Most Dangerous Cities in California

Top 50 cities (≥10,000 pop) by highest FBI UCR violent crime rate per 100,000 · 2024. Lead: Oakland at 1925.3/100K.

FBI UCR Highest-Crime Snapshot: California

California lists 50 cities with 10,000+ population for 2024, spanning Oakland at 1925.3/100K violent down to Montclair at 644.1/100K on this highest-crime cut. That is a 1281.2/100K spread inside the elevated cohort alone, not a single statewide rate. Cohort average: 847.6 violent offenses per 100,000 residents.

Oakland reported 8,376 violent and 31,455 property offenses on a 435,042 reporting population in 2024. Property rate 7230.3/100K sits beside the 1925.3/100K violent rate. Top five on the table: Oakland, Commerce, Red Bluff, Compton, Emeryville.

Oakland offense desk

Oakland's 2024 violent book concentrates in aggravated assault (60% of 8,376 Part I violent offenses; mix index 4,881).

Oakland's violent rate fell 47.1% vs 2023 (3640.6 → 1925.3 per 100K) while staying #1 on this California highest-crime list.

Oakland violent offense mix (2024)

Mix index is HHI × 10,000 on Part I violent shares for the #1 city only, distinct from the per-100K ranking table.

# Grade City Population Violent Crime Rate Property Crime Rate
1 F Oakland 435,042 1925.3/100K 7230.3/100K
2 F Commerce 11,464 1448/100K 12360.4/100K
3 F Red Bluff 14,329 1277.1/100K 4250.1/100K
4 F Compton 89,564 1271.7/100K 3145.2/100K
5 F Emeryville 12,671 1231.2/100K 13487.5/100K
6 F Stockton 319,069 1145.8/100K 2639.6/100K
7 F Barstow 24,817 1108.1/100K 2639.3/100K
8 F Eureka 25,485 1016.3/100K 3170.5/100K
9 F Victorville 140,309 1015.6/100K 2128.9/100K
10 F Oroville 19,270 980.8/100K 3819.4/100K
11 F Richmond 113,418 923.1/100K 2762.3/100K
12 F Signal Hill 11,068 912.5/100K 5918/100K
13 F Lynwood 62,089 910/100K 3208.3/100K
14 F Santa Fe Springs 20,534 905.8/100K 6160.5/100K
15 F Parlier 14,377 897.3/100K 966.8/100K
16 F San Bernardino 224,283 897.1/100K 2897.7/100K
17 F West Hollywood 33,928 884.2/100K 5491/100K
18 F Anderson 11,170 841.5/100K 1369.7/100K
19 F Lancaster 164,012 834.7/100K 1920.6/100K
20 F Clearlake 16,410 828.8/100K 1584.4/100K
21 F South Lake Tahoe 21,005 785.5/100K 1461.6/100K
22 F Merced 96,077 784.8/100K 2792.6/100K
23 F Santa Monica 88,948 778/100K 4790.4/100K
24 F Sacramento 526,670 754.9/100K 2547.3/100K
25 F Marysville 12,616 745.1/100K 2060.9/100K
26 F Vallejo 121,795 739.8/100K 3990.3/100K
27 F Costa Mesa 107,235 737.6/100K 2836.8/100K
28 F Hawaiian Gardens 13,172 736.4/100K 2102.9/100K
29 F Fresno 546,722 735.5/100K 3271.3/100K
30 F Los Angeles 3,796,352 728.5/100K 1483.9/100K
31 F Hawthorne 81,941 727.4/100K 2465.2/100K
32 F Pomona 143,726 715.9/100K 2753.2/100K
33 F Atwater 32,093 710.4/100K 2193.6/100K
34 F Gardena 57,584 703.3/100K 3051.2/100K
35 F Chico 100,831 699.2/100K 1898.2/100K
36 F National City 54,915 695.6/100K 1939.4/100K
37 F Huntington Park 51,054 691.4/100K 3120.2/100K
38 D Mendota 12,511 687.4/100K 671.4/100K
39 F Susanville 11,646 686.9/100K 1150.6/100K
40 F Chowchilla 19,504 676.8/100K 1189.5/100K
41 F Long Beach 444,232 676.4/100K 3478.8/100K
42 F Ridgecrest 28,110 675.9/100K 1074.4/100K
43 F Inglewood 101,399 674.6/100K 3614.4/100K
44 F Culver City 38,514 667.3/100K 5862.8/100K
45 F Santa Maria 110,056 660.6/100K 1882.7/100K
46 F Modesto 218,990 655.7/100K 2414.7/100K
47 F Cudahy 21,401 654.2/100K 1434.5/100K
48 F Santa Barbara 85,758 648.3/100K 1809.7/100K
49 F Redding 92,468 647.8/100K 1745.5/100K
50 F Montclair 37,414 644.1/100K 3645.7/100K

California overview · Safest cities · National most dangerous cities · Methodology - FBI UCR Part I rates; cities ≥10,000 pop; 2024.