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.

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