Crime in Costa Mesa, California

Property crime

The vast majority of crimes in America are property crimes, accounting for 85% of total crimes in 2019. In Costa Mesa, however, property crimes account for about 92% of all offenses.

Property crime is more prevalent in Costa Mesa than it is nationwide. There were 3,739 property crimes in Costa Mesa in 2019, or 3,279 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 Costa Mesa. There were 2,934 larcenies reported in Costa Mesa in 2019, or 2,573 for every 100,000 people. Nationwide, the larceny rate is 1,550 per 100,000.

Burglary

There were 450 break-ins reported in Costa Mesa in 2019, or 395 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 Costa Mesa, meanwhile, there were 355 motor vehicle thefts in 2019, or 311 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 Costa Mesa, however, violent offenses account for a smaller 8% share of all reported crime.

At 274 incidents for every 100,000 people, the violent crime rate in Costa Mesa is below the national violent crime rate of 379 offenses per 100,000 people. Law enforcement in Costa Mesa reported a total of 312 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 Costa Mesa. There were 156 aggravated assaults reported in Costa Mesa in 2019, or 137 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 104 robberies reported in Costa Mesa in 2019, a rate of 91 robberies for every 100,000 residents. For comparison, the national robbery rate was 82 per 100,000 in 2019.

Rape

There were 52 rapes reported in Costa Mesa in 2019, or 46 for every 100,000 people. Nationwide, there were 139,815 rapes in 2019, a rate of 43 per 100,000 people.

Murder

While there were 16,425 murders nationwide in 2019, none were reported in Costa Mesa.