Crime & Safety in San Mateo, CA
Violent and property crime rates, clearance data, and trends — 2024 Data
Crime Overview
Source: FBI Crime Data Explorer (2024)Violent Crime Rate
2.43
per 1,000 residents
-46% vs national
Property Crime Rate
18.83
per 1,000 residents
-13% vs national
Total Crimes
2,125
2024
Violent Clearance
44%
cases solved
+4% vs national
Property Clearance
22%
cases solved
vs Similar Cities
-28%
vs 50K-100K avg
-28% vs 50K-100K
YoY Change
-30.1%
violent crime rate
improving vs 2023
How San Mateo Compares
Source: FBI (2024)San Mateo vs Similar Cities
Source: FBI (2024)Compared to cities with 50,000 - 100,000 residents. San Mateo 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 Mateo police solve 60% of murder cases but only 3% 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 | 5 | 0.05 | 60.0% |
| Rape | Violent | 26 | 0.26 | 23.1% |
| Robbery | Violent | 74 | 0.74 | 45.9% |
| Aggravated Assault | Violent | 138 | 1.38 | 46.4% |
| Burglary | Property | 98 | 0.98 | 5.1% |
| Larceny/Theft | Property | 1,577 | 15.78 | 25.4% |
| Motor Vehicle Theft | Property | 207 | 2.07 | 2.9% |
San Mateo, CA reported 243 violent crimes and 1,882 property crimes in 2024. The violent crime rate of 2.43 per 1,000 residents is 45.7% below the national average of 4.48 per 1,000. Law enforcement cleared 44% of violent crimes. Larceny/theft accounts for 1,577 of the property crime reports. Firearms were involved in 21.0% of aggravated assaults. Compared to similarly sized cities (50,000 - 100,000 population), San Mateo's violent crime rate is 28% lower. Violent crime has been trending downward.
Crime History
Source: FBI| Year | Violent | Property | Violent Rate | Property Rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 243 | 1,882 | 2.43 | 18.83 |
| 2023 | 344 | 1,898 | 3.48 | 19.19 |
| 2022 | 305 | 2,342 | 3.08 | 23.61 |
| 2020 | 274 | 2,306 | 2.60 | 21.91 |
| 2019 | 266 | 2,217 | 2.51 | 20.91 |
| 2018 | 285 | 2,163 | 2.69 | 20.44 |
| 2017 | 268 | 2,125 | 2.55 | 20.22 |
| 2016 | 242 | 2,141 | 2.31 | 20.43 |
| 2015 | 266 | 2,045 | 2.55 | 19.61 |