Crime & Safety in Costa Mesa, CA
Violent and property crime rates, clearance data, and trends — 2024 Data
Crime Overview
Source: FBI Crime Data Explorer (2024)Violent Crime Rate
7.39
per 1,000 residents
+65% vs national
Property Crime Rate
28.37
per 1,000 residents
+31% vs national
Total Crimes
3,834
2024
Violent Clearance
53%
cases solved
+24% vs national
Property Clearance
19%
cases solved
vs Similar Cities
+64%
vs 100K-250K avg
+64% vs 100K-250K
YoY Change
+93.4%
violent crime rate
worsening vs 2023
How Costa Mesa Compares
Source: FBI (2024)Costa Mesa vs Similar Cities
Source: FBI (2024)Compared to cities with 100,000 - 250,000 residents. Costa Mesa is highlighted in green.
Violent Crime Rate (per 1,000)
Property Crime Rate (per 1,000)
Murder Rate (per 1,000)
Violent Crime Clearance Rate
Crime Rate Trends
Source: FBICrime Composition
Source: FBI (2024)Violent Crime Breakdown
Property Crime Breakdown
Crime Clearance (Solve) Rates
Source: FBI (2024)Costa Mesa police solve 100% of murder cases but only 11% of burglary cases. The national violent crime clearance rate is 42%.
Weapon Used in Violent Crime
Source: FBI (2024)Crime Breakdown
Source: FBI Crime Data Explorer (2024)| Crime Type | Category | Count | Rate per 1K | Clearance % |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Murder | Violent | 3 | 0.03 | 100.0% |
| Rape | Violent | 66 | 0.62 | 12.1% |
| Robbery | Violent | 80 | 0.75 | 42.5% |
| Aggravated Assault | Violent | 642 | 5.99 | 57.8% |
| Burglary | Property | 398 | 3.71 | 10.8% |
| Larceny/Theft | Property | 2,341 | 21.83 | 20.8% |
| Motor Vehicle Theft | Property | 303 | 2.83 | 15.8% |
Costa Mesa, CA reported 792 violent crimes and 3,042 property crimes in 2024. The violent crime rate of 7.39 per 1,000 residents is 64.8% above the national average of 4.48 per 1,000. Law enforcement cleared 53% of violent crimes. Larceny/theft accounts for 2,341 of the property crime reports. Firearms were involved in 5.1% of aggravated assaults. Compared to similarly sized cities (100,000 - 250,000 population), Costa Mesa's violent crime rate is 64% higher. Violent crime has been trending upward.
Crime History
Source: FBI| Year | Violent | Property | Violent Rate | Property Rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 792 | 3,042 | 7.39 | 28.37 |
| 2023 | 414 | 2,432 | 3.82 | 22.44 |
| 2022 | 647 | 3,905 | 5.89 | 35.57 |
| 2020 | 488 | 3,581 | 4.31 | 31.60 |
| 2019 | 312 | 3,739 | 2.74 | 32.78 |
| 2018 | 344 | 3,792 | 3.01 | 33.16 |
| 2017 | 361 | 4,298 | 3.19 | 37.95 |
| 2016 | 412 | 4,610 | 3.62 | 40.50 |
| 2015 | 386 | 4,723 | 3.40 | 41.62 |