San Antonio experienced significant losses from package theft in 2025, with an estimated $133 million in goods reported stolen, placing the metro area among the nation’s most costly locations for such crimes. According to a SafeWise analysis, more than 3 million packages were taken across the region.
The San Antonio Express-News reported that the SafeWise ranking places the San Antonio–New Braunfels metro area eighth in the country for total value lost to package theft. The coverage cites SafeWise data estimating approximately $132.9 million in losses and around 3.03 million stolen packages in the metro area last year.
What the SafeWise report found
The SafeWise 2025 package theft report estimates that approximately 104.3 million packages were stolen across the United States in the past 12 months, averaging about 250,000 per day, with total consumer losses around $15 billion. The report also notes that incidents have decreased by roughly 13% since 2023, while the average value per stolen package has increased, indicating a shift in the types of packages targeted.
As per SafeWise, major metropolitan areas such as Chicago, New York, and Miami rank highest for package theft, with San Antonio and several other Texas metros also among the most affected. While the total number of thefts has declined, the average value of stolen packages has increased.
Why theft keeps happening
Federal auditors describe package theft as a last mile issue, influenced by dense delivery routes, packages left in plain sight on doorsteps, and fragmented reporting across different carriers. A white paper from the USPS Office of Inspector General details the scope and complexity of the problem and recommends increased coordination among carriers, retailers, and law enforcement to address it.
The report also notes that accurately measuring package theft is challenging because data is dispersed across private companies, public agencies, and consumers. As a result, the full scope of the problem remains difficult to determine.
How to protect your deliveries
SafeWise suggests steps to reduce the time packages remain unattended, including installing a doorbell or porch camera, signing up for delivery alerts, requesting signature confirmation when available, and rerouting deliveries to a workplace, trusted neighbor, or secure locker if recipients will not be home.
The report also recommends that neighbors coordinate on package pickups and encourages victims to report thefts to both carriers and law enforcement to help identify patterns. These practices have been associated with a reduction in multi-package thefts from single addresses, even as individual incidents continue to occur.
Legal consequences
Stealing mail or packages is considered a federal offense under 18 U.S.C. § 1708, as noted by Legal Information Institute. Texas law also prohibits mail theft under Texas Penal Code § 31.20, with penalties that vary depending on the number of victims and other circumstances.
Residents who suspect package theft are advised to preserve any available camera footage and report the incident to both their carrier and local law enforcement. With holiday delivery volumes expected to increase, package theft may rise, and planning ahead can help mitigate risk. Measures such as using tracking alerts, arranging alternate delivery locations, or installing a visible camera can help reduce the likelihood of stolen packages.
