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La Mesa vs San Francisco Crime Comparison

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

Full report: La Mesa crime rate · San Francisco crime rate

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Is La Mesa or San Francisco Safer?

According to crimebycity.com's analysis of FBI data, La Mesa is safer than San Francisco (Safety Score 47/100 vs 6/100), with a total crime rate of 1,794 per 100,000 versus 4,526 for San Francisco — 60% lower. La Mesa has lower rates in 6 of 7 crime categories.

The biggest difference is in robbery, where La Mesa has a 69% lower rate.

Note: San Francisco is 13.3x 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 SAFER than La Mesa, CA?

La Mesa — 5-Year Trend

Increasing Violent Decreasing Property Decreasing Total

San Francisco — 5-Year Trend

Decreasing Violent Decreasing Property Decreasing Total

La Mesa, CA

La Mesa, CA
Safety Score 47/100
Coverage 60,352
Total Crime Rate 1,794.5
Category Wins 6/7

San Francisco, CA

San Francisco, CA
Safety Score 6/100
Coverage 802,856
Total Crime Rate 4,525.6
Category Wins 1/7

Detailed Crime Rate Comparison

Crime Type La Mesa San Francisco Difference
Total Crime Rate 1,794.5 4,525.6 -2,731.1
Violent Crime Rate 415.9 596.5 -180.6
Murder Rate 6.6 4.4 +2.3
Rape Rate 13.3 34.9 -21.6
Robbery Rate 82.9 267.2 -184.3
Aggravated Assault Rate 313.2 290.1 +23.1
Property Crime Rate 1,378.6 3,929.1 -2,550.5
Burglary Rate 220.4 637.5 -417.1
Larceny-Theft Rate 896.4 2,618.9 -1,722.5
Motor Vehicle Theft Rate 261.8 672.7 -410.9

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

Moving from La Mesa, 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.

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Frequently Asked Questions

Is La Mesa or San Francisco safer?

La Mesa is safer with a total crime rate of 1,794 per 100K vs 4,526 for San Francisco — a 60% difference.

How do violent crime rates compare?

La Mesa has a violent crime rate of 415.9 per 100K while San Francisco has 596.5. La Mesa has lower violent crime.

About La Mesa, CA

La Mesa, "The Jewel of the Hills," is a city in San Diego County. Once home to a major stagecoach stop, it sits east of downtown San Diego, with a population exceeding 60,000. With a safety score of 47/100 and a population coverage of 60,352, La Mesa has a total crime rate of 1,794.5 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.

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