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Quick answer
According to crimebycity.com's analysis of FBI crime data, Santa Ana, CA has a Safety Score of 35/100 — higher crime than 65% of US cities — with a total crime rate of 2,195.6 per 100,000 residents, ranking #1,909 of 2,957 US cities and #146 of 264 in California.
Quiz: which of these is MORE DANGEROUS than Santa Ana, CA?
Safety Score
Violent Crime Rate
Property Crime Rate
Is Santa Ana, California Safe?
Santa Ana, the seat of Orange County, sits along the Santa Ana River. Its historic downtown, including the Yost Theater, reflects its rich past. Over 75% of its diverse population identifies as Hispanic or Latino.
Santa Ana has a safety score of 35/100 (Higher Crime Than Average). Based on FBI data, the city reported a total crime rate of 2,195.6 per 100,000 residents, compared to the national average of 2,785.9 per 100,000.
Santa Ana ranks #146 out of 264 cities in California and #1909 out of 2957 nationally (safest first). This places it in the 35th percentile for safety — with higher crime than 65% of US cities.
The most elevated crime category in Santa Ana is rape, at 52.5 per 100K — 1.2x the national average. Conversely, larceny-theft is relatively low at just 0.7x the national rate.
Year over year, Santa Ana's total crime rate decreased by 14%, with violent crime declining 11.4%.
Photo: Wikimedia Commons
Santa Ana Crime Statistics Breakdown
| Crime Type | Incidents | Rate per 100K | National Avg |
|---|---|---|---|
| Violent Crime | 1,531 | 493.4 | 478.2 |
| Murder | 15 | 4.8 | 6.3 |
| Rape | 163 | 52.5 | 43.8 |
| Robbery | 329 | 106.0 | 94.0 |
| Aggravated Assault | 1,023 | 329.7 | 333.5 |
| Property Crime | 5,282 | 1,702.2 | 2,307.7 |
| Burglary | 700 | 225.6 | 292.0 |
| Larceny-Theft | 3,601 | 1,160.5 | 1,657.7 |
| Motor Vehicle Theft | 981 | 316.1 | 358.0 |
| Arson | 0 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
Santa Ana vs California Average
How does Santa Ana's crime rate compare to the California state average?
| Metric | Santa Ana | California Avg | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Violent Crime Rate | 493.4 | 518.0 | -4.8% |
| Property Crime Rate | 1,702.2 | 2,161.3 | -21.2% |
| Murder Rate | 4.8 | 4.4 | +9.8% |
| Total Crime Rate | 2,195.6 | 2,679.3 | -18.1% |
Santa Ana Crime Rate Trends
Year-over-year crime rate changes for Santa Ana, California.
Between 2019 and 2024, Santa Ana's total crime rate is down 11% (2,476 → 2,196 per 100,000). Violent crime is up 13% and property crime down 17% over the same period; the worst year in this window was 2023 at 2,553 per 100,000.
| Year | Coverage | Total Crime Rate | Violent Crime Rate | Property Crime Rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 310,304 | 2,195.6 | 493.4 | 1,702.2 |
| 2023 | 307,327 | 2,552.7 | 556.7 | 1,995.9 |
| 2022 | 308,995 | 2,103.6 | 390.6 | 1,713.0 |
| 2020 | 333,107 | 2,508.2 | 429.0 | 2,079.2 |
| 2019 | 333,664 | 2,475.8 | 435.5 | 2,040.4 |
Santa Ana Crime Map — Surrounding Area
City-level crime rates from FBI data for Santa Ana 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 Santa Ana, California safe?
Santa Ana has a safety score of 35/100, meaning it has less crime than about 35% of US cities in our FBI dataset. With a total crime rate of 2,195.6 per 100,000 residents in 2024, Santa Ana is higher-crime than most US cities.
What is the crime rate in Santa Ana, California?
According to FBI data for 2024, Santa Ana has a violent crime rate of 493.4 per 100,000 and a property crime rate of 1,702.2 per 100,000 residents.
How does Santa Ana compare to the national average?
Santa Ana's total crime rate of 2,195.6 per 100,000 can be compared to the national average. The data covers 310,304 residents.
What types of crime are most common in Santa Ana?
Based on FBI 2024 data, the most reported crimes in Santa Ana are larceny-theft (3,601 reported incidents) and aggravated assault (1,023 reported incidents). Property crime outnumbers violent crime 3.5x in the city.
How many murders were reported in Santa Ana in 2024?
15 murders were reported to the FBI for Santa Ana in 2024 — a homicide rate of 4.8 per 100,000 residents.
Is crime in Santa Ana going up or down?
Santa Ana's total crime rate is falling: 11% lower in 2024 than in 2019 (2,196 vs 2,476 per 100,000, FBI data).
Is Santa Ana safe to visit?
Like any city, Santa Ana has areas that are safer than others. The city's overall safety score is 35/100 based on FBI crime data. Standard travel precautions are recommended.