Share

East Palo Alto vs San Francisco Crime Comparison

Side-by-side crime rates, safety scores, and trends based on FBI data.

Full report: East Palo Alto crime rate · San Francisco crime rate

Moving from East Palo Alto, CA to San Francisco, CA?

The Moving Checklist Planner turns your move-in date into a dated checklist, packing inventory and budget — seven tabs for Google Sheets or Excel, $12 once.

Get the planner →

Is East Palo Alto or San Francisco Safer?

According to crimebycity.com's analysis of FBI data, East Palo Alto is safer than San Francisco (Safety Score 28/100 vs 6/100), with a total crime rate of 2,527 per 100,000 versus 4,526 for San Francisco — 44% lower. East Palo Alto has lower rates in 5 of 7 crime categories.

The biggest difference is in property crime, where East Palo Alto has a 51% lower rate.

Note: San Francisco is 29.0x larger by coverage, which can affect crime rate comparisons. Larger cities tend to report higher rates due to density and more comprehensive reporting.

Quiz: which of these is MORE DANGEROUS than East Palo Alto, CA?

East Palo Alto — 5-Year Trend

Increasing Violent Increasing Property Increasing Total

San Francisco — 5-Year Trend

Decreasing Violent Decreasing Property Decreasing Total

East Palo Alto, CA

East Palo Alto, CA
Safety Score 28/100
Coverage 27,663
Total Crime Rate 2,526.8
Category Wins 5/7

San Francisco, CA

San Francisco, CA
Safety Score 6/100
Coverage 802,856
Total Crime Rate 4,525.6
Category Wins 2/7

Detailed Crime Rate Comparison

Crime Type East Palo Alto San Francisco Difference
Total Crime Rate 2,526.8 4,525.6 -1,998.8
Violent Crime Rate 607.3 596.5 +10.8
Murder Rate 7.2 4.4 +2.9
Rape Rate 94.0 34.9 +59.1
Robbery Rate 213.3 267.2 -53.9
Aggravated Assault Rate 292.8 290.1 +2.7
Property Crime Rate 1,919.5 3,929.1 -2,009.6
Burglary Rate 108.5 637.5 -529.0
Larceny-Theft Rate 1,352.0 2,618.9 -1,266.9
Motor Vehicle Theft Rate 459.1 672.7 -213.6

All rates per 100,000 residents. Source: FBI UCR.

Moving from East Palo Alto, CA to San Francisco, CA?

The Moving Checklist Planner turns your move-in date into a dated checklist, packing inventory and budget — seven tabs for Google Sheets or Excel, $12 once.

Get the planner →

Frequently Asked Questions

Is East Palo Alto or San Francisco safer?

East Palo Alto is safer with a total crime rate of 2,527 per 100K vs 4,526 for San Francisco — a 44% difference.

How do violent crime rates compare?

East Palo Alto has a violent crime rate of 607.3 per 100K while San Francisco has 596.5. San Francisco has lower violent crime.

About East Palo Alto, CA

East Palo Alto, California, a city incorporated in 1983, sits on the San Francisco Bay's western shore. It is the only city in San Mateo County that primarily has a Black and Hispanic population. With a safety score of 28/100 and a population coverage of 27,663, East Palo Alto has a total crime rate of 2,526.8 per 100,000 residents.

About San Francisco, CA

San Francisco, a vibrant Northern California port city renowned for its iconic Golden Gate Bridge, spans a hilly peninsula. Home to a diverse population of nearly 850,000, it was a pivotal center of the counterculture movement in the 1960s. With a safety score of 6/100 and a population coverage of 802,856, San Francisco has a total crime rate of 4,525.6 per 100,000 residents.

More Crime Rate Comparisons