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Quick answer
According to crimebycity.com's analysis of FBI crime data, El Cerrito, CA has a Safety Score of 12/100 — higher crime than 88% of US cities — with a total crime rate of 3,524.2 per 100,000 residents, ranking #2,590 of 2,957 US cities and #232 of 264 in California.
Quiz: which of these is SAFER than El Cerrito, CA?
Safety Score
Violent Crime Rate
Property Crime Rate
Is El Cerrito, California Safe?
El Cerrito, a city in the East Bay, was incorporated in 1917 to prevent annexation by Richmond. Situated on the slopes above San Francisco Bay, it's a diverse community with a significant Asian population.
El Cerrito has a safety score of 12/100 (High Crime). Based on FBI data, the city reported a total crime rate of 3,524.2 per 100,000 residents, compared to the national average of 2,785.9 per 100,000.
El Cerrito ranks #232 out of 264 cities in California and #2590 out of 2957 nationally (safest first). This places it in the 12th percentile for safety — with higher crime than 88% of US cities.
The most elevated crime category in El Cerrito is robbery, at 287.1 per 100K — 3.1x the national average. Conversely, murder is relatively low at just 0.0x the national rate.
Year over year, El Cerrito's total crime rate decreased by 20.5%, with violent crime declining 1.7%.
Photo: Wikimedia Commons
El Cerrito Crime Statistics Breakdown
| Crime Type | Incidents | Rate per 100K | National Avg |
|---|---|---|---|
| Violent Crime | 122 | 479.9 | 478.2 |
| Murder | 0 | 0.0 | 6.3 |
| Rape | 4 | 15.7 | 43.8 |
| Robbery | 73 | 287.1 | 94.0 |
| Aggravated Assault | 45 | 177.0 | 333.5 |
| Property Crime | 774 | 3,044.4 | 2,307.7 |
| Burglary | 86 | 338.3 | 292.0 |
| Larceny-Theft | 573 | 2,253.8 | 1,657.7 |
| Motor Vehicle Theft | 115 | 452.3 | 358.0 |
| Arson | 0 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
El Cerrito vs California Average
How does El Cerrito's crime rate compare to the California state average?
| Metric | El Cerrito | California Avg | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Violent Crime Rate | 479.9 | 518.0 | -7.4% |
| Property Crime Rate | 3,044.4 | 2,161.3 | +40.9% |
| Murder Rate | 0.0 | 4.4 | -100.0% |
| Total Crime Rate | 3,524.2 | 2,679.3 | +31.5% |
El Cerrito Crime Rate Trends
Year-over-year crime rate changes for El Cerrito, California.
| Year | Coverage | Total Crime Rate | Violent Crime Rate | Property Crime Rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 25,424 | 3,524.2 | 479.9 | 3,044.4 |
| 2023 | 25,393 | 4,434.3 | 488.3 | 3,946.0 |
| 2022 | 25,718 | 4,487.1 | 431.6 | 4,055.5 |
| 2021 | 25,585 | 2,145.8 | 215.0 | 1,930.8 |
| 2020 | 25,725 | 4,062.2 | 443.2 | 3,619.1 |
| 2019 | 25,857 | 5,615.5 | 587.9 | 5,027.7 |
El Cerrito Crime Map — Surrounding Area
City-level crime rates from FBI data for El Cerrito and nearby cities — green is safer, red is higher-crime; circle size is population. Not an incident-level map. Full state view: California crime map.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is El Cerrito, California safe?
El Cerrito has a safety score of 12/100, meaning it has less crime than about 12% of US cities in our FBI dataset. With a total crime rate of 3,524.2 per 100,000 residents in 2024, El Cerrito is among the highest-crime US cities.
What is the crime rate in El Cerrito, California?
According to FBI data for 2024, El Cerrito has a violent crime rate of 479.9 per 100,000 and a property crime rate of 3,044.4 per 100,000 residents.
How does El Cerrito compare to the national average?
El Cerrito's total crime rate of 3,524.2 per 100,000 can be compared to the national average. The data covers 25,424 residents.
What types of crime are most common in El Cerrito?
Based on FBI 2024 data, the most reported crimes in El Cerrito are larceny-theft (573 reported incidents) and motor vehicle theft (115 reported incidents). Property crime outnumbers violent crime 6.3x in the city.
Is El Cerrito safe to visit?
Like any city, El Cerrito has areas that are safer than others. The city's overall safety score is 12/100 based on FBI crime data. Standard travel precautions are recommended.