Toronto, Vancouver See Higher Property Crime Rates Than Major U.S. Cities

A recent study by the Fraser Institute reveals that Toronto and Vancouver now have higher rates of property crime than major U.S. cities, including New York and Los Angeles.

The report compares crime trends from 2019 to 2022 across 36 Canadian Census Metropolitan Areas (CMAs) and over 300 U.S. Metropolitan Statistical Areas (MSAs), highlighting notable disparities in property and violent crime rates.

The study found that Lethbridge, Alberta, has the highest property crime rate among Canadian cities, at 5,521 incidents per 100,000 people. Kelowna, British Columbia, ranked second with 4,932 per 100,000. In contrast, the highest-ranked U.S. city for property crime, Pueblo, Colorado, recorded a rate of 4,911 per 100,000. Notably, Canadian CMAs represent 24% of the top 10% of property crime rates, despite comprising only 10% of the urban areas studied.

Credit: Fraser Institute

Thunder Bay, London, and Windsor are among the top 10 urban areas in the Great Lakes region for property crime per 100,000 people. Thunder Bay holds the highest rate, while London ranks second and Windsor seventh. In contrast, major U.S. cities such as Detroit and Cleveland rank lower at #58.

Toronto, at #57, has a higher property crime rate than New York (#79). Buffalo, NY, ranks #43. That is, Toronto’s property crime rate is 40% higher than New York’s, and cities like Hamilton and Windsor also surpass major American cities such as Detroit and Flint, Michigan.

Credit: Fraser Institute

The report also ranks Kelowna, Vancouver, and Abbotsford-Mission among the highest property crime areas in the Pacific region. Kelowna has the highest rate, followed by Anchorage (#2) and Seattle (#3). Vancouver ranks sixth, Abbotsford-Mission ninth, and Victoria fifteenth. In contrast, Los Angeles ranks 36th and San Diego 45th.

In terms of violent crime, U.S. cities continue to report the highest rates, with Memphis, Tennessee, leading at 1,311 violent crimes per 100,000 people. Winnipeg ranked highest among Canadian cities and placed 18th overall, with a rate of 675 per 100,000. Thunder Bay, Regina, and Saskatoon also reported some of the highest violent crime rates in Canada. Conversely, cities in Quebec, including Sherbrooke and Quebec City, consistently recorded some of the lowest crime rates.

The findings also indicate a regional divide, with western Canadian cities experiencing higher crime rates compared to their eastern counterparts. Similarly, in the U.S., crime rates tend to be higher in the west and south compared to the northeast.