Crime & Safety in San Luis Obispo, CA
Violent and property crime rates, clearance data, and trends — 2024 Data
Crime Overview
Source: FBI Crime Data Explorer (2024)Violent Crime Rate
4.24
per 1,000 residents
-5% vs national
Property Crime Rate
26.69
per 1,000 residents
+23% vs national
Total Crimes
1,545
2024
Violent Clearance
49%
cases solved
+16% vs national
Property Clearance
15%
cases solved
vs Similar Cities
+52%
vs 25K-50K avg
+52% vs 25K-50K
YoY Change
-18.2%
violent crime rate
improving vs 2023
How San Luis Obispo Compares
Source: FBI (2024)San Luis Obispo vs Similar Cities
Source: FBI (2024)Compared to cities with 25,000 - 50,000 residents. San Luis Obispo 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)San Luis Obispo police solve 56% of robbery cases but only 11% 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 Type | Category | Count | Rate per 1K | Clearance % |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Murder | Violent | 0 | 0.00 | N/A |
| Rape | Violent | 30 | 0.60 | 30.0% |
| Robbery | Violent | 41 | 0.82 | 56.1% |
| Aggravated Assault | Violent | 141 | 2.82 | 51.1% |
| Burglary | Property | 161 | 3.22 | 15.5% |
| Larceny/Theft | Property | 1,097 | 21.96 | 15.1% |
| Motor Vehicle Theft | Property | 75 | 1.50 | 10.7% |
San Luis Obispo, CA reported 212 violent crimes and 1,333 property crimes in 2024. The violent crime rate of 4.24 per 1,000 residents is 5.3% below the national average of 4.48 per 1,000. Law enforcement cleared 49% of violent crimes. Larceny/theft accounts for 1,097 of the property crime reports. Firearms were involved in 5.0% of aggravated assaults. Compared to similarly sized cities (25,000 - 50,000 population), San Luis Obispo's violent crime rate is 52% higher. Violent crime has been trending downward.
Crime History
Source: FBI| Year | Violent | Property | Violent Rate | Property Rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 212 | 1,333 | 4.24 | 26.69 |
| 2023 | 254 | 1,268 | 5.19 | 25.91 |
| 2022 | 267 | 1,745 | 5.56 | 36.36 |
| 2020 | 207 | 1,620 | 4.34 | 33.95 |
| 2019 | 192 | 1,738 | 4.02 | 36.41 |
| 2018 | 192 | 1,809 | 4.01 | 37.78 |
| 2017 | 178 | 1,782 | 3.71 | 37.18 |
| 2016 | 178 | 2,076 | 3.73 | 43.45 |
| 2015 | 193 | 1,844 | 4.10 | 39.14 |