Crime & Safety in Palo Alto, CA
Violent and property crime rates, clearance data, and trends — 2024 Data
Crime Overview
Source: FBI Crime Data Explorer (2024)Violent Crime Rate
2.12
per 1,000 residents
-53% vs national
Property Crime Rate
30.33
per 1,000 residents
+40% vs national
Total Crimes
2,112
2024
Violent Clearance
54%
cases solved
+28% vs national
Property Clearance
15%
cases solved
vs Similar Cities
-37%
vs 50K-100K avg
-37% vs 50K-100K
YoY Change
+1.9%
violent crime rate
worsening vs 2023
How Palo Alto Compares
Source: FBI (2024)Palo Alto vs Similar Cities
Source: FBI (2024)Compared to cities with 50,000 - 100,000 residents. Palo Alto 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)Palo Alto police solve 100% of murder cases but only 7% 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 | 1 | 0.02 | 100.0% |
| Rape | Violent | 25 | 0.38 | 24.0% |
| Robbery | Violent | 35 | 0.54 | 65.7% |
| Aggravated Assault | Violent | 77 | 1.18 | 57.1% |
| Burglary | Property | 147 | 2.26 | 7.5% |
| Larceny/Theft | Property | 1,707 | 26.23 | 15.8% |
| Motor Vehicle Theft | Property | 120 | 1.84 | 7.5% |
Palo Alto, CA reported 138 violent crimes and 1,974 property crimes in 2024. The violent crime rate of 2.12 per 1,000 residents is 52.7% below the national average of 4.48 per 1,000. Law enforcement cleared 54% of violent crimes. Larceny/theft accounts for 1,707 of the property crime reports. Firearms were involved in 2.6% of aggravated assaults. Compared to similarly sized cities (50,000 - 100,000 population), Palo Alto's violent crime rate is 37% lower. Violent crime has been trending upward.
Crime History
Source: FBI| Year | Violent | Property | Violent Rate | Property Rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 138 | 1,974 | 2.12 | 30.33 |
| 2023 | 135 | 1,819 | 2.08 | 28.05 |
| 2022 | 138 | 1,974 | 2.13 | 30.41 |
| 2021 | 12 | 220 | 0.18 | 3.27 |
| 2020 | 81 | 1,931 | 1.24 | 29.50 |
| 2019 | 86 | 1,983 | 1.28 | 29.62 |
| 2018 | 72 | 1,513 | 1.07 | 22.39 |
| 2017 | 90 | 1,783 | 1.33 | 26.44 |
| 2016 | 73 | 1,436 | 1.08 | 21.33 |
| 2015 | 68 | 1,704 | 1.01 | 25.22 |