Package theft, commonly known as porch piracy, continues to frustrate homeowners across the country. Every day, the United States Postal Service processes over 23 million packages, not including major carriers like Amazon, UPS, or FedEx. And as online shopping becomes a staple of American life, the number of deliveries arriving on doorsteps keeps rising, along with the risk of theft.
In 2025, concerns about porch piracy are climbing to new heights, intensified by economic pressures such as inflation, layoffs, and rising living costs. With more packages than ever expected to arrive during the holiday season, Americans are bracing for a potentially costly year of deliveries and, for many, a greater fear of losing them.
Below, we break down this year’s findings on holiday theft concerns, nationwide package theft experiences, and the states where residents are searching for answers the most.
The holidays may be a season of giving, but for porch pirates, it’s prime time for taking. Nearly all Americans (95%) plan to have packages delivered to their homes this holiday season, creating a surge of doorstep activity. Alongside the rise in deliveries, 59% say they’re worried about their packages being stolen and with good reason. According to this year’s survey, 57% of all package thefts occur during the holiday months of November and December.
This concern is amplified by the economic challenges many households are feeling. Nearly two in three Americans (64%) say they are more worried about package theft this year due to pressures like inflation, mass layoffs, and reduced assistance programs. With budgets stretched thin, the financial sting of a stolen package feels bigger than ever.
Economic strain is shaping the way Americans shop this year. Households plan to spend an average of $586 on online holiday shopping in 2025. At the same time, 85% say they’ve noticed higher prices in just the last three months.
Tariffs are influencing behavior as well: 28% of Americans are more likely to buy holiday gifts in stores instead of online due to rising import and delivery costs.
If delivery prices continue to increase, shoppers say they will:
Taken together, the data shows that Americans are not only worried about theft at their doorstep, they’re also adjusting how they shop in response to the economy.
Package theft continues to be a widespread issue across the country. Nearly half of Americans (48%) have had a package stolen at some point, and 22% have experienced a theft within the last year alone. The average value of a stolen package comes in at $204, showing just how costly a single instance of porch piracy can be.
For many, theft isn’t a one-time occurrence. When asked how many packages they’ve had stolen:
Frequent deliveries may be contributing to increased vulnerability. 44% of Americans receive packages multiple times a week. Others report:
As a result, more people are turning to prevention methods to safeguard their packages. The top five ways to prevent package theft include:
Some shoppers even go the extra mile: 1 in 6 give delivery drivers elaborate, highly detailed instructions on where to hide their packages.
Despite these efforts, frustration remains high. 44% of Americans believe retailers and delivery companies aren’t doing enough to prevent package theft, leaving many consumers feeling responsible for protecting their own deliveries.
When a package goes missing, many Americans turn to Google first, often searching for what to do next, how to file a report, or how to prevent it from happening again. By analyzing search behavior across the country, we identified where interest in package theft is highest.
When it comes to package theft hot spots this year, Vermont, North Dakota, Delaware, Wyoming, and Rhode Island rank as the top five states. High search volume in these states may indicate elevated concern, higher theft rates, or simply more residents seeking guidance when something goes wrong.
On the opposite end of the spectrum, Florida, Texas, California, Ohio, and North Carolina rank among the lowest for package-theft-related searches. Lower search volume may reflect differences in population behavior, theft prevention efforts, or even delivery patterns throughout the year.
No matter where you live, porch piracy remains a risk, especially during times of heavy delivery traffic. Consumers can help protect themselves by tracking deliveries closely, investing in secure drop-off options, or installing a doorbell or security camera system at their home.
In November 2025, we surveyed 1,000 Americans about their experiences and concerns related to package theft, holiday shopping, and porch piracy. Respondents ranged in age from 18 to 75, with an average age of 42.
To identify package-theft hot spots, we analyzed Google search phrases related to stolen packages and porch piracy over the past 12 months and ranked each state based on total search volume.
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