Crime & Safety in Rancho Santa Margarita, CA

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

Crime Overview

Source: FBI Crime Data Explorer (2024)

Violent Crime Rate

0.81

per 1,000 residents

-82% vs national

Property Crime Rate

5.24

per 1,000 residents

-76% vs national

Total Crimes

276

2024

Violent Clearance

81%

cases solved

+91% vs national

Property Clearance

22%

cases solved

vs Similar Cities

-71%

vs 25K-50K avg

-71% vs 25K-50K

YoY Change

+70.1%

violent crime rate

worsening vs 2023

How Rancho Santa Margarita Compares

Source: FBI (2024)

Rancho Santa Margarita vs Similar Cities

Source: FBI (2024)

Compared to cities with 25,000 - 50,000 residents. Rancho Santa Margarita 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 8.4%Property 14.1%20152024

Crime Composition

Source: FBI (2024)

Violent Crime Breakdown

Property Crime Breakdown

Crime Clearance (Solve) Rates

Source: FBI (2024)

Rancho Santa Margarita police solve 88% of robbery cases but only 18% 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 TypeCategoryCountRate per 1KClearance %
MurderViolent00.00N/A
RapeViolent00.00N/A
RobberyViolent80.1887.5%
Aggravated AssaultViolent290.6475.9%
BurglaryProperty330.7218.2%
Larceny/TheftProperty1603.5122.5%
Motor Vehicle TheftProperty461.0121.7%

Rancho Santa Margarita, CA reported 37 violent crimes and 239 property crimes in 2024. The violent crime rate of 0.81 per 1,000 residents is 81.9% below the national average of 4.48 per 1,000. Law enforcement cleared 81% of violent crimes. Larceny/theft accounts for 160 of the property crime reports. Firearms were involved in 3.4% of aggravated assaults. Compared to similarly sized cities (25,000 - 50,000 population), Rancho Santa Margarita's violent crime rate is 71% lower. Violent crime has been trending upward.

Crime History

Source: FBI
YearViolentPropertyViolent RateProperty Rate
2024372390.815.24
2023222000.484.33
2022182210.384.71
2021131520.273.20
2020192820.405.89
2019302960.626.12
2018463160.946.46
2017323280.656.67
2016482670.975.38
2015443030.886.09