Santa Cruz, California Crime Rate
4 years of data (2020–2024) · Population: 61,346
Key Insights
- →Santa Cruz has a safety grade of F with a violent crime rate of 612.9 per 100,000 residents (national avg: 359.1).
- →Violent crime dropped 8.1% from the previous year.
- →3 murders recorded in 2024 — a rate of 4.9 per 100K.
- →Crime trajectory: volatile — based on 4 years of data.
- →Safer than 8% of all cities in the OpenCrime database.
- →Violent-to-property crime ratio: 0.24 (near national average).
Violent Crime Rate
612.9
-8.1% YoY
Murder Rate
4.9
3 murders
Property Crime Rate
2515.2
1,543 total
vs National Avg
↑ 71%
National: 359.1
2024 Crime Breakdown
Violent Crime: 376
Murder3
Rape26
Robbery63
Aggravated Assault284
Property Crime: 1,543
Burglary83
Larceny-Theft1,363
Motor Vehicle Theft97
Arson46
Year-over-Year Comparison
| Year | Population | Violent Crime | Violent Rate | Murders | Property Crime | Property Rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 61,346 | 376 | 612.9 | 3 | 1,543 | 2515.2 |
| 2023 | 61,754 | 412 | 667.2 | 1 | 1,504 | 2435.5 |
| 2022 | 61,650 | 447 | 725.1 | 1 | 2,226 | 3610.7 |
| 2020 | 65,073 | 309 | 474.9 | 2 | 2,237 | 3437.7 |
Crime Rate Trends
Murder Rate Trend
F
Safety Grade for Santa Cruz
Based on violent crime rate of 612.9 per 100K (national avg: 359.1)
Safety Percentile
Safer than 8% of cities
Similar Cities
Cities with similar population and crime profile (in different states):
National Arrest Demographics
The FBI does not publish per-city arrest demographic breakdowns. At the national level, arrest data shows significant racial disparities influenced by policing patterns, poverty concentration, and systemic factors.
Related Analysis
Source: FBI Crime Data Explorer, Table 8 — Offenses Known to Law Enforcement by State by City. Rates per 100,000 residents.