Melbourne’s Rising Home Invasion Suburbs

Victoria’s Burglary Crisis 2026: Key Data Insights & What This Means For Melbourne Residents

At Titan Shutters, we’ve seen first-hand how fast burglary trends can shift and how vulnerable many Victorian homes have become. That’s why we commissioned the Victoria’s Burglary Crisis 2026 study, bringing together official crime statistics from the past decade to expose the alarming rise in break-ins across the state.

Reported burglaries have declined by 16% year-on-year across Victoria; however, several related indicators have moved in the opposite direction. Aggravated burglaries accounted for 16.3% of recorded incidents in 2026, up from 12.3% across the longer-term trend period. Over the same timeframe, burglary clearance rates have declined from approximately 26% to 22%, indicating a lower proportion of offences are being resolved. Since 2016, more than 408,000 burglary incidents have been recorded across Victoria, with approximately 310,000 remaining unsolved.

Designed to empower you with knowledge and raise awareness of the growing risks, this study also highlights how simple, visible upgrades like window shutters can help to stop intruders in their tracks.

Why We Took This On

We’re more than just a shutter company, we’re a team of local, security-focused professionals committed to helping Victorians protect what matters most. Every day, we speak to families who’ve experienced the stress and impact of a home invasion. Most regret that they had not taken preventative measures before this could occur, but were also largely unaware of how significant an issue this is in their area. Something we hope to change through undertaking this study.

Explore the interactive dashboard we’ve created utilising our data insights below to see how burglary trends are unfolding across Victoria. You’ll find details concerning the suburbs experiencing the sharpest rise in break-ins and clear evidence that residential properties are the primary target.

What the Numbers Tell Us

Our analysis uncovered some sobering facts:

Over 42,000 burglaries were reported across Victoria in the past 12 months
Break-ins have fallen by 16% in the past year
77.9% of cases remain unsolved – most burglars are never caught
62% of burglaries target homes, not businesses
1 in 10 incidents involve violence or threats

In short, your home is still more at risk of a burglary despite an overall decrease in total break-ins and as we discovered, it’s a powerful reminder of why taking a proactive approach to upgrading your home’s security should be a priority in 2026.

Where This Data Comes From

At Titan Shutters, we believe in evidence-led action. This study isn’t intended to create fear, but to inform and provide fact based information.

The insights presented in our study are based on official crime data sourced from the Crime Statistics Agency of Victoria, Australia’s trusted authority on law enforcement reporting and criminal activity. Our analysis draws from recorded ‘Break and Enter’ offences spanning 2015 to 2026, covering both residential and non-residential properties across every Victorian local government area and suburb.

All figures, trends, and comparisons in this study are drawn directly from publicly available data, updated to reflect the most recent reporting year. To ensure the accuracy, transparency and reliability of every finding, we also worked closely with independent analysts before releasing these.

Is Your Suburb a Target?

Burglary rates are rising across Melbourne and regional Victoria, with the most recent data showing that some suburbs have seen break-ins more than double in a year.

Victorian Suburbs with Highest Year-on-Year Increases (2025 → 2026)

St Arnaud – up 512%
Cairnlee – up 128%
Maffra – up 108%
Williamstown North – up 73%
Wonthaggi – up 61%
Sale – up 56%
Diggers Rest – up 56%
Watsonia – up 55%
Berwick – up 54%
Noble Park North – up 53%
Charlemont – up 50%
Keilor East – up 49%
Geelong West – up 41%
Churchill – up 39%
Ivanhoe East – up 36%

(Minimum 50 offences across 12 months)

Melbourne & Geelong Suburbs with Highest Year-on-Year Increases (2025 → 2026)

Cairnlee – up 128%
Williamstown North – up 72%
Diggers Rest – up 56%
Watsonia – up 55%
Berwick – up 54%
Noble Park North – up 53%
Charlemont – up 50%
Keilor East – up 49%
Pascoe Vale South – up 45%
Geelong West – up 41%
Ivanhoe West – up 36%
Doveton – up 35%
Derrimu – up 32%
McKinnon – up 29%
Belmont – up 29%

Suburbs with Biggest Three-Year Increases (2023 → 2026)

St Arnaud – up 716%
Plenty – up 466%
Eynesbury – up 400%
Charlemont – up 387%
Burnside – up 340%

(Minimum 150 offences across 3 years)

Even traditionally “safe” suburbs are seeing record jumps in home invasions. Local government areas like Yarriambiack and West Wimmera have recorded double the amount of offences in the past year alone.

Where Is It Getting Safer?

Our latest data also reveals some significant wins in Melbourne’s burglary landscape. A number of suburbs have seen a steady decline of offences in the past 12 months.

Suburbs with Highest Year-on-Year Decreases (2025 → 2026)

Spring Gully – down 95%
Wandana Heights – down 84%
Maiden Gully – down 80%
Kingsville – down 76%
Werribee South – down 72%
Rochester – down 71%

(Minimum 50 offences across 12 months)

While it’s encouraging to see burglary numbers declining in some suburbs, the trends remain highly varied across Victoria, with significant increases still being recorded in a number of metropolitan and regional areas.

Crime May Be Falling, But So Are Clearance Rates

Victoria’s burglary problem isn’t just about how many offences occur – it’s about how few are solved. Despite crime volumes easing in recent years, the state’s burglary clearance rate has dropped from around 26% in 2025 to just 22% in 2026. More than three-quarters of recorded burglary cases over the past decade remain unsolved, highlighting a growing gap between reported offences and justice outcomes for victims.

Why Residential Homes Are the Main Target

Our data shows that nearly 62% of all recorded burglaries target residential homes rather than businesses. While most break-ins are non-aggravated, the risk remains high, and with police solving fewer cases each year, prevention is now the most reliable way to protect your home.
That’s where we come in.

Take Control of Your Home Security

Industry experts, at Titan Shutters, we design, manufacture and install premium-grade shutters right here in Victoria that are built to deter and defend against forced entry. Our security shutters offer more than just peace of mind, they’re a visible, physical barrier that makes burglars think twice.

Whether you live in a high-risk suburb or simply want to take proactive steps to protect your home, we’re here to help. Offering expert advice and reassurance, we can support you to defend against intruders with our highly effective, durable and tough window shutters.

Made to measure and offering some of the shortest lead times compared with our competitors, we can have your home feeling secure and safe in record time.
Don’t wait until your property becomes another statistic – take action now with Titan Shutters.