Crime & Safety in Santa Cruz, CA
Violent and property crime rates, clearance data, and trends — 2024 Data
Crime Overview
Source: FBI Crime Data Explorer (2024)Violent Crime Rate
6.13
per 1,000 residents
+37% vs national
Property Crime Rate
25.15
per 1,000 residents
+16% vs national
Total Crimes
1,919
2024
Violent Clearance
62%
cases solved
+46% vs national
Property Clearance
11%
cases solved
vs Similar Cities
+82%
vs 50K-100K avg
+82% vs 50K-100K
YoY Change
-8.1%
violent crime rate
improving vs 2023
How Santa Cruz Compares
Source: FBI (2024)Santa Cruz vs Similar Cities
Source: FBI (2024)Compared to cities with 50,000 - 100,000 residents. Santa Cruz 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 Cruz police solve 100% of murder 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 | 3 | 0.05 | 100.0% |
| Rape | Violent | 26 | 0.42 | 23.1% |
| Robbery | Violent | 63 | 1.03 | 63.5% |
| Aggravated Assault | Violent | 284 | 4.63 | 64.8% |
| Burglary | Property | 83 | 1.35 | 14.5% |
| Larceny/Theft | Property | 1,363 | 22.22 | 11.1% |
| Motor Vehicle Theft | Property | 97 | 1.58 | 14.4% |
Santa Cruz, CA reported 376 violent crimes and 1,543 property crimes in 2024. The violent crime rate of 6.13 per 1,000 residents is 36.8% above the national average of 4.48 per 1,000. Law enforcement cleared 62% of violent crimes. Larceny/theft accounts for 1,363 of the property crime reports. Firearms were involved in 3.2% of aggravated assaults. Compared to similarly sized cities (50,000 - 100,000 population), Santa Cruz's violent crime rate is 82% higher. Violent crime has been trending downward.
Crime History
Source: FBI| Year | Violent | Property | Violent Rate | Property Rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 376 | 1,543 | 6.13 | 25.15 |
| 2023 | 412 | 1,504 | 6.67 | 24.35 |
| 2022 | 447 | 2,226 | 7.25 | 36.11 |
| 2020 | 309 | 2,237 | 4.75 | 34.38 |
| 2019 | 389 | 2,932 | 5.96 | 44.93 |
| 2018 | 391 | 2,905 | 5.95 | 44.23 |
| 2017 | 409 | 3,684 | 6.28 | 56.56 |
| 2016 | 521 | 3,610 | 8.02 | 55.56 |
| 2015 | 499 | 3,561 | 7.79 | 55.57 |