2026 U.S. Catalytic Converter Theft City Risk Ranking

Highest-Risk Metropolitan Markets

2026 Risk Rank	Metropolitan Area	Risk Level
1	Los Angeles–Orange County, California	Extreme
2	Oakland–San Francisco, California	Extreme
3	Houston, Texas	Extreme
4	Baltimore–Washington, D.C.	Very High
5	Phoenix, Arizona	Very High
6	Atlanta, Georgia	Very High
7	Sacramento, California	Very High
8	Chicago, Illinois	Very High
9	Philadelphia, Pennsylvania	High
10	Detroit, Michigan	High
11	Seattle–Tacoma, Washington	High
12	Portland, Oregon	High
13	Dallas–Fort Worth, Texas	High
14	Austin–San Antonio, Texas	High
15	San Diego, California	High
16	New York City–Newark, New York/New Jersey	Elevated
17	Las Vegas, Nevada	Elevated
18	St. Louis, Missouri	Elevated
19	El Paso, Texas	Elevated
20	Denver, Colorado	Elevated

Ranking Methodology

This is a 2026 risk ranking, not a count of thefts occurring during the complete 2026 calendar year. Final nationwide city-level catalytic converter theft totals for 2026 are not yet available.

The ranking is based primarily on the most recently published converter-specific metropolitan claims ranking, combined with:

• Historical catalytic converter insurance claims

• Recent vehicle-theft activity

• Concentration of trucks, SUVs and commercial fleets

• Hybrid vehicle populations

• Population and vehicle density

• Reports of continuing organized theft activity

• Access to scrap-metal and illegal resale markets

The latest published converter-specific market data placed Los Angeles–Orange County, Oakland–San Francisco and Houston among the country’s leading catalytic converter theft markets.

Recent broader vehicle-theft data also shows that Los Angeles recorded the largest number of motor-vehicle thefts among U.S. metropolitan areas in 2024, while San Francisco–Oakland had the highest theft rate. Houston, Dallas–Fort Worth, Chicago, Seattle and Washington, D.C. also remained among the largest vehicle-theft markets.

Key Findings

California remains the most heavily represented state, with five metropolitan areas in the Top 20. Los Angeles–Orange County and the San Francisco Bay Area continue to present the greatest overall exposure because of their large vehicle populations, history of converter theft and high replacement activity.

Texas has four markets in the ranking: Houston, Dallas–Fort Worth, Austin–San Antonio and El Paso. Houston remains the highest-risk Texas market. Texas is particularly vulnerable because of its large population of full-size pickups, SUVs and commercial fleet vehicles.

The Pacific Northwest remains vulnerable. Seattle–Tacoma and Portland have historically experienced elevated catalytic converter theft activity, especially in apartment parking areas, commercial lots and locations where vehicles remain unattended overnight.

The Baltimore–Washington corridor remains a significant market because of its dense population, commuter parking, large vehicle inventory and movement between multiple jurisdictions.

Important 2026 Context

Catalytic converter theft has not disappeared. CARFAX estimated that more than 137,000 catalytic converters were stolen nationwide during 2025, with thousands of additional estimated thefts occurring during the beginning of 2026.

This means that cities experiencing fewer police reports or insurance claims should not automatically be considered low risk. Some incidents are never reported, and thefts repaired without an insurance claim may not appear in traditional crime statistics.

Highest-Risk Parking Locations

Within the ranked metropolitan areas, vehicles face the greatest exposure in:

• Apartment and condominium parking lots

• Hotels and airport parking facilities

• Auto dealerships

• Commercial fleet yards

• Churches and schools

• Hospitals and medical centers

• Shopping-center parking lots

• Residential driveways

• Park-and-ride facilities

• Repair shops and vehicle-storage lots

Vehicles at Elevated Risk

The city rankings should be evaluated together with local vehicle populations. Recent national data identifies the Ford F-150 as the most frequently targeted vehicle, followed by vehicles including the Hyundai Tucson, Ford Explorer, Ram 2500, Chevrolet Silverado, Chevrolet Traverse, Ram 3500, Ford EcoSport, Ford Expedition and Chevrolet Trax.

Owners of pickup trucks, SUVs, hybrids and commercial vehicles in the Top 20 markets should consider physical catalytic converter protection, secure parking, lighting, cameras and vehicle-identification markings.