in 2008. More than 23 percent (23.3) of the Nation’s inhabitants lived in the West, 21.9 percent in the Midwest, and 18.1 percent resided in the Northeast.
Over 43 percent (43.2) of violent crimes in 2008 occurred in the South, 22.8 were in the West, 19.3 percent occurred in the Midwest, and 14.7 percent took place in the Northeast.
In 2008, the estimated number of property crimes reported in the South was 43.2 percent. The West had 23.2 percent of the Nation’s property crimes, followed by the Midwest, 20.9 percent, and the Northeast, 12.6 percent.