Atlanta’s shiny new homes offer a false sense of safety as burglary rates soar five times above national average.
🔍 Why It Matters: While 64% of Atlanta’s new-home residents believe their fresh drywall doubles as a security system, the city’s burglary rate of 754.4 per 100,000 residents tells a different, more break-in-prone story.
🏠 The Security Paradox: New homeowners nationwide are living in a bubble of misplaced confidence, with 53% assuming their property is burglar-proof simply because the paint hasn’t had time to dry. Meanwhile, these fresh-faced residences are actually 43% more likely to report break-ins than their weathered counterparts.
💰 Penny-Wise, Security-Foolish: A staggering 39% of new-home residents invest exactly zero dollars in actual security measures. Even more eyebrow-raising, 21% are relying on the security equivalent of a cardboard cutout policeman—fake cameras and empty threat yard signs.
🏙️ Atlanta’s Alarming Reality: The city’s burglary rate isn’t just high—it’s stratospheric at 754.4 per 100,000 residents, making it more than five times the national average of 130.9. Yet local new-home dwellers continue to live in bliss, with nearly two-thirds feeling “safe” behind their unlocked doors.
🔮 The Big Picture: This security disconnect reveals how marketing of new developments often sells safety as a built-in feature rather than an ongoing investment. The modern homebuyer’s assumption that “new equals secure” creates a perfect target for opportunistic burglars who recognize that fresh facades often hide minimal security infrastructure.
The Sources
- Vivint’s study of U.S. new-home residents
- FBI burglary data
How to Read and Understand the News
Truth doesn’t bend because we dislike it.
Facts don’t vanish when they make us uncomfortable.
Events happen whether we accept them or not.
Good reporting challenges us. The press isn’t choosing sides — it’s relaying what official, verified sources say. Blaming reporters for bad news is like blaming a thermometer for a fever.
Americans have a history of misunderstanding simple things. In the 1980s, A&W rolled out a 1/3-pound burger to compete with McDonald’s Quarter Pounder. It failed because too many people thought 1/3 was smaller than 1/4. If we can botch basic math, we can certainly misread the news.
Before dismissing a story, ask yourself:
- What evidence backs this?
- Am I reacting to facts or feelings?
- What would change my mind?
- Am I just shooting the messenger?
And one more: Am I assuming bias just because I don’t like the story?
Smart news consumers seek truth, not comfort.
B.T. Clark
B.T. Clark is an award-winning journalist and the Publisher of The Georgia Sun. He has 25 years of experience in journalism and served as Managing Editor of Neighbor Newspapers in metro Atlanta for 15 years and Digital Director at Times-Journal Inc. for 8 years. His work has appeared in several newspapers throughout the state including Neighbor Newspapers, The Cherokee Tribune and The Marietta Daily Journal. He is a Georgia native and a fifth-generation Georgian.
