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Quick answer
According to crimebycity.com's analysis of FBI crime data, Palo Alto, CA has a Safety Score of 16/100 — higher crime than 84% of US cities — with a total crime rate of 3,245.3 per 100,000 residents, ranking #2,493 of 2,957 US cities and #223 of 264 in California.
Quiz: which of these is SAFER than Palo Alto, CA?
Safety Score
Violent Crime Rate
Property Crime Rate
Is Palo Alto, California Safe?
Palo Alto, at the southern end of the San Francisco Bay, is a wealthy Silicon Valley hub home to Stanford University. Its residents are highly educated, with a significant portion holding advanced degrees.
Palo Alto has a safety score of 16/100 (High Crime). Based on FBI data, the city reported a total crime rate of 3,245.3 per 100,000 residents, compared to the national average of 2,785.9 per 100,000.
Palo Alto ranks #223 out of 264 cities in California and #2493 out of 2957 nationally (safest first). This places it in the 16th percentile for safety — with higher crime than 84% of US cities.
The most elevated crime category in Palo Alto is larceny-theft, at 2,623.0 per 100K — 1.6x the national average. Conversely, murder is relatively low at just 0.2x the national rate.
Year over year, Palo Alto's total crime rate increased by 7.7%, with violent crime rising 1.9%.
Photo: Wikimedia Commons
Palo Alto Crime Statistics Breakdown
| Crime Type | Incidents | Rate per 100K | National Avg |
|---|---|---|---|
| Violent Crime | 138 | 212.1 | 478.2 |
| Murder | 1 | 1.5 | 6.3 |
| Rape | 25 | 38.4 | 43.8 |
| Robbery | 35 | 53.8 | 94.0 |
| Aggravated Assault | 77 | 118.3 | 333.5 |
| Property Crime | 1,974 | 3,033.2 | 2,307.7 |
| Burglary | 147 | 225.9 | 292.0 |
| Larceny-Theft | 1,707 | 2,623.0 | 1,657.7 |
| Motor Vehicle Theft | 120 | 184.4 | 358.0 |
| Arson | 0 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
Palo Alto vs California Average
How does Palo Alto's crime rate compare to the California state average?
| Metric | Palo Alto | California Avg | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Violent Crime Rate | 212.1 | 518.0 | -59.1% |
| Property Crime Rate | 3,033.2 | 2,161.3 | +40.3% |
| Murder Rate | 1.5 | 4.4 | -65.0% |
| Total Crime Rate | 3,245.3 | 2,679.3 | +21.1% |
Palo Alto Crime Rate Trends
Year-over-year crime rate changes for Palo Alto, California.
| Year | Coverage | Total Crime Rate | Violent Crime Rate | Property Crime Rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 65,079 | 3,245.3 | 212.1 | 3,033.2 |
| 2023 | 64,855 | 3,012.9 | 208.2 | 2,804.7 |
| 2022 | 64,922 | 3,253.1 | 212.6 | 3,040.6 |
| 2020 | 65,459 | 3,073.7 | 123.7 | 2,949.9 |
| 2019 | 66,938 | 3,090.9 | 128.5 | 2,962.4 |
Palo Alto Crime Map — Surrounding Area
City-level crime rates from FBI data for Palo Alto 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 Palo Alto, California safe?
Palo Alto has a safety score of 16/100, meaning it has less crime than about 16% of US cities in our FBI dataset. With a total crime rate of 3,245.3 per 100,000 residents in 2024, Palo Alto is among the highest-crime US cities.
What is the crime rate in Palo Alto, California?
According to FBI data for 2024, Palo Alto has a violent crime rate of 212.1 per 100,000 and a property crime rate of 3,033.2 per 100,000 residents.
How does Palo Alto compare to the national average?
Palo Alto's total crime rate of 3,245.3 per 100,000 can be compared to the national average. The data covers 65,079 residents.
What types of crime are most common in Palo Alto?
Based on FBI 2024 data, the most reported crimes in Palo Alto are larceny-theft (1,707 reported incidents) and burglary (147 reported incidents). Property crime outnumbers violent crime 14.3x in the city.
Is Palo Alto safe to visit?
Like any city, Palo Alto has areas that are safer than others. The city's overall safety score is 16/100 based on FBI crime data. Standard travel precautions are recommended.