crimebycounty

Most Dangerous Counties in California

Counties with the highest crime rates in California — ranked by FBI UCR data.

Highest Crime County

San Francisco County

1/100

State Avg Safety Score

20/100

State Avg Violent Crime

469.0

per 100K

15 Most Dangerous Counties in California

1

San Francisco County

San Francisco County, California

Violent: 641.0 per 100K(↑ vs national avg)Property: 5730.8 per 100K
1/100

Safety Score

2

Alameda County

Alameda County, California

Violent: 662.8 per 100K(↑ vs national avg)Property: 4128.7 per 100K
2/100

Safety Score

3

Kern County

Kern County, California

Violent: 739.9 per 100K(↑ vs national avg)Property: 3310.9 per 100K
3/100

Safety Score

4

Fresno County

Fresno County, California

Violent: 725.2 per 100K(↑ vs national avg)Property: 2796.4 per 100K
5/100

Safety Score

5

Solano County

Solano County, California

Violent: 555.4 per 100K(↑ vs national avg)Property: 2671.2 per 100K
6/100

Safety Score

6

Del Norte County

Del Norte County, California

Violent: 648.2 per 100K(↑ vs national avg)Property: 2494.4 per 100K
7/100

Safety Score

7

Los Angeles County

Los Angeles County, California

Violent: 616.1 per 100K(↑ vs national avg)Property: 2506.9 per 100K
7/100

Safety Score

8

Merced County

Merced County, California

Violent: 648.3 per 100K(↑ vs national avg)Property: 2427.6 per 100K
7/100

Safety Score

9

Sacramento County

Sacramento County, California

Violent: 565.4 per 100K(↑ vs national avg)Property: 2401.3 per 100K
8/100

Safety Score

10

Santa Clara County

Santa Clara County, California

Violent: 389.3 per 100K(↑ vs national avg)Property: 2522.2 per 100K
9/100

Safety Score

11

Tehama County

Tehama County, California

Violent: 526.8 per 100K(↑ vs national avg)Property: 2373.1 per 100K
9/100

Safety Score

12

Mono County

Mono County, California

Violent: 408.5 per 100K(↑ vs national avg)Property: 2413.2 per 100K
10/100

Safety Score

13

Yolo County

Yolo County, California

Violent: 299.3 per 100K(↓ vs national avg)Property: 2519.1 per 100K
10/100

Safety Score

14

Humboldt County

Humboldt County, California

Violent: 468.7 per 100K(↑ vs national avg)Property: 2283.1 per 100K
10/100

Safety Score

15

San Joaquin County

San Joaquin County, California

Violent: 677.1 per 100K(↑ vs national avg)Property: 2018.5 per 100K
11/100

Safety Score

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the most dangerous county in California?

San Francisco County has the highest crime rate in California with a safety score of 1/100, based on FBI UCR violent and property crime data.

How are crime rates measured in California counties?

Crime rates are reported per 100,000 residents using FBI Uniform Crime Reporting (UCR) data. This includes both violent crimes (murder, assault, robbery) and property crimes (burglary, larceny, motor vehicle theft).

What are the 5 most dangerous counties in California?

The 5 most dangerous counties in California are: 1. San Francisco County (1/100), 2. Alameda County (2/100), 3. Kern County (3/100), 4. Fresno County (5/100), 5. Solano County (6/100).

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Data Sources

Crime data sourced from the FBI Crime Data Explorer (UCR) and County Health Rankings. Safety scores are derived composite metrics.

Data is informational only. Not legal or security advice. Coverage varies by county and reporting year.

Data as of 2026-03-10.

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