California Crime Statistics
46 years of data (1979–2024)
Key Insights
- →California ranks #7 out of 51 states for violent crime rate (486.0 per 100K).
- →Violent crime decreased 4.1% from 2023 to 2024.
- →462 cities report crime data. Safest: Palos Verdes Estates (24.1/100K). Most dangerous: Oakland (1925.3/100K).
- →1,782 murders in 2024 — a rate of 4.5 per 100K residents.
- →Since 1979, California's violent crime rate has changed by -40%.
Violent Crime Rate
486.0
-4.1% YoY
Murder Rate
4.5
1,782 total
Property Crime Rate
2078.4
819,559 total
Population
39,431,263
2024
2024 Crime Breakdown
Violent Crime: 191,641
Murder1,782
Rape14,436
Robbery46,943
Aggravated Assault128,480
Property Crime: 819,559
Burglary120,573
Larceny-Theft530,422
Motor Vehicle Theft168,564
Violent Crime Rate Trend
Homicide Rate Trend
Violent Crime Breakdown (2024)
Most Dangerous Cities
| City | Violent Rate | Population |
|---|---|---|
| Oakland | 1925.3 | 435,042 |
| Commerce | 1448.0 | 11,464 |
| Red Bluff | 1277.1 | 14,329 |
| Compton | 1271.7 | 89,564 |
| Emeryville | 1231.2 | 12,671 |
| Stockton | 1145.8 | 319,069 |
| Barstow | 1108.1 | 24,817 |
| Eureka | 1016.3 | 25,485 |
| Victorville | 1015.6 | 140,309 |
| Oroville | 980.8 | 19,270 |
Safest Cities
| City | Violent Rate | Population |
|---|---|---|
| Palos Verdes Estates | 24.1 | 12,432 |
| San Marino | 33.9 | 11,816 |
| Canyon Lake | 45.0 | 11,100 |
| Orinda | 57.0 | 19,314 |
| Laguna Woods | 59.5 | 16,797 |
| Danville | 63.1 | 42,814 |
| Piedmont | 67.1 | 10,435 |
| Foster City | 69.4 | 31,680 |
| Imperial | 77.3 | 21,980 |
| Los Altos | 77.8 | 29,551 |
Crime Velocity — Which Cities Are Changing Fastest
Fastest Improving
Fastest Worsening
Velocity scores measure the direction and speed of crime changes. Negative = improving, positive = worsening. Full methodology →
Hate Crimes in California
2,365 incidents reported
Top bias motivations: Sexual Orientation (510), Race/Ethnicity (1)
Explore full hate crime data →All StatesSafest Cities in CaliforniaMost Dangerous in CaliforniaCompare CitiesArrest DataHate Crimes
Arrest Demographics (National)
The FBI publishes state-level total arrest counts but does not break down arrest demographics by race at the state level in the same detail as national data. For national arrest demographic patterns, see our dedicated pages:
Related Analysis
Source: FBI Crime Data Explorer. Rates per 100,000 residents. City data from Table 8.