Crime & Safety in Opelousas, LA
Violent and property crime rates, clearance data, and trends — 2024 Data
Crime Overview
Source: FBI Crime Data Explorer (2024)Violent Crime Rate
13.82
per 1,000 residents
+208% vs national
Property Crime Rate
50.19
per 1,000 residents
+131% vs national
Total Crimes
977
2024
Violent Clearance
56%
cases solved
+32% vs national
Property Clearance
33%
cases solved
vs Similar Cities
+429%
vs 10K-25K avg
+429% vs 10K-25K
YoY Change
-17.7%
violent crime rate
improving vs 2023
How Opelousas Compares
Source: FBI (2024)Opelousas vs Similar Cities
Source: FBI (2024)Compared to cities with 10,000 - 25,000 residents. Opelousas is highlighted in green.
Violent Crime Rate (per 1,000)
Property Crime Rate (per 1,000)
Murder Rate (per 1,000)
Violent Crime Clearance Rate
Crime Rate Trends
Source: FBICrime Composition
Source: FBI (2024)Violent Crime Breakdown
Property Crime Breakdown
Crime Clearance (Solve) Rates
Source: FBI (2024)Opelousas police solve 71% of rape cases but only 26% of motor vehicle theft cases. The national violent crime clearance rate is 42%.
Weapon Used in Violent Crime
Source: FBI (2024)Crime Breakdown
Source: FBI Crime Data Explorer (2024)| Crime Type | Category | Count | Rate per 1K | Clearance % |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Murder | Violent | 6 | 0.39 | 50.0% |
| Rape | Violent | 7 | 0.46 | 71.4% |
| Robbery | Violent | 16 | 1.05 | 31.3% |
| Aggravated Assault | Violent | 180 | 11.79 | 57.8% |
| Burglary | Property | 120 | 7.86 | 27.5% |
| Larceny/Theft | Property | 596 | 39.05 | 35.2% |
| Motor Vehicle Theft | Property | 50 | 3.28 | 26.0% |
Opelousas, LA reported 211 violent crimes and 766 property crimes in 2024. The violent crime rate of 13.82 per 1,000 residents is 208.5% above the national average of 4.48 per 1,000. Law enforcement cleared 56% of violent crimes. Larceny/theft accounts for 596 of the property crime reports. Firearms were involved in 41.7% of aggravated assaults. Compared to similarly sized cities (10,000 - 25,000 population), Opelousas's violent crime rate is 429% higher. Violent crime has been trending downward.
Crime History
Source: FBI| Year | Violent | Property | Violent Rate | Property Rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 211 | 766 | 13.82 | 50.19 |
| 2023 | 258 | 885 | 16.80 | 57.62 |
| 2022 | 337 | 954 | 21.82 | 61.76 |
| 2021 | 291 | 1,012 | 18.83 | 65.47 |
| 2020 | 375 | 1,040 | 23.70 | 65.74 |
| 2019 | 394 | 1,287 | 24.55 | 80.19 |
| 2018 | 348 | 1,180 | 21.40 | 72.56 |
| 2017 | 299 | 1,394 | 18.12 | 84.46 |
| 2016 | 250 | 1,323 | 15.10 | 79.91 |
| 2015 | 196 | 1,253 | 11.82 | 75.57 |