Palo Alto, CA Crime Rates & Map

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Total crime 31%

Violent crime 68%

Property crime 51%

Date & Last Updated: This data reflects the 2020 calendar year and was released from the FBI in September, 2021; this is the most current data available.

Statistic	Reported_incidents	_{/100k people}	Palo Alto_{/100k people}	California_{/100k people}	National_{/100k people}
Total crime	2,012	n/a (estimate)	3,074	2,581	2,346
Murder	1	n/a	1.5	5.6	6.5
Rape	12	n/a	18.3	34.2	38.4
Robbery	39	n/a	59.6	113.6	73.9
Assault	29	n/a	44.3	288.7	279.7
Violent crime	81	n/a (estimate)	124	442	388
Burglary	242	n/a	369.7	369.7	314.2
Theft	1,570	n/a	2,398.4	1,341.7	1,398.0
Vehicle theft	119	n/a	181.8	427.6	246.0
Property crime	1,931	n/a (estimate)	2,950	2,139	1,958

Key findings

Palo Alto crime rates are 31% higher than the national average
Violent crimes in Palo Alto are 68% lower than the national average
In Palo Alto you have a 1 in 33 chance of becoming a victim of crime
Palo Alto is safer than 35% of the cities in the United States
Year over year crime in Palo Alto has decreased by 1%

Palo Alto crime map

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Crime map data by SpotCrime. Sign up for local SpotCrime alerts.

The Palo Alto crime map provides a detailed overview of all crimes in Palo Alto as reported by the local law enforcement agency. Based on the color coded legend above, the crime map outlines the areas with lower crime compared to the areas with higher crime. The Palo Alto crime heat map offers insight into the total crimes on a block group level.

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Daily Crime In Palo Alto (per 100,000 people)

The graph above illustrates the number of daily crimes in Palo Alto, CA per 100,000 people. In Palo Alto, the total number of daily crimes is 1.19 times more than the California average and 1.31 times more than the national average. The number of daily violent crimes in Palo Alto is 3.57 times less than the California average and 3.13 times less than the national average. With regards to property crimes, Palo Alto has a daily crime rate that is 1.38 times more than the California average and 1.51 times more than the national average.

How Safe is Palo Alto (higher is better)

Is Palo Alto safe in comparison to other cities in the state of California as well as in comparison to the rest of the areas across the United States. Using the gauges above, which compare crime in Palo Alto to other cities in the state and across the country, Palo Alto is 48% safer than other cities of California and 35% safer than other cities in the nation. Palo Alto has a ranks below average in comparison to other cities in the country.

Chance of Being A Victim of Crime in Palo Alto

The chance of being a victim of violent crime in Palo Alto is 1 in 809

The chance of being a victim of property crime in Palo Alto is 1 in 34

The chance of being a victim of crime in Palo Alto is 1 in 33

How likely are you to become a victim of crime? In Palo Alto, California you have a 1 in 809 chance of becoming a victim of violent crime. Violent crimes include murder, rape, robbery and assault. With regards to property crime, you have a 1 in 34 chance of becoming a victim. Property crimes include burglary, theft and vehicle theft. Overall, you have a 1 in 33 chance of becoming a victim of crime in Palo Alto.

Year Over Year Crime In Palo Alto (per 100,000 people)

An analysis of year to year crime rates in Palo Alto, California (per 100,000 people) is a useful indicator of whether the area is becoming a safer or a more dangerous place to live. The amount of violent crime in Palo Alto has decreased by 3%, the amount of property crime in Palo Alto has not changed, and the total amount of crime in Palo Alto has decreased by 1% year over year.

Palo Alto police department

Item	Palo Alto	California	National
Law enforcement employees (officers & civilians)	134	51,506	558,732
Police officers & civilians /1000 residents	2.0	3.6	3.3

There are a total of 134 Palo Alto police officers. This results in 2.0 police officers per 1,000 residents which is 43.8% less than the California average and 37.6% less than the National average.

Sex offenders in California

State	Total offenders	California_/100K	National_/100K
California	79,891	232	266

There are a total of 79,891 sex offenders in California. This yields a total of 232 sex offenders in California per 100,000 residents which is 13% less than the national average.

Nearby Cities With Low Crime Rates

City, State	Population	Violent crime_{/100k people}	Property crime_{/100k people}	Total crime_{/100k people}
Ladera, CA	1,514	62	300	362
Sunol, CA	1,004	62	300	362
Loyola, CA	3,425	84	407	492
West Menlo Park, CA	3,830	84	407	492
Cambrian Park, CA	3,259	84	407	492
Monte Sereno, CA	3,514	116	436	553
Portola Valley, CA	4,550	115	556	670
Palo Alto, CA	66,649	124	2,950	3,074

Cities with similar population

City, State	Population	Violent crime_{/100k people}	Property crime_{/100k people}	Total crime_{/100k people}
Portland, ME	66,649	195	1,726	1,921
Camarillo, CA	66,630	75	1,160	1,235
Woodbury, MN	66,699	96	2,054	2,150
South San Francisco, CA	66,587	227	2,285	2,512
Oshkosh, WI	66,713	279	1,847	2,126
Palo Alto, CA	66,649	124	2,950	3,074

Source: The Palo Alto, CA crime data displayed above is derived from the FBI's uniform crime reports for the year of 2020. The crime report encompasses more than 18,000 city and state law enforcement agencies reporting data on property and violent crimes. The uniform crime reports program represents approximately 309 million American residents, which results in 98% coverage of metropolitan statistical areas.