This WA Beach Is America’s #1 Spot for Stolen Stuff

This Washington coastal community has a reputation problem. There's a difference between the Northern Oregon and Washington coasts that anyone who's driven both can feel — Cannon Beach's polished storefronts and boutique hotels versus Ocean Shores' worn motels and empty lots.

A new study now backs that gut feeling with actual numbers.

The Action Network analyzed property crime data across more than 500 beach zip codes nationwide, weighing theft, robbery, vehicle break-ins, and burglary. North Jetty, tucked at the southwestern tip of the Ocean Shores peninsula, came out on top for the wrong reason. It posted a 4.81% implied theft risk — the highest of any beach in the entire study, driven by an adjusted property crime rate of 158 incidents per 1,000 people relative to its daily visitor count.

Ocean Shores, WA via Dave Meckler on Unsplash

How Washington Compares to the Rest of the Coast

South Carolina's Folly Beach came in second at 4.58%, trailing North Jetty by a slim margin. Newport Beach, California, and Laupahoehoe Beach Park in Hawaii rounded out the top four. Oregon didn't escape the list either — Devils Punchbowl landed at fifth, and Lincoln City cracked the top ten too, meaning the entire Pacific coastline from Grays Harbor down through central Oregon carries real risk for anyone who leaves a bag unattended.

Meanwhile, Florida's New Smyrna Town Beach earned the opposite distinction: safest in the country, with a 0% implied theft risk and an A+ grade from researchers.

The Good News Buried in the Bad Numbers

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Here's the part worth remembering before writing off Ocean Shores entirely: more than 92% of these incidents nationwide were non-violent, mostly unattended bags and rental car break-ins rather than anything physically dangerous. Ocean Shores' overall violent crime rate actually sits well below the national average.

For Wenatchee Valley families planning a coast trip this fall, the takeaway isn't to skip North Jetty. It's to lock the car, keep valuables out of sight, and treat your beach bag the same way you'd treat a wallet on a crowded sidewalk. A little awareness covers most of what this ranking is really warning about.