Violent
Property
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Quick answer
According to crimebycity.com's analysis of FBI 2024 crime data, Santa Cruz, CA has a Safety Score of 17/100 — higher crime than 83% of US cities — with a total crime rate of 3,128.2 per 100,000 residents, ranking #2,459 of 2,971 US cities and #216 of 264 in California.
Safety Score
Violent Crime Rate
Property Crime Rate
Is Santa Cruz, California Safe?
Santa Cruz, California, a coastal city known for its historic Beach Boardwalk, sits on Monterey Bay. It's home to a significant student population, including the University of California, Santa Cruz.
Santa Cruz has a safety score of 17/100 (High Crime). Based on FBI data for 2024, the city reported a total crime rate of 3,128.2 per 100,000 residents, compared to the national average of 2,752.3 per 100,000.
Santa Cruz ranks #216 out of 264 cities in California and #2459 out of 2971 nationally (safest first). This places it in the 17th percentile for safety — with higher crime than 83% of US cities.
The most elevated crime category in Santa Cruz is aggravated assault, at 463.0 per 100K — 1.4x the national average. Conversely, motor vehicle theft is relatively low at just 0.4x the national rate.
Year over year, Santa Cruz's total crime rate increased by 0.8%, with violent crime declining 8.1%.
Photo: Wikimedia Commons
Santa Cruz Crime Statistics Breakdown (2024)
| Crime Type | Incidents | Rate per 100K | National Avg |
|---|---|---|---|
| Violent Crime | 376 | 612.9 | 473.3 |
| Murder | 3 | 4.9 | 6.2 |
| Rape | 26 | 42.4 | 43.4 |
| Robbery | 63 | 102.7 | 93.0 |
| Aggravated Assault | 284 | 463.0 | 330.0 |
| Property Crime | 1,543 | 2,515.2 | 2,279.1 |
| Burglary | 83 | 135.3 | 287.8 |
| Larceny-Theft | 1,363 | 2,221.8 | 1,638.9 |
| Motor Vehicle Theft | 97 | 158.1 | 352.4 |
| Arson | 0 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
Santa Cruz vs California Average
How does Santa Cruz's crime rate compare to the California state average?
| Metric | Santa Cruz | California Avg | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Violent Crime Rate | 612.9 | 518.0 | +18.3% |
| Property Crime Rate | 2,515.2 | 2,161.3 | +16.4% |
| Murder Rate | 4.9 | 4.4 | +11.1% |
| Total Crime Rate | 3,128.2 | 2,679.3 | +16.8% |
Santa Cruz Crime Rate Trends
Year-over-year crime rate changes for Santa Cruz, California.
| Year | Coverage | Total Crime Rate | Violent Crime Rate | Property Crime Rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 61,346 | 3,128.2 | 612.9 | 2,515.2 |
| 2023 | 61,754 | 3,102.6 | 667.2 | 2,435.5 |
| 2022 | 61,650 | 4,335.8 | 725.1 | 3,610.7 |
| 2020 | 65,073 | 3,912.5 | 474.9 | 3,437.7 |
| 2019 | 65,263 | 5,088.6 | 596.1 | 4,492.6 |
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Santa Cruz, California safe?
Santa Cruz has a safety score of 17/100, meaning it has less crime than about 17% of US cities in our FBI dataset. With a total crime rate of 3,128.2 per 100,000 residents in 2024, Santa Cruz is among the highest-crime US cities.
What is the crime rate in Santa Cruz, California?
According to FBI data for 2024, Santa Cruz has a violent crime rate of 612.9 per 100,000 and a property crime rate of 2,515.2 per 100,000 residents.
How does Santa Cruz compare to the national average?
Santa Cruz's total crime rate of 3,128.2 per 100,000 can be compared to the national average. The data covers 61,346 residents.
What types of crime are most common in Santa Cruz?
Based on FBI 2024 data, the most reported crimes in Santa Cruz include larceny-theft, aggravated assault, and burglary. Property crime is generally more common than violent crime.
Is Santa Cruz safe to visit?
Like any city, Santa Cruz has areas that are safer than others. The city's overall safety score is 17/100 based on FBI crime data. Standard travel precautions are recommended.