Homeowners by State Who Lock Their Doors

[Ben]

Found on the reddits, so no idea on the background data, but the numbers seem to track for the two states that I'm familiar with.

When I was a kid in coastal CA, I recall we often left the garage door open most of the day, with the front door and man door into the house also unlocked, at least when we were home. Sometimes we would leave the house for grocery trips or whatever with the doors to the house locked, but the garage door open. I can't remember what caused it, but around the mid-late 70s, that all changed and my dad put a deadbolt on the front door and we always kept the doors locked, even when we were home. As an adult, I always kept doors locked, even when I was home during the day. Cars of course were also always locked.

My very first day in my house in Idaho, I locked myself out of the house at like 2100, because from force of habit, I lock doors when I step out of the house. Problem was that I had no key to the house because the former owners never locked the house and had lost the keys. I ended up shouldering in a side door, since there was no way I was getting a locksmith at that time of night in rural Idaho. 

All the neighbors here seem to keep everything open and unlocked at all times. I have somewhat adapted to that. I keep the front door locked at all times, but the back door is generally unlocked when I'm home, even if I'm away from line of sight to the house working in the pastures or whatever. The shop rollup door is also left open most of the day, weather dependent, with lots of tools in the shop and a shotgun laying in the back of the UTV, even if I make a quick trip to town. Garage door is often open, and I just leave the keys in the ignition on the vehicles. I always lock everything up at night or when I leave the house for a substantial amount of time. I seem to be one of the only people around here to do that, and the neighbors can't remember any time something has been stolen in the area.

I note from the map that county level data would likely be much different. OR and WA, for example, are probably heavily weighted to their coasts. North and South Dakota were interesting. On the reddits it was suggested that it was meth related.

[Boomhauer]

I lock everything, when I grew up in the middle of nowhere, when I lived in an apartment, and now in a small town.

Methheads are everywhere in this state.

[MechAg94]

I lock everything, when I grew up in the middle of nowhere, when I lived in an apartment, and now in a small town.

Methheads are everywhere in this state.

My parents lived in Houston when I was a kid.  The 1970's were not a low crime period in Houston.  When we moved out in the country, that didn't change.  My uncle's house got robbed when I was still young out in the rural area.  Looked like someone saw no cars out front and broke in for a smash and grab. 

Crime happens everywhere.  In small towns, there is more gossip as everyone knows everyone else so people tend to know your business if you don't keep it to yourself.  The wrong people will hear it as well. 

[Kingcreek]

We live in e secluded rural area and we lock everything all the time. Very little concern out here in the sticks but there are still the occasional carload of tweaker lowlifes. Mostly, they are too lazy to steal.
Have a neighbor couple miles away that came home to find a guy wearing his clothes and drinking a bottle of wine while his clothes were washing in the machine.

[K Frame]

I largely lock the door whenever I'm in the house. I got out of the habit of locking the door when taking Seren out for short walks the last couple of years. Not a good habit, but that's self-limiting now that she's gone.

[grampster]

Dear Ben, could you post a nice map of your house where all the good stuff is?  That we we can be in and out quickly so we don't disturb you.

[Ben]

Dear Ben, could you post a nice map of your house where all the good stuff is?  That we we can be in and out quickly so we don't disturb you.

Sure, no problem. First drive to idaho. Then take a left down my entry road. Drive past the driveway alarm and camera.. When you get to the bridge with the semtex and pressure switch, cross that. Then you can either turn left, and drive past the claymores, or you can go straight past the UA 571-C sentry guns. Then if you get that far, there is a cat.

[grampster]

 

[Brad Johnson]

Growing up in the country, we never locked anything. Unfortunately, bad guys figured it out and we had a rash of rural burglaries twenty or so years ago, usually on Sunday mornings. Now, most everyone locks up.

Brad

[tokugawa]

Then if you get that far, there is a cat.

 Oh *expletive deleted*it. Attack cat or standard issue?

[Ben]

Oh *expletive deleted*it. Attack cat or standard issue?

Is there a difference? 

[Hawkmoon]

Sure, no problem. First drive to idaho. Then take a left down my entry road. Drive past the driveway alarm and camera.. When you get to the bridge with the semtex and pressure switch, cross that. Then you can either turn left, and drive past the claymores, or you can go straight past the UA 571-C sentry guns. Then if you get that far, there is a cat.

Where's Steve? You didn't tell us where Steve is posted.

[Jim147]

I'm not sure I've seen my keys in 20 years and the sliding glass door and the back door would need the locks fixed to be able to lock them.

[Brad Johnson]

Is there a difference? 

Depends. Does he have a laser on his head?

Brad

[RocketMan]

Sure, no problem. First drive to idaho. Then take a left down my entry road. Drive past the driveway alarm and camera.. When you get to the bridge with the semtex and pressure switch, cross that. Then you can either turn left, and drive past the claymores, or you can go straight past the UA 571-C sentry guns. Then if you get that far, there is a cat.

I was fine with everything until I saw you had a cat.  Not gonna take the chance.

[Perd Hapley]

I tend to lock everything all the time, just because I figure I'll regret it more if I leave something unlocked and it causes a problem, vs the hassles of dealing with locks all the time. I find ways to keep backup keys either on my person or hidden near the house/car, to avoid locking myself out. I also lock the front door when I'm at home. There's virtually no downside to it, and it means I have some minimal control over who walks into my house.

I have unintentionally left the garage door open or front door unlocked, when away from the house for some hours. Even in north St Louis County, that has never been a problem. So far. I will also keep the garage door open if I'm working around the house (front yard, back yard, inside, wherever). I may be unable to see the door for part of that time, but no one's taken advantage of that. Even if I leave it open after dark, it doesn't seem to matter.

I imagine having a dog around might have saved us a few times. Even if a criminal isn't afraid of getting bitten, the barking will draw unwanted attention. Ditto for the motion sensor light right in front of the garage.

[Perd Hapley]

I've never seen Connecticut and Georgia so united over something...

[Ben]

Where's Steve? You didn't tell us where Steve is posted.

You mean the guy who would let the burglars in for a piece of chicken and a pat on the head? Barney the cat is the one they have to watch out for. I'M scared of the cat. I'm certain he will assassinate me before all is said and done.

[HankB]

Growing up in Chicago, I developed a lifelong habit of locking my doors all the time.

[BobR]

Although I have lived the last 25 years or so in smaller, more rural areas I still lock my doors. If nothing else it will slow someone down long enough to get a clear picture on the cam, or prepare my self to greet an intruder if I am at home.

bob

[grampster]

We lived on a rural lake for many years.  Not much crime.  I hired a couple of teenagers to mow my lawn when I had surgery.  I even put gas in their car one day as they were on fumes.  Then the little bastages came and stole five 5 gallon cans of gas out of my little shed one night.

We lock our doors even when at home since we are now in the suburbs of Grand Rapids.

[HeroHog]

Here in Ratchet City, Shreveport, LA, we lock EVERYTHING ALL THE TIME!

[Kingcreek]

I no longer have a dog but I do have a well layered alarm and camera system.
The locks basically just keep honest people honest. Locks are just going to slow a lowlife down some.

[tokugawa]

Barney the cat is the one they have to watch out for. I'M scared of the cat. I'm certain he will assassinate me before all is said and done.

     Now he knows you are on to him. 

[Bogie]

So, when I bought my house in South Central St. Louis City, right in the middle of the metro area, I did my own moving... I'd picked up some stuff at the Lake of the Ozarks, so, I was moving stuff like a Lazy Boy sofa by myself. So, I get the sofa in, and I plop myself down on it.
 
The house was a HUD foreclosure, and according to my real estate guy (buyer's agent who basically just gave me a list of addresses and lockbox codes - I'd been in the business before - along with my promise to wear boots and use a flashlight), the previous resident had been busted for something... They used a ram on the front door, couldn't get in, but the side door was flimsy... Both are adequately fortified now... But I digress...
 
So, there I am, sweaty and beat and glorying in the fact that the hardest part of that trailer load is in place, and... Something walked in the front door. Just walked right in. Looked around, spies me sitting there, says "Hey, you're not him..." and I told him that the dude wasn't coming back for a while, and that I lived here now... It muttered to itself for a moment, and turned and left.
 
I don't think it even noticed the 1911 I had in my hand pointed at center mass...