Crime & Safety in Santa Barbara, CA
Violent and property crime rates, clearance data, and trends — 2024 Data
Crime Overview
Source: FBI Crime Data Explorer (2024)Violent Crime Rate
6.50
per 1,000 residents
+45% vs national
Property Crime Rate
18.10
per 1,000 residents
-17% vs national
Total Crimes
2,109
2024
Violent Clearance
63%
cases solved
+48% vs national
Property Clearance
14%
cases solved
vs Similar Cities
+93%
vs 50K-100K avg
+93% vs 50K-100K
YoY Change
+8.0%
violent crime rate
worsening vs 2023
How Santa Barbara Compares
Source: FBI (2024)Santa Barbara vs Similar Cities
Source: FBI (2024)Compared to cities with 50,000 - 100,000 residents. Santa Barbara 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)Santa Barbara police solve 70% of aggravated assault cases but only 11% of larceny/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 | 71 | 0.83 | 22.5% |
| Robbery | Violent | 64 | 0.75 | 59.4% |
| Aggravated Assault | Violent | 421 | 4.91 | 69.8% |
| Burglary | Property | 146 | 1.70 | 38.4% |
| Larceny/Theft | Property | 1,236 | 14.41 | 11.1% |
| Motor Vehicle Theft | Property | 170 | 1.98 | 16.5% |
Santa Barbara, CA reported 557 violent crimes and 1,552 property crimes in 2024. The violent crime rate of 6.50 per 1,000 residents is 44.9% above the national average of 4.48 per 1,000. Law enforcement cleared 63% of violent crimes. Larceny/theft accounts for 1,236 of the property crime reports. Firearms were involved in 4.5% of aggravated assaults. Compared to similarly sized cities (50,000 - 100,000 population), Santa Barbara's violent crime rate is 93% higher. Violent crime has been trending upward.
Crime History
Source: FBI| Year | Violent | Property | Violent Rate | Property Rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 557 | 1,552 | 6.50 | 18.10 |
| 2023 | 523 | 1,550 | 6.01 | 17.82 |
| 2022 | 403 | 1,802 | 4.59 | 20.52 |
| 2020 | 389 | 2,188 | 4.24 | 23.86 |
| 2019 | 400 | 2,118 | 4.36 | 23.09 |
| 2018 | 415 | 2,333 | 4.48 | 25.19 |
| 2017 | 377 | 2,499 | 4.08 | 27.01 |
| 2016 | 397 | 3,060 | 4.29 | 33.07 |
| 2015 | 364 | 2,717 | 3.96 | 29.57 |