Maine Is One of the Safest States When It Comes to Porch Pirates

Even though they operate all year long, most people only really worry about porch pirates during the month leading up to Christmas.

This is because we often have significantly more packages delivered to our homes during that period of time.  Gifts for loved ones, things we need in order to properly entertain guests, etc.

Fortunately for us in New England, both Maine and New Hampshire are some of the safest states when it comes to porch pirates.

What is a Porch Pirate?

For those who do not know, they are people who cruise up and down the streets of our residential neighborhoods looking for packages to steal from people's homes.  Specifically, they look for Amazon, UPS, USPS, and Fedex packages that have been left on our front steps or porches.  That's why we call them "porch pirates".

How Big of a Problem Are Porch Pirates?

According to an article on the Realtor website, because Americans love shopping online so much, sales during the holiday season often reach $250 billion!

That convenience comes with a downside.  According to Security.org, an estimated 37 million packages will be stolen in the U.S. in 2025.  At an average value of $222 per package, that adds up to more than $8.2 billion worth of stuff disappearing from porches.

When it comes to how much at risk you are to have stuff stolen by porch pirates, where you live matters.

Which States Are Least & Most At Risk For Porch Pirates?

New research shows Alabama has seen the biggest jump in holiday season burglaries in recent years.

The analysis, done by accident and injury attorneys at Bana Law, found burglaries in Alabama increased by 12.5 percent from November to December over the past five years.

The data is based on FBI crime statistics from 2019 through 2023.  In other words, when the holidays roll around, the risk of stolen gifts goes up. And in some states, it goes up fast.

While both Maine and New Hampshire came in near the bottom of the list for being at risk of porch piracy, the state that is least affected by porch pirates is Vermont!  The Green Mountain State has seen a double digit drop in the percentage of people affected by porch pirates in recent years.

Read the full study HERE

Have you ever had something stolen by porch pirates?  What did they steal?  Did you ever get it back?