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La Palma vs San Diego Crime Comparison

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

Full report: La Palma crime rate · San Diego crime rate

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Is La Palma or San Diego Safer?

According to crimebycity.com's analysis of FBI data, La Palma is safer than San Diego (Safety Score 40/100 vs 38/100), with a total crime rate of 2,033 per 100,000 versus 2,082 for San Diego — 2% lower. La Palma has higher rates in 3 of 7 crime categories.

The biggest difference is in murder, where La Palma has a 100% lower rate.

Note: San Diego is 93.5x 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 Palma, CA?

La Palma — 5-Year Trend

Increasing Violent Decreasing Property Flat Total

San Diego — 5-Year Trend

Increasing Violent Decreasing Property Decreasing Total

La Palma, CA

Safety Score 40/100
Coverage 14,856
Total Crime Rate 2,032.9
Category Wins 3/7

San Diego, CA

San Diego, CA
Safety Score 38/100
Coverage 1,389,024
Total Crime Rate 2,082.4
Category Wins 4/7

Detailed Crime Rate Comparison

Crime Type La Palma San Diego Difference
Total Crime Rate 2,032.9 2,082.4 -49.6
Violent Crime Rate 208.7 412.4 -203.7
Murder Rate 0.0 2.5 -2.5
Rape Rate 26.9 21.4 +5.6
Robbery Rate 80.8 77.4 +3.4
Aggravated Assault Rate 101.0 310.9 -210.0
Property Crime Rate 1,824.2 1,670.0 +154.2
Burglary Rate 350.0 187.4 +162.6
Larceny-Theft Rate 1,204.9 1,087.1 +117.8
Motor Vehicle Theft Rate 269.3 395.5 -126.3

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

Moving from La Palma, CA to San Diego, 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 Palma or San Diego safer?

La Palma is safer with a total crime rate of 2,033 per 100K vs 2,082 for San Diego — a 2% difference.

How do violent crime rates compare?

La Palma has a violent crime rate of 208.7 per 100K while San Diego has 412.4. La Palma has lower violent crime.

About La Palma, CA

La Palma, originally a dairy farm community, is a small Orange County city. It's largely residential, with a diverse population of around 15,000 within its compact 1.8 square miles. With a safety score of 40/100 and a population coverage of 14,856, La Palma has a total crime rate of 2,032.9 per 100,000 residents.

About San Diego, CA

San Diego, California, a major port city with a significant Hispanic population, sits on the Pacific Ocean just north of the Mexican border. Known for its mild climate and Balboa Park, it's also home to a large naval presence. With a safety score of 38/100 and a population coverage of 1,389,024, San Diego has a total crime rate of 2,082.4 per 100,000 residents.

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