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Novato vs San Francisco Crime Comparison

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

Full report: Novato crime rate · San Francisco crime rate

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Is Novato or San Francisco Safer?

According to crimebycity.com's analysis of FBI data, Novato is safer than San Francisco (Safety Score 53/100 vs 6/100), with a total crime rate of 1,608 per 100,000 versus 4,526 for San Francisco — 64% lower. Novato has lower rates in 7 of 7 crime categories.

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

Note: San Francisco is 15.7x 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 Novato, CA?

Novato — 5-Year Trend

Flat Violent Decreasing Property Decreasing Total

San Francisco — 5-Year Trend

Decreasing Violent Decreasing Property Decreasing Total

Novato, CA

Novato, CA
Safety Score 53/100
Coverage 51,258
Total Crime Rate 1,607.6
Category Wins 7/7

San Francisco, CA

San Francisco, CA
Safety Score 6/100
Coverage 802,856
Total Crime Rate 4,525.6
Category Wins 0/7

Detailed Crime Rate Comparison

Crime Type Novato San Francisco Difference
Total Crime Rate 1,607.6 4,525.6 -2,918.0
Violent Crime Rate 253.6 596.5 -342.9
Murder Rate 0.0 4.4 -4.4
Rape Rate 33.2 34.9 -1.7
Robbery Rate 46.8 267.2 -220.4
Aggravated Assault Rate 173.6 290.1 -116.5
Property Crime Rate 1,353.9 3,929.1 -2,575.2
Burglary Rate 78.0 637.5 -559.4
Larceny-Theft Rate 1,114.0 2,618.9 -1,504.9
Motor Vehicle Theft Rate 161.9 672.7 -510.8

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

Moving from Novato, 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.

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Frequently Asked Questions

Is Novato or San Francisco safer?

Novato is safer with a total crime rate of 1,608 per 100K vs 4,526 for San Francisco — a 64% difference.

How do violent crime rates compare?

Novato has a violent crime rate of 253.6 per 100K while San Francisco has 596.5. Novato has lower violent crime.

About Novato, CA

Novato, a Marin County city, was once home to Hamilton Air Force Base. Today, its diverse population of over 50,000 resides in a landscape dotted with wetlands and rolling hills. With a safety score of 53/100 and a population coverage of 51,258, Novato has a total crime rate of 1,607.6 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.

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