Crime & Safety in Watsonville, CA
Violent and property crime rates, clearance data, and trends — 2024 Data
Crime Overview
Source: FBI Crime Data Explorer (2024)Violent Crime Rate
3.99
per 1,000 residents
-11% vs national
Property Crime Rate
11.82
per 1,000 residents
-46% vs national
Total Crimes
796
2024
Violent Clearance
39%
cases solved
-7% vs national
Property Clearance
17%
cases solved
vs Similar Cities
+19%
vs 50K-100K avg
+19% vs 50K-100K
YoY Change
-31.9%
violent crime rate
improving vs 2022
How Watsonville Compares
Source: FBI (2024)Watsonville vs Similar Cities
Source: FBI (2024)Compared to cities with 50,000 - 100,000 residents. Watsonville 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)Watsonville police solve 47% of aggravated assault cases but only 4% of rape 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 | 28 | 0.56 | 3.6% |
| Robbery | Violent | 27 | 0.54 | 37.0% |
| Aggravated Assault | Violent | 146 | 2.90 | 46.6% |
| Burglary | Property | 70 | 1.39 | 21.4% |
| Larceny/Theft | Property | 375 | 7.45 | 21.3% |
| Motor Vehicle Theft | Property | 150 | 2.98 | 5.3% |
Watsonville, CA reported 201 violent crimes and 595 property crimes in 2024. The violent crime rate of 3.99 per 1,000 residents is 10.9% below the national average of 4.48 per 1,000. Law enforcement cleared 39% of violent crimes. Larceny/theft accounts for 375 of the property crime reports. Firearms were involved in 16.4% of aggravated assaults. Compared to similarly sized cities (50,000 - 100,000 population), Watsonville's violent crime rate is 19% higher. Violent crime has been trending downward.
Crime History
Source: FBI| Year | Violent | Property | Violent Rate | Property Rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 201 | 595 | 3.99 | 11.82 |
| 2022 | 302 | 959 | 5.86 | 18.62 |
| 2020 | 299 | 1,132 | 5.52 | 20.90 |
| 2019 | 328 | 971 | 6.04 | 17.89 |
| 2018 | 243 | 1,330 | 4.46 | 24.40 |
| 2017 | 298 | 1,711 | 5.50 | 31.55 |
| 2016 | 238 | 1,738 | 4.40 | 32.12 |
| 2015 | 303 | 1,930 | 5.65 | 36.02 |