Crime in Santa Cruz, California

Property crime

The vast majority of crimes in America are property crimes, accounting for 85% of total crimes in 2019. In Santa Cruz, however, property crimes account for about 88% of all offenses.

Property crime is much more prevalent in Santa Cruz than it is nationwide. There were 2,932 property crimes in Santa Cruz in 2019, or 4,493 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 Santa Cruz. There were 2,363 larcenies reported in Santa Cruz in 2019, or 3,621 for every 100,000 people. Nationwide, the larceny rate is 1,550 per 100,000.

Burglary

There were 348 break-ins reported in Santa Cruz in 2019, or 533 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 Santa Cruz, meanwhile, there were 221 motor vehicle thefts in 2019, or 339 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 Santa Cruz, however, violent offenses account for a smaller 12% share of all reported crime.

At 596 incidents for every 100,000 people, the violent crime rate in Santa Cruz is well above the national violent crime rate of 379 offenses per 100,000 people. Law enforcement in Santa Cruz reported a total of 389 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 Santa Cruz. There were 272 aggravated assaults reported in Santa Cruz in 2019, or 417 for every 100,000 people. Nationwide, the rate is far lower, standing at 250 aggravated assaults per 100,000 people.

Robbery

Robbery is the second most common type of violent crime in America. There were 88 robberies reported in Santa Cruz in 2019, a rate of 135 robberies for every 100,000 residents. For comparison, the national robbery rate was 82 per 100,000 in 2019.

Rape

There were 29 rapes reported in Santa Cruz in 2019, or 44 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 Santa Cruz.