Lafayette vs Santa Monica Crime Comparison
Is Lafayette or Santa Monica Safer?
Lafayette is the safer city, with a total crime rate 3% lower than Santa Monica based on 2024 FBI data. Lafayette has lower rates in 5 of 7 crime categories.
The biggest difference is in murder, where Santa Monica has a 70% lower rate.
Lafayette, LA
Safety Score
1/100
Population
121,471
Total Crime Rate
5,413.6
Category Wins
5/7
Santa Monica, CA
Safety Score
1/100
Population
88,948
Total Crime Rate
5,572.9
Category Wins
2/7
Detailed Crime Rate Comparison
| Crime Type | Lafayette | Santa Monica | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total Crime Rate | 5,413.6 | 5,572.9 | -159.3 |
| Violent Crime Rate | 1,066.1 | 782.5 | +283.6 |
| Murder Rate | 14.8 | 4.5 | +10.3 |
| Rape Rate | 33.8 | 72.0 | -38.2 |
| Robbery Rate | 69.2 | 202.4 | -133.2 |
| Aggravated Assault Rate | 948.4 | 499.2 | +449.2 |
| Property Crime Rate | 4,347.5 | 4,790.4 | -442.9 |
| Burglary Rate | 661.1 | 848.8 | -187.8 |
| Larceny-Theft Rate | 3,227.9 | 3,382.9 | -155.0 |
| Motor Vehicle Theft Rate | 458.6 | 558.8 | -100.2 |
All rates per 100,000 residents. Source: FBI UCR 2024.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Lafayette or Santa Monica safer?
Lafayette is safer with a total crime rate of 5,414 per 100K vs 5,573 for Santa Monica — a 3% difference.
How do violent crime rates compare?
Lafayette has a violent crime rate of 1,066.1 per 100K while Santa Monica has 782.5. Santa Monica has lower violent crime.