Crime in Palm Desert, California

Property crime

The vast majority of crimes in America are property crimes, accounting for 85% of total crimes in 2019. In Palm Desert, however, property crimes account for about 93% of all offenses.

Property crime is more prevalent in Palm Desert than it is nationwide. There were 1,848 property crimes in Palm Desert in 2019, or 3,437 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 Palm Desert. There were 1,382 larcenies reported in Palm Desert in 2019, or 2,570 for every 100,000 people. Nationwide, the larceny rate is 1,550 per 100,000.

Burglary

There were 338 break-ins reported in Palm Desert in 2019, or 629 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 Palm Desert, meanwhile, there were 128 motor vehicle thefts in 2019, or 238 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 Palm Desert, however, violent offenses account for a much smaller 7% share of all reported crime.

At 253 incidents for every 100,000 people, the violent crime rate in Palm Desert is below the national violent crime rate of 379 offenses per 100,000 people. Law enforcement in Palm Desert reported a total of 136 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 Palm Desert. There were 102 aggravated assaults reported in Palm Desert in 2019, or 190 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 24 robberies reported in Palm Desert in 2019, a rate of 45 robberies for every 100,000 residents. For comparison, the national robbery rate was 82 per 100,000 in 2019.

Rape

There were 7 rapes reported in Palm Desert in 2019, or 13 for every 100,000 people. Nationwide, there were 139,815 rapes in 2019, a rate of 43 per 100,000 people.

Murder

There were 3 homicides committed in the city in 2019. Adjusted for population, the murder rate in Palm Desert is 5.6 murders for every 100,000 people, higher than the national murder rate of 5 per 100,000 people.