Crime & Safety in Lake Forest, CA

Violent and property crime rates, clearance data, and trends — 2024 Data

Crime Overview

Source: FBI Crime Data Explorer (2024)

Violent Crime Rate

1.46

per 1,000 residents

-67% vs national

Property Crime Rate

8.30

per 1,000 residents

-62% vs national

Total Crimes

837

2024

Violent Clearance

75%

cases solved

+77% vs national

Property Clearance

16%

cases solved

vs Similar Cities

-57%

vs 50K-100K avg

-57% vs 50K-100K

YoY Change

+10.3%

violent crime rate

worsening vs 2023

How Lake Forest Compares

Source: FBI (2024)

Lake Forest vs Similar Cities

Source: FBI (2024)

Compared to cities with 50,000 - 100,000 residents. Lake Forest 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: FBI
Violent 8.0%Property 26.2%20152024

Crime Composition

Source: FBI (2024)

Violent Crime Breakdown

Property Crime Breakdown

Crime Clearance (Solve) Rates

Source: FBI (2024)

Lake Forest police solve 81% of aggravated assault cases but only 12% of motor vehicle theft 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 TypeCategoryCountRate per 1KClearance %
MurderViolent00.00N/A
RapeViolent30.0366.7%
RobberyViolent280.3357.1%
Aggravated AssaultViolent941.1080.9%
BurglaryProperty921.0715.2%
Larceny/TheftProperty4875.6817.2%
Motor Vehicle TheftProperty1331.5512.0%

Lake Forest, CA reported 125 violent crimes and 712 property crimes in 2024. The violent crime rate of 1.46 per 1,000 residents is 67.5% below the national average of 4.48 per 1,000. Law enforcement cleared 75% of violent crimes. Larceny/theft accounts for 487 of the property crime reports. Firearms were involved in 4.3% of aggravated assaults. Compared to similarly sized cities (50,000 - 100,000 population), Lake Forest's violent crime rate is 57% lower. Violent crime has been trending upward.

Crime History

Source: FBI
YearViolentPropertyViolent RateProperty Rate
20241257121.468.30
20231138401.329.82
20221039081.2010.62
2021545130.635.95
2020958501.109.83
2019666840.767.89
20181597611.868.92
20171337571.588.99
20161057461.268.93
20151099081.3511.24