California vs Texas: Crime Rate Comparison (2024)
Side-by-side crime comparison between California and Texas using FBI data.
Key Insights
- →Texas has a lower violent crime rate (389.4) than California (486.0) per 100K
- →California population: 39,431,263 | Texas: 31,290,831
- →Homicide rate: California 4.5 vs Texas 5.2 per 100K
- →Property crime: California 2078.4 vs Texas 2040.5 per 100K
Crime Rate Comparison
| Metric | California | Texas | Safer |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 39,431,263 | 31,290,831 | — |
| Violent Crime Rate | 486.0 | 389.4 | ✓ Texas |
| Homicide Rate | 4.5 | 5.2 | ✓ California |
| Property Crime Rate | 2078.4 | 2040.5 | ✓ Texas |
| Total Violent Crimes | 191,641 | 121,845 | — |
| Total Property Crimes | 819,559 | 638,482 | — |
| Violent Crime Change | -4.1% | -4.4% | ✓ Texas |
Historical Violent Crime Trend
| Year | California Rate | Texas Rate |
|---|---|---|
| 2015 | 428.0 | 412.7 |
| 2016 | 444.8 | 433.8 |
| 2017 | 453.3 | 437.8 |
| 2018 | 447.5 | 412.9 |
| 2019 | 442.1 | 421.8 |
| 2020 | 442.0 | 446.5 |
| 2021 | 481.2 | 453.0 |
| 2022 | 503.6 | 436.2 |
| 2023 | 506.9 | 407.3 |
| 2024 | 486.0 | 389.4 |
Verdict: Which State Is Safer?
Based on 2024 FBI data, **Texas** has a lower violent crime rate at 389.4 per 100,000 compared to California's 486.0. Texas has lower property crime. However, crime varies enormously within each state — some cities in the "safer" state may be more dangerous than most cities in the other.