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Los Angeles vs Palo Alto Crime Comparison

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

Full report: Los Angeles crime rate · Palo Alto crime rate

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Is Los Angeles or Palo Alto Safer?

According to crimebycity.com's analysis of FBI data, Los Angeles is safer than Palo Alto (Safety Score 35/100 vs 16/100), with a total crime rate of 2,212 per 100,000 versus 3,245 for Palo Alto — 32% lower. Los Angeles has higher rates in 2 of 7 crime categories.

The biggest difference is in murder, where Palo Alto has a 78% lower rate.

Note: Los Angeles is 58.3x 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 MORE DANGEROUS than Los Angeles, CA?

Los Angeles — 5-Year Trend

Flat Violent Decreasing Property Decreasing Total

Palo Alto — 5-Year Trend

Increasing Violent Flat Property Flat Total

Los Angeles, CA

Los Angeles, CA
Safety Score 35/100
Coverage 3,796,352
Total Crime Rate 2,212.5
Category Wins 2/7

Palo Alto, CA

Palo Alto, CA
Safety Score 16/100
Coverage 65,079
Total Crime Rate 3,245.3
Category Wins 5/7

Detailed Crime Rate Comparison

Crime Type Los Angeles Palo Alto Difference
Total Crime Rate 2,212.5 3,245.3 -1,032.8
Violent Crime Rate 728.5 212.1 +516.5
Murder Rate 7.0 1.5 +5.4
Rape Rate 40.3 38.4 +1.9
Robbery Rate 209.9 53.8 +156.1
Aggravated Assault Rate 471.4 118.3 +353.1
Property Crime Rate 1,483.9 3,033.2 -1,549.3
Burglary Rate 372.8 225.9 +146.9
Larceny-Theft Rate 851.5 2,623.0 -1,771.5
Motor Vehicle Theft Rate 259.6 184.4 +75.3

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

Moving from Los Angeles, CA to Palo Alto, 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 Los Angeles or Palo Alto safer?

Los Angeles is safer with a total crime rate of 2,212 per 100K vs 3,245 for Palo Alto — a 32% difference.

How do violent crime rates compare?

Los Angeles has a violent crime rate of 728.5 per 100K while Palo Alto has 212.1. Palo Alto has lower violent crime.

About Los Angeles, CA

Los Angeles, a sprawling Southern California metropolis, is a major Pacific Rim gateway, home to Hollywood's film industry. Its diverse population of nearly 4 million people resides across a vast urban landscape bordered by mountains and the Pacific Ocean. With a safety score of 35/100 and a population coverage of 3,796,352, Los Angeles has a total crime rate of 2,212.5 per 100,000 residents.

About Palo Alto, CA

Palo Alto, at the southern end of the San Francisco Bay, is a wealthy Silicon Valley hub home to Stanford University. Its residents are highly educated, with a significant portion holding advanced degrees. With a safety score of 16/100 and a population coverage of 65,079, Palo Alto has a total crime rate of 3,245.3 per 100,000 residents.

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