Everytown's analysis of FBI crime data identified the U.S. cities with the highest rates of gun theft from vehicles. The list is based on thefts per 100,000 people, which makes it easier to compare cities of different sizes.
The top five cities in Everytown's 2022 data
Everytown ranked cities by the rate of guns stolen from cars per 100,000 people. That matters because a rate can compare cities of different sizes more fairly than a raw count.
The top five cities in the 2022 ranking were Memphis, Atlanta, St. Louis, Richmond, and San Antonio. These are not necessarily the five cities with the largest total number of thefts. They are the cities with the highest reported rates in Everytown's city dataset.
| Rank | City | State | Rate per 100,000 people |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Memphis | Tennessee | 351 |
| 2 | Atlanta | Georgia | 337 |
| 3 | St. Louis | Missouri | 288 |
| 4 | Richmond | Virginia | 218 |
| 5 | San Antonio | Texas | 209 |
What Everytown's methodology looked at
Everytown analyzed FBI NIBRS data from 337 cities across 44 states, covering roughly 63 million people. For the decade-long trend analysis, Everytown used cities that submitted complete data across the full period.
The broader report found that the rate of gun thefts from cars tripled over the decade, rising from an estimated 21.0 thefts per 100,000 people in 2013 to 63.1 per 100,000 in 2022.
That means all five cities in the top-ranking table were far above the 2022 city average reported in the study.
State law strength and theft rates
Everytown also grouped cities by the strength of state gun laws under its own ranking framework. In 2022, cities in states Everytown classified as having the weakest gun laws had a gun-theft-from-cars rate of 81.3 per 100,000 people. Cities in states it classified as having the strongest gun laws had a rate of 4.6 per 100,000 people.
That is a 17.7x difference in the Everytown analysis. It is a major gap, but it should be read carefully. Correlation is not the same as proof that one policy alone caused the difference. Ownership rates, reporting practices, carry laws, local enforcement, parking patterns, and storage habits can all affect the numbers.
The practical takeaway is still clear enough for the individual owner: where and how a firearm is stored in a vehicle matters.
Why city parking changes the storage decision
Higher-rate cities do not require a completely different storage philosophy. They make the basics more important. A firearm left loose in a console, glove box, bag, or visible case is easier to find once someone gets inside the vehicle.
The better routine is simple: secure the firearm before you arrive, keep obvious cues out of sight, avoid predictable compartments, and use locked storage that is connected to the vehicle when compatible.
That is the practical reason BoostedSafe is built to disguise as a booster seat, lock, and anchor into compatible rear-seat LATCH or ISOFIX points. It is not theft-proof, and it should not be sold that way. It gives owners a better storage routine than leaving a firearm loose or visible.
Practical advice for these cities
- Secure the firearm before entering the destination area, not after you park in public view.
- Keep holsters, range bags, firearm cases, electronics, and backpacks out of sight.
- Use locked vehicle storage when a firearm has to stay in the car.
- Choose storage that attaches to the vehicle when compatible.
- Park in well-lit, higher-traffic areas when possible.
- Do not treat your driveway as risk-free. Everytown found many gun thefts from cars happen at residences.
- Check the storage law in the state where the vehicle is parked.
- Build one routine and use it every time, not only when the parking lot feels risky.
What this data does not say
The Everytown ranking does not mean every gun owner in Memphis, Atlanta, St. Louis, Richmond, or San Antonio stores firearms irresponsibly. It also does not mean a person driving through a lower-rate city can ignore storage.
City rankings are useful because they show where the risk is reported at higher rates. They are not a replacement for basic storage habits everywhere else.
The same practical rule applies in any city: do not leave a firearm loose, visible, or stored in the same vehicle compartments people already check.
Official sources to read
Use the original Everytown report to review the city ranking, the rate table, the methodology, and the state-law comparison. Use FBI resources to understand the NIBRS data system behind the analysis.
Includes the top-five city ranking, 2022 rate table, decade trend, and state-law comparison.
Read Everytown reportSummarizes the top-five ranking and related city findings.
Read Everytown press releaseExplains the incident-based reporting system used in Everytown's analysis.
Read FBI NIBRS overviewHidden, locked, anchor-based vehicle storage for compatible vehicles.
See BoostedSafe EliteFrequently asked questions
Is this the same as NICB's vehicle theft ranking?
No. NICB hot spot rankings focus on vehicle theft. Everytown's analysis here is about guns stolen from cars. Those are related topics, but they are not the same metric.
Why use rates instead of total counts?
Rates help compare cities of different sizes. A larger city can have more total thefts but a lower rate per 100,000 people. Everytown's top-five list is based on rate.
Why is San Francisco not in this top five?
Overall vehicle break-ins and gun thefts from vehicles are not the same measurement. A city can have a high rate of car break-ins and still not rank in the top five for reported gun thefts from cars.
Does this mean state laws caused the difference?
Not by itself. Everytown found a large rate difference between cities in states it classifies as having the weakest and strongest gun laws, but many factors can affect city rates. The finding is still useful, but it should not be reduced to one cause.
What is the simplest storage takeaway?
Do not leave a firearm loose, visible, or stored in a predictable compartment. If the firearm must stay in the vehicle, use locked, hidden storage that is attached to the vehicle when compatible.
Does BoostedSafe eliminate theft risk?
No. No vehicle safe should be described as theft-proof. BoostedSafe Elite is designed to improve the storage routine by keeping valuables hidden, locked, and connected to compatible vehicle anchor points.
The data points to the same storage lesson
Higher-rate city or not, the better routine is the same: keep firearms and valuables out of sight, locked, and connected to the vehicle when compatible.
See BoostedSafe EliteSources reviewed: Everytown Research on gun thefts from cars, Everytown Support Fund press release on the top-five cities, FBI NIBRS overview, the uploaded BoostedSafe image URL file, and the live BoostedSafe Elite product page.