Crime in Bakersfield, California

Property crime

The vast majority of crimes in America are property crimes, accounting for 85% of total crimes in 2019. In Bakersfield, however, property crimes account for about 90% of all offenses.

Property crime is more prevalent in Bakersfield than it is nationwide. There were 16,074 property crimes in Bakersfield in 2019, or 4,142 for every 100,000 residents. Meanwhile, the national property crime rate is 2,110 incidents per 100,000 people.

Larceny

Larceny is by far the most common type of property crime in the U.S. It is also the most commonly committed type of property crime in Bakersfield. There were 9,277 larcenies reported in Bakersfield in 2019, or 2,391 for every 100,000 people. Nationwide, the larceny rate is 1,550 per 100,000.

Burglary

There were 3,888 break-ins reported in Bakersfield in 2019, or 1,002 for every 100,000 residents. For reference, there were 341 reported burglaries for every 100,000 people nationwide in 2019.

Motor Vehicle Theft

Across the United States, the annual motor vehicle theft rate is 220 for every 100,000 people. In Bakersfield, meanwhile, there were 2,909 motor vehicle thefts in 2019, or 750 for every 100,000 people.

Violent crime

Violent crime accounts for a relatively small share of crimes nationwide. These offenses, which are generally more egregious than property crimes, account for about 15% of the nearly 8.2 million offenses reported across the U.S. in 2019. In Bakersfield, however, violent offenses account for a smaller 10% share of all reported crime.

At 455 incidents for every 100,000 people, the violent crime rate in Bakersfield is above the national violent crime rate of 379 offenses per 100,000 people. Law enforcement in Bakersfield reported a total of 1,766 violent crimes in 2019.

Aggravated Assault

Aggravated assault is by far the most common type of violent crime reported in the U.S. It is also the most commonly reported violent offense in Bakersfield. There were 915 aggravated assaults reported in Bakersfield in 2019, or 236 for every 100,000 people. Nationwide, the rate is higher, standing at 250 aggravated assaults per 100,000 people.

Robbery

Robbery is the second most common type of violent crime in America. There were 701 robberies reported in Bakersfield in 2019, a rate of 181 robberies for every 100,000 residents. For comparison, the national robbery rate was 82 per 100,000 in 2019.

Rape

There were 116 rapes reported in Bakersfield in 2019, or 30 for every 100,000 people. Nationwide, there were 139,815 rapes in 2019, a rate of 43 per 100,000 people.

Murder

There were 34 homicides committed in the city in 2019. Adjusted for population, the murder rate in Bakersfield is 8.8 murders for every 100,000 people, considerably higher than the national murder rate of 5 per 100,000 people.