Crime in Palo Alto, California

Property crime

The vast majority of crimes in America are property crimes, accounting for 85% of total crimes in 2019. In Palo Alto, however, property crimes account for about 96% of all offenses.

Property crime is more prevalent in Palo Alto than it is nationwide. There were 1,983 property crimes in Palo Alto in 2019, or 2,962 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 Palo Alto. There were 1,722 larcenies reported in Palo Alto in 2019, or 2,573 for every 100,000 people. Nationwide, the larceny rate is 1,550 per 100,000.

Burglary

There were 179 break-ins reported in Palo Alto in 2019, or 267 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 Palo Alto, meanwhile, there were 82 motor vehicle thefts in 2019, or 123 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 Palo Alto, however, violent offenses account for a much smaller 4% share of all reported crime.

At 129 incidents for every 100,000 people, the violent crime rate in Palo Alto is well below the national violent crime rate of 379 offenses per 100,000 people. Law enforcement in Palo Alto reported a total of 86 violent crimes in 2019.

Aggravated Assault

Aggravated assault is by far the most common type of violent crime reported in the U.S. In Palo Alto, however, robbery is the most commonly reported type of violent crime. There were 29 aggravated assaults reported in Palo Alto in 2019, or 43 for every 100,000 people. Nationwide, the rate is far 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 46 robberies reported in Palo Alto in 2019, a rate of 69 robberies for every 100,000 residents. For comparison, the national robbery rate was 82 per 100,000 in 2019.

Rape

There were 10 rapes reported in Palo Alto in 2019, or 15 for every 100,000 people. Nationwide, there were 139,815 rapes in 2019, a rate of 43 per 100,000 people.

Murder

There was one homicide reported in the city in 2019. Adjusted for population, the murder rate in Palo Alto is 1.5 for every 100,000 people, considerably lower than the national murder rate of 5 per 100,000 people.