Crime in San Luis Obispo, California

Property crime

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

Property crime is more prevalent in San Luis Obispo than it is nationwide. There were 1,738 property crimes in San Luis Obispo in 2019, or 3,641 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 San Luis Obispo. There were 1,387 larcenies reported in San Luis Obispo in 2019, or 2,906 for every 100,000 people. Nationwide, the larceny rate is 1,550 per 100,000.

Burglary

There were 277 break-ins reported in San Luis Obispo in 2019, or 580 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 San Luis Obispo, meanwhile, there were 74 motor vehicle thefts in 2019, or 155 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 San Luis Obispo, however, violent offenses account for a smaller 10% share of all reported crime.

At 402 incidents for every 100,000 people, the violent crime rate in San Luis Obispo is above the national violent crime rate of 379 offenses per 100,000 people. Law enforcement in San Luis Obispo reported a total of 192 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 San Luis Obispo. There were 114 aggravated assaults reported in San Luis Obispo in 2019, or 239 for every 100,000 people. Nationwide, the rate is slightly 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 34 robberies reported in San Luis Obispo in 2019, a rate of 71 robberies for every 100,000 residents. For comparison, the national robbery rate was 82 per 100,000 in 2019.

Rape

There were 44 rapes reported in San Luis Obispo in 2019, or 92 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 San Luis Obispo.