20 Most Dangerous Cities in California

Below is a list of the most dangerous cities in California, as ranked by their respective violent crime rates.

We're measuring them in terms of incidents per 1,000 residents, which gives a clearer picture of the crime rate (especially in smaller cities), as opposed to say, per 100,000 residents, as is sometimes reported.

1. Stockton (13.97)

At the top of the list is Stockton, a city of approximately 320,000 residents. With the highest rate of reported violent crimes in the state, it's safe to say that Stockton has some issues with violence.

Like many cities plagued with higher-than-average crime rates, Stockton has suffered some severe economic blows (it filed for bankruptcy in the aftermath of the 2008 financial collapse).

2. Emeryville (13.41)

The second-highest violent crime rate in the state of California is Emeryville, population 12,380.

Nestled between lower-income Oakland (which we'll see shortly on this list) and higher-income Berkeley (which we won't see at all, until property crime), it's another good reminder of how closely a city's class composition and its crime rates often track.

3. San Bernardino (13.19)

The third-highest violent crime rate in California is found in sunny San Bernardino. Located deep in Southern California's Inland Empire region, this city of 216,715 has serious issues with poverty, resulting high rates of violent and property crimes.

4. Susanville (13.17)

Susanville, again on the smaller side with a population of 14,878, is a case study in the limitations of the American criminal justice system. Almost half of Susanville's population is incarcerated; the local prison, High Desert State Prison, is the town's largest employer.

Having a prison in town — historically, prisons are quite violent places — means that the violent crime rate are pretty high, too.

5. Oakland (12.72)

With a population of 434,036, Oakland is the third-most populous city in California's famed San Francisco Bay Area, and among the most dangerous in terms of violent crime. As a hub for narcotics distribution, much of the violent crime comes in the form of gang violence.

6. Compton (11.42)

Located in the southern portion of Los Angeles County, Compton — with a population of 96,638 — has long been linked to high violent crime rates.

High rates of homicides and aggravated assaults are often related to gang activity, although efforts to diffuse the turf wars between rival gangs have shown progress.

7. Barstow (11.36)

Barstow, with a population of 24,121, is located in the Mojave Desert, far inland from the famed coastal communities of Southern California. Its remoteness has created economic challenges, which has in turn driven the relatively high violent crime rate.

8. Commerce (10.78)

The city of Commerce, a major industrial hub in Los Angeles county, has a population of 12,804. A relatively small area with relatively high crime rate, it has also struggled with economic hardship for the local residents.

9. Richmond (9.32)

Back in the Bay Area, Richmond has a population of 110,998. In the 1990s it was known as one of the most violent cities in the country, but various efforts at crime reduction and prevention have brought rates down from their peak decades ago.

Still, violent crime remains a concern, especially in certain neighborhoods.

10. Red Bluff (9.30)

Red Bluff is located at northernmost point of California's Central Valley. With a population of 14,308, it's another small to mid-sized California city with some crime issues. It has also struggled with poverty, which hasn't helped the crime rates. Property crimes are also higher than average in Red Bluff.

Now we'll look at the issue of crime rates in California cities through the lens of property crime. Here, we'll be using the same dataset as before, the FBI UCR report from 2019. As you'll see, property crimes numbers will be much higher, and they will often show some correlation with a city's violent crime rate.

When we talk about property crime, we're referring to burglary, larceny and motor vehicle theft. These tend to be the most common crime issues found in any urban area, and the following California cities are those with the highest incident rates, as measured per 1,000 residents.

1. Emeryville (211.87)

For those of you keeping track at home, this comes out to roughly one-fifth of residents reporting a property crime incident. That said, it shouldn't be too surprising that Emeryville has some serious issues with property crimes.

As mentioned in its listing on the cities with high violent crime rates, where it came in at No. 2, Emeryville has long-standing issues with poverty and other social issues such as addiction, which often translate into crime — especially auto theft and burglary.

2. Commerce (78.41)

It's a sizable drop down to the next entry on our list, although the property crime in Commerce is still approximately four times the national average. That's quite a bit of property crime, which is a persistent issue in Commerce.

3. Oakland (64.21)

We're still on familiar ground here, with Oakland rated as the third0most dangerous city in California, based on the property crime rate. As with violent crimes, Oakland's property crimes are driven by a large and complex range of factors, including gang activity, poverty and addiction.

4. Signal Hill (58.33)

Signal Hill is a small city within the larger city of Long Beach, California. Its population of 11,624 enjoys the weather of seaside SoCal, but has to deal with a high crime rate, especially concerning property crime.

5. Santa Fe Springs (57.37)

Unlike its neighboring city of Compton, Santa Fe Springs (also in south Los Angeles county) is probably unknown to most readers. Like Compton, this city of 18,041 has endured persistent crime issues over the years, in part driven by class and racial conflicts, some of which are gang-based.

6. San Francisco (55.06)

A short hop across the Bay from Oakland is San Francisco, population 886,007. While overall a wealthy and culturally vibrant city, San Francisco has some neighborhoods where crime rates are high, which raises the crime rate for the city overall.

A persistent homelessness problem, as well as widespread severe addiction, contribute to the elevated crime statistics for San Francisco.

7. Red Bluff (55.00)

As mentioned in the violent crime list, Red Bluff is a city of 14,308, located at the northernmost reach of the Central Valley. Property crime rates in this city are also higher than average, and it's slightly higher on this list than on the previous one.

8. Capitola (52.27)

Capitola, with its population of 10,101 residents, is something of an outlier on our list, as it's on the central coast of California — not in the Bay Area, Southern California or the Central Valley.

It's also a city that's reliant on tourism for much of its economy, so safety is very important to its image. Still, it has above-average property crime rates.

9. West Hollywood (51.06)

A city in Los Angeles County, West Hollywood has a population of 37,173. As home to many famous Los Angeles landmarks, such as the Chateau Marmont and the Laugh Factory, it has a vibrant history and a reputation as being notably LGBTQ-friendly.

Still, property crime is somewhat high, pointing to the challenges facing many contemporary cities.

10. Berkeley (50.95)

Once again visiting the Bay Area — and rounding out our list of cities with high rates of property crime — we have Berkeley.

Relative to most other Bay Area cities, Berkeley (population 122,788) is affluent, although it also suffers from a longstanding homelessness problem. This has been exacerbated over recent decades by rising housing costs, exacerbating struggles with both housing and property crime.

To get a good, reliable dataset for this article, we looked at the best available statistics, which are compiled and published by the FBI through their Uniform Crime Reporting program (UCR). Currently, the data is only as recent as 2019, which is the last year that they released data broken down by city in the state of California.

You might see other statistics and listings that purport to have more recent info, but since these articles don't tend to be transparent about their sources, we can't say for sure how accurate that data is.

It's helpful to keep in mind that these rates tend to change pretty slowly, so even though we're taking our numbers from 2019, this FBI violent crime data is still relevant.

We only ranked cities with a population of at least 10,000. We had to make a cutoff somewhere, and aside from 10,000 being a good, round number, going much lower than this would begin to skew proportional data.

The other thing to note is that California metropolitan areas are really big, and often comprised of smaller local municipalities that are cities in their own right. The Bay Area, for instance, is an immensely populous place made up of many different cities, some of which have pretty high crime rates, and some of which are quite low.

This gives you a sense of how crime rates can change from place to place, even without traveling very far in terms of miles.

Danger is, after all, a relative term; there are very few cities in American with no measurable crime, and while there have been many headlines about crime rates increasing, it's important to note that crime rates are historically pretty low.

In 2022, violent crime rate in California was around 4.9 per 1,000 residents, and the property crime rate was 23 per 1,000 residents. That's well below the historic highs in crime, which peaked in the 1980 for property crime and 1993 for violent crime.

No matter where you live, you can practice personal safety. Here are some helpful safety tips, especially if you're living in an area that has higher-than-average crime rates.

1. Safety in Numbers

If you're out alone, you're simply more vulnerable than if you're with a friend. By planning ahead, you can arrange to travel with a friend, especially if it's late at night and you're in an unfamiliar neighborhood.

2. Know Your Community

When you're in a new environment, it can be difficult to meet people. But getting to know your neighbors can help in spotting unfamiliar faces. Online groups can also help with this, including neighborhood watch programs that enable community members to look out for one another.

3. Lock Your Doors

This goes for your house and your car. It's a simple enough measure to take, and once you're in the habit, you won't even have to think about it.

4. Pack Some Pepper Spray

Keeping a small canister of pepper spray on your person (in accordance with state laws, of course) can be like having a security blanket: You'll feel safer, which can significantly improve your quality of life. And if you ever need it, you'll have it there.

5. Consider a Security System

Many security systems represent a large investment, but if you live in an area where crime is a real problem, it can be worth the money. If you're considering it, be sure to shop around to find the best available deals for your desired level of security.