New York vs California: Crime Rate Comparison (2024)
Side-by-side crime comparison between New York and California using FBI data.
Key Insights
- →New York has a lower violent crime rate (380.2) than California (486.0) per 100K
- →New York population: 19,867,248 | California: 39,431,263
- →Homicide rate: New York 2.7 vs California 4.5 per 100K
- →Property crime: New York 1719.5 vs California 2078.4 per 100K
Crime Rate Comparison
| Metric | New York | California | Safer |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 19,867,248 | 39,431,263 | — |
| Violent Crime Rate | 380.2 | 486.0 | ✓ New York |
| Homicide Rate | 2.7 | 4.5 | ✓ New York |
| Property Crime Rate | 1719.5 | 2078.4 | ✓ New York |
| Total Violent Crimes | 75,528 | 191,641 | — |
| Total Property Crimes | 341,627 | 819,559 | — |
| Violent Crime Change | -2.8% | -4.1% | ✓ California |
Historical Violent Crime Trend
| Year | New York Rate | California Rate |
|---|---|---|
| 2015 | 380.4 | 428.0 |
| 2016 | 374.6 | 444.8 |
| 2017 | 361.1 | 453.3 |
| 2018 | 350.8 | 447.5 |
| 2019 | 361.0 | 442.1 |
| 2020 | 363.8 | 442.0 |
| 2021 | 308.3 | 481.2 |
| 2022 | 429.4 | 503.6 |
| 2023 | 391.1 | 506.9 |
| 2024 | 380.2 | 486.0 |
Verdict: Which State Is Safer?
Based on 2024 FBI data, **New York** has a lower violent crime rate at 380.2 per 100,000 compared to California's 486.0. New York 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.