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Santa Cruz, CA has a F safety grade (0/100) with a violent crime rate of 613 per 100,000 — 768% above the national average.
FBI UCR 2024 Per-capita rates FBI UCR + NIBRS
Santa Cruz, CA Crime Rate & Safety
Violent and property crime rates per 100,000 residents, drawn directly from FBI Uniform Crime Reporting data. Compare against state and national averages.
Crime data sourced from the FBI Uniform Crime Reporting program, covering violent crime, property crime, and individual offense categories. Safety grades reflect a composite analysis of violent and property crime rates benchmarked against national averages. For context on how crime statistics are collected and what they mean for community safety, read our guide to understanding FBI crime data.
Is Santa Cruz, CA safe? Santa Cruz has a violent crime rate of 612.9 per 100,000 residents in 2024, according to FBI Uniform Crime Report (UCR) data — 768% higher than the national average and 29% above the California average. The city receives a safety grade of F (High Risk). Property crime rate: 2515.2/100K. Population: 61,346.
FBI UCR Data Snapshot: Santa Cruz, CA
Santa Cruz, CA — reporting population 61,346 in 2024 — recorded 376 violent crimes and 1,543 property crimes in the FBI Uniform Crime Reporting (UCR) Program's Table 8 city-level submissions. The city's violent crime rate works out to 612.9 per 100,000 residents, while the property crime rate reaches 2515.2 per 100,000. Combining those two rates against national benchmarks yields a composite safety grade of F (High Risk), scoring 0 out of 100.
Within the violent crime count, aggravated assault accounted for 284 incidents, robbery 63, murder 3, and rape 26 in 2024. Property crime splits into larceny-theft (1,363), burglary (83), motor vehicle theft (97), and arson (46). Larceny-theft and other property offenses typically dominate city crime counts, and larceny-theft leads Santa Cruz's mix at 71.0% of all Part I offenses.
Against the national violent crime average, Santa Cruz runs 768% above the US benchmark, and 29% above the California statewide rate. Translated to per-capita risk, the 2024 figures imply roughly a 1 in 32 statistical chance of being named in a crime report that year, narrowing to 1 in 163 for a violent offense. UCR figures reflect offenses reported to and submitted by local law enforcement and may undercount unreported crime.
Is Santa Cruz, CA Safe? Safety Assessment
Based on 2024 FBI crime data, Santa Cruz, CA receives a safety grade of F (High Risk) with a composite safety score of 0/100. Violent crime is 768% above the national average, indicating substantially higher risk than most US cities.
Your statistical chance of being a crime victim in Santa Cruz is approximately 1 in 32 , with a 1 in 163 chance of being a violent crime victim. The most common crime type is larceny-theft, accounting for 71% of all reported offenses.
Safety assessments are based on FBI UCR reported crime statistics. Actual safety varies by neighborhood, time of day, and individual circumstances. Crime reporting rates differ across jurisdictions.
Safety Overview
Safety Grade
F
High Risk
Score: 0/100
Violent Crime Rate
612.9/100K
violent crimes per 100K residents
+768% vs US
Property Crime Rate
2515.2/100K
property crimes per 100K residents
+633% vs US
Total Crimes
1,919
reported in 2024
Population
61,346
2024 Census-based estimate
Crime Breakdown (2024)
| Category | Count | Rate /100K |
|---|---|---|
| Violent Crime | 376 | 612.9 |
| Murder | 3 | 4.9 |
| Rape | 26 | 42.4 |
| Robbery | 63 | 102.7 |
| Aggravated Assault | 284 | 462.9 |
| Property Crime | 1,543 | 2515.2 |
| Burglary | 83 | 135.3 |
| Larceny-Theft | 1,363 | 2221.8 |
| Motor Vehicle Theft | 97 | 158.1 |
| Arson | 46 | 75 |
Per-Capita Risk Assessment
Overall Crime Risk
1 in 32
Statistical chance of being a crime victim based on 2024 data
Violent Crime Risk
1 in 163
Statistical chance of being a violent crime victim
These are statistical averages based on reported crimes. Actual risk varies significantly by neighborhood, time of day, and individual circumstances.
Crime Type Distribution (2024)
Larceny-Theft 1,363 (71.0%)
Aggravated Assault 284 (14.8%)
Motor Vehicle Theft 97 (5.1%)
Burglary 83 (4.3%)
Robbery 63 (3.3%)
Arson 46 (2.4%)
Rape 26 (1.4%)
Murder 3 (0.2%)
Santa Cruz vs California vs National Average
Santa Cruz
Violent612.9/100K
Property2515.2/100K
GradeF
California
Violent476.8/100K
Property1985.9/100K
National Average
Violent70.6/100K
Property343.3/100K
Nearby Cities in California
Compare Santa Cruz against neighboring cities in the same state, or use our side-by-side compare tool to benchmark two cities directly.
Los Angeles
F Pop: 3,796,352
Violent: 728.5/100K
Property: 1483.9/100K
San Diego
F Pop: 1,389,024
Violent: 412.2/100K
Property: 1670/100K
San Jose
F Pop: 956,840
Violent: 606.8/100K
Property: 2587.9/100K
San Francisco
F Pop: 802,856
Violent: 596.5/100K
Property: 3929.1/100K
Fresno
F Pop: 546,722
Violent: 735.5/100K
Property: 3271.3/100K
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the crime rate in Santa Cruz, CA? ▼
Santa Cruz has a violent crime rate of 612.9 per 100,000 residents and a property crime rate of 2515.2 per 100,000, based on 2024 FBI UCR data.
Is Santa Cruz, CA safe? ▼
Santa Cruz receives a safety grade of F (High Risk), with a safety score of 0/100. The violent crime rate is 768% above the national average and 29% above the California average.
What is the population of Santa Cruz, CA? ▼
The reporting population for Santa Cruz is 61,346 as of 2024.
How many crimes were reported in Santa Cruz? ▼
In 2024, Santa Cruz reported 376 violent crimes and 1,543 property crimes, for a total of 1,919 reported offenses.
What are the odds of being a crime victim in Santa Cruz? ▼
Based on 2024 data, the statistical chance of being a crime victim in Santa Cruz is approximately 1 in 32, with a 1 in 163 chance of being a violent crime victim. These are statistical averages and actual risk varies by neighborhood and circumstance.
What is the most common crime in Santa Cruz? ▼
The most common crime type in Santa Cruz is larceny-theft, accounting for 71.0% of all reported crimes (1,363 incidents in 2024).
Understanding Crime Data
► ► ► ►
Understanding Crime Rates
How per-capita rates are calculated and what they mean
Violent vs Property Crime
Key differences between crime categories
FBI Crime Stats Explained
How the FBI collects and reports UCR data
Crime, Housing & Schools
How safety connects to housing costs and school quality
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Rent Prices in CA →
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Schools in Santa Cruz →
School ratings, test scores & demographics
Cost of Living →
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Environmental Data for CA →
Toxic releases & environmental quality
Hospitals in CA →
Hospital quality ratings & patient safety
Natural Hazards in CA →
Disaster history & national storm events
Compare CA Metros →
Cross-data metro comparison tool
Road Safety in CA →
Traffic fatality data by county
Data as of 2024. Source: FBI Uniform Crime Reporting (UCR) Program.
Crime rates are calculated per 100,000 population. Not all agencies report complete data. FBI Crime in the United States (CIUS) Table 8. Population figures referenced from U.S. Census Bureau estimates where noted; state-level comparisons cross-check against state UCR programs. Verify with FBI.gov UCR, Census.gov QuickFacts, and HUD.gov fair-market rents.
Disclaimer: This information is provided for informational purposes only and does not constitute professional advice. Data is sourced from the FBI Uniform Crime Reporting (UCR) Program. Consult a qualified professional before making decisions based on this data.
Read our methodology — how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.
All federal data sources used on this page
- FBI Uniform Crime Reporting (UCR) Program — Summary Reporting System + National Incident-Based Reporting System (NIBRS). fbi.gov/ucr
- FBI Crime Data Explorer (CDE) — current-vintage UCR/NIBRS data API. cde.ucr.cjis.gov
- Bureau of Justice Statistics (BJS) — National Crime Victimization Survey, contextual statistics. bjs.ojp.gov
- U.S. Census Bureau ACS — population denominators for rate calculations. census.gov/programs-surveys/acs
- CDC WONDER — injury and mortality reference for homicide rate context. wonder.cdc.gov
- FBI Hate Crime Statistics — annual hate-crime reports. justice.gov/hatecrimes
Federal data Last updated 2026 Free public data
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