Share

New York City vs Santa Maria Crime Comparison

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

Full report: New York City crime rate · Santa Maria crime rate

Moving from New York City, NY to Santa Maria, CA?

An out-of-state move adds a new driver's license, plates, voter registration and state-specific deadlines. The Moving Checklist Planner dates every task from your move-in day — seven tabs for Google Sheets or Excel, $12 once.

Get the planner →

Is New York City or Santa Maria Safer?

According to crimebycity.com's analysis of FBI data, Santa Maria is safer than New York City (Safety Score 28/100 vs 19/100), with a total crime rate of 2,543 per 100,000 versus 3,040 for New York City — 16% lower. New York City has higher rates in 2 of 7 crime categories.

The biggest difference is in murder, where Santa Maria has a 30% lower rate.

Note: New York City is 75.4x 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 New York City, NY?

New York City — 5-Year Trend

Increasing Violent Increasing Property Increasing Total

Santa Maria — 5-Year Trend

Increasing Violent Increasing Property Increasing Total

New York City, NY

New York City, NY
Safety Score 19/100
Coverage 8,299,271
Total Crime Rate 3,039.7
Category Wins 2/7

Santa Maria, CA

Santa Maria, CA
Safety Score 28/100
Coverage 110,056
Total Crime Rate 2,543.3
Category Wins 5/7

Detailed Crime Rate Comparison

Crime Type New York City Santa Maria Difference
Total Crime Rate 3,039.7 2,543.3 +496.5
Violent Crime Rate 671.4 660.6 +10.9
Murder Rate 3.9 2.7 +1.2
Rape Rate 23.4 68.2 -44.7
Robbery Rate 187.5 173.6 +13.9
Aggravated Assault Rate 456.2 416.2 +40.1
Property Crime Rate 2,368.3 1,882.7 +485.6
Burglary Rate 154.7 312.6 -157.8
Larceny-Theft Rate 2,015.0 1,149.4 +865.6
Motor Vehicle Theft Rate 198.5 420.7 -222.2

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

Moving from New York City, NY to Santa Maria, CA?

An out-of-state move adds new driver's license, plates, voter registration and deadlines that differ by state. The Moving Checklist Planner dates every task from your move-in day — seven tabs for Google Sheets or Excel, $12 once.

Get the planner →

Frequently Asked Questions

Is New York City or Santa Maria safer?

Santa Maria is safer with a total crime rate of 2,543 per 100K vs 3,040 for New York City — a 16% difference.

How do violent crime rates compare?

New York City has a violent crime rate of 671.4 per 100K while Santa Maria has 660.6. Santa Maria has lower violent crime.

About New York City, NY

New York City, a global financial hub, sits at the mouth of the Hudson River. Home to the iconic Statue of Liberty, its five boroughs house over 8 million people, making it the most populous city in the United States. With a safety score of 19/100 and a population coverage of 8,299,271, New York City has a total crime rate of 3,039.7 per 100,000 residents.

About Santa Maria, CA

Santa Maria, California, a city in northern Santa Barbara County, is known for its barbecue and wine industry. It is the most populous city in the county, with a diverse, predominantly Hispanic population. With a safety score of 28/100 and a population coverage of 110,056, Santa Maria has a total crime rate of 2,543.3 per 100,000 residents.

More Crime Rate Comparisons