California is a large, diverse state, with 40 million residents. Being such a large state, some parts of California are more prone to crime and some parts of California that is much safer. Compared to 46% of people across the entire United States, 58% of Californians worry about becoming victims of a crime; these statistics are not surprising, given that California has a higher crime rate than the rest of the country. Across the United States, 3.7 out of every 1000 people become victims of a violent crime, but in California, that number is 4.5 out of every 1000 people. 23.8 out of every 1000 residents of California have experienced a property crime, compared to a national rate of 22 out of 1000. 16% of Californians have reported that they have had personal experience with a violent criminal act, compared with a lower national average of 12%.
However, not all parts of California are dangerous. The city of Danville, the safest city in the state, has a violent crime rate of only 0.4 per 1000 people in 2020 and a property crime rate of 7.2 per 1000, both of which are much lower than the national average. Rancho Santa Margarita, which came in at number two for the safest cities in California, has a violent crime rate of 0.9 per 1000 people and a property crime rate of 6.5. Moorpark, the third-safest city in California, has a violent crime rate of 0.9 and a property crime rate of 7.0 out of every 1000 residents. Moorpark has the lowest number of property crimes in the state, even though its rate is slightly higher than Rancho Santa Margarita.
Thousand Oaks, a suburb of Los Angeles, is a special case among the safest cities because, in 2018, there were 14 murders, 13 of which occurred at a mass shooting at a nightclub. Mass shootings often occur in close, tight-knit communities that are otherwise safe places to live.
After the top three of Danville, Rancho Santa Margarita, and Moorpark, the safest cities in California are Lincoln, Aliso Viejo, Rancho Palos Verdes, San Ramon, Mission Viejo, Laguna Niguel, and Yorba Linda. All of these cities have crime rates that are below the national average, making them safe places for children and families to live, work, and play. Large cities, such as Los Angeles, San Diego, and San Francisco, tend to have much higher crime rates. However, there are plenty of safe cities in California.