Santa Monica Ranked Among Least Safe Cities In California: Report

SANTA MONICA, CA — Santa Monica was ranked among the least safe cities in California, according to a new report from the online security review website SafeWise.

SafeWise released its ranking of the Top 50 Safest Cities in California for 2022.

To determine the safest cities in the Golden State, SafeWise looked at FBI crime statistics and demographic information for each city in California, according to the report.

"The 'safest' cities rankings are intended to highlight cities with low crime rates and ignite conversation and action around how to make all cities and communities safer," SafeWise said on its website.

Oakland was ranked the least safe city in California. Santa Monica ranked no. 224, just after San Francisco. Santa Monica has 90,474 residents and had six violent crimes and 42.6 property crimes per 1,000 residents, according to the report.

Crime has dropped overall in Santa Monica, according to the Santa Monica Police Department. The 2021 Crime Statistics Summary shows that in 2021, 4,248 crimes were reported compared to 4,377 in 2020 and 4,601 in 2019. In 2018, crime was at its highest in Santa Monica in recent years, at 5,441 crimes.

Much of the crimes included in the Safewise report, however, do not account for a series of factors, including that the city is a tourist hub and that the police force is understaffed, the Santa Monica Daily Press reports.

Several Southern California communities made the list. The statewide list ranked Northern California city Danville no. 1, followed by SoCal towns Rancho Santa Margarita and Moorpark.

Here is the top 10 list of the safest cities in California:

1. Danville
2. Rancho Santa Margarita
3. Moorpark
4. Aliso Viejo
5. Yorba Linda
6. Laguna Niguel
7. Poway
8. Mission Viejo
9. Rancho Palos Verdes
10. Thousand Oaks

In 2021, Palos Verdes was named the fourth safest city in California. Rancho Palos Verdes has 41,513 residents and the median household income is $138,557.

Editor's Note: This story was updated with additional information from the Santa Monica Police Department.