Share

National City vs San Francisco Crime Comparison

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

Full report: National City crime rate · San Francisco crime rate

Moving from National City, 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 National City or San Francisco Safer?

According to crimebycity.com's analysis of FBI data, National City is safer than San Francisco (Safety Score 26/100 vs 6/100), with a total crime rate of 2,635 per 100,000 versus 4,526 for San Francisco — 42% lower. National City has lower rates in 5 of 7 crime categories.

The biggest difference is in property crime, where National City has a 51% lower rate.

Note: San Francisco is 14.6x 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 National City, CA?

National City — 5-Year Trend

Increasing Violent Increasing Property Increasing Total

San Francisco — 5-Year Trend

Decreasing Violent Decreasing Property Decreasing Total

National City, CA

National City, CA
Safety Score 26/100
Coverage 54,915
Total Crime Rate 2,635.0
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 National City San Francisco Difference
Total Crime Rate 2,635.0 4,525.6 -1,890.6
Violent Crime Rate 695.6 596.5 +99.1
Murder Rate 7.3 4.4 +2.9
Rape Rate 29.1 34.9 -5.7
Robbery Rate 222.2 267.2 -45.0
Aggravated Assault Rate 437.0 290.1 +147.0
Property Crime Rate 1,939.4 3,929.1 -1,989.7
Burglary Rate 242.2 637.5 -395.3
Larceny-Theft Rate 1,039.8 2,618.9 -1,579.1
Motor Vehicle Theft Rate 657.4 672.7 -15.3

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

Moving from National City, 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 National City or San Francisco safer?

National City is safer with a total crime rate of 2,635 per 100K vs 4,526 for San Francisco — a 42% difference.

How do violent crime rates compare?

National City has a violent crime rate of 695.6 per 100K while San Francisco has 596.5. San Francisco has lower violent crime.

About National City, CA

National City, San Diego County's second-oldest city, boasts a historic mile-long pier. This diverse South Bay community, bordering San Diego, is home to a significant Filipino population. With a safety score of 26/100 and a population coverage of 54,915, National City has a total crime rate of 2,635.0 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