Disneyland is probably the first thing that comes to your mind when you think of Anaheim. And while Disneyland prides itself on the safety records of its visitors, how does the city fare in securing the safety of its residents?
If you are thinking about visiting Anaheim and have some qualms about the safety of the city, we got you covered.
We are going to deep dive into the statistics, look at some maps, graphs and talk to the residents of the city to give you a better understanding of how safe Anaheim really is.
Is Anaheim Safe?
Looking at the crime statistics, Anaheim is a safe place to visit. In 2019, Anaheim had a violent crime rate of 320.03 per 100,000 people. Out of the 100 most populous cities in the United States, Anaheim’s violent crime rate ranked 79th. San Diego, Fort Wayne and Laredo all have similar crime rates as Anaheim.
(photo: Ken Lund)
Anaheim’s Population
The population for the Anaheim in 2019 is 349,964
Anaheim Crime Stats
Here’s a breakdown of all the crimes in Anaheim for 2018 and 2019.
|
2018 |
2019 |
2018 vs 2019 |
Murder |
7 |
8 |
-14.3% |
Rape |
142 |
141 |
-0.7% |
Robbery |
407 |
396 |
-2.7% |
Aggravated Assault |
636 |
575 |
-9.6% |
Burglary |
1,408 |
1,123 |
-20.2% |
Larceny/Theft |
5,921 |
5,904 |
-0.3% |
Motor Vehicle Theft |
1,373 |
1,231 |
-10.3% |
Arson |
27 |
44 |
63.0% |
TOTAL |
9,921 |
9,422 |
5.0% |
*All data is from the FBI UCR
Anaheim Violent Crime Rate
In 2019 Anaheim reported 1,120 violent crimes and had a violent crime rate of 320.03 per 100,000 people. The national average for violent crime is 366.7 per 100,000 residents. Anaheim’s violent crime rate is 14.6% lower than the national average.
*Violent crimes include; homicides, rape, robbery and aggravated assaults and the violent crime rate is calculated by dividing the number of reported crimes by the total population; the result is multiplied by 100,000.
Anaheim Property Crime Rate
In 2019 Anaheim reported 8,302 property crimes and had a property crime rate of 2,372.24 per 100,000 people. The national average for property crime is 2,109.9 per 100,000 residents. Anaheim’s property crime rate is 12% higher than the national average.
Out of the 100 most populous cities in the United States, Anaheim’s property crime rate ranked 73rd.
**Property crimes include; arson, burglary, larceny-theft, and motor vehicle theft are classified as property crimes. The property crime rate is calculated by dividing the number of reported crimes by the total population; the result is multiplied by 100,000.
Anaheim Murder Stats
In 2019 Anaheim reported 8 homicides, which gives it a murder rate of 2.28 per 100,000 residents. The national murder rate is 5 per 100,000 people. Anaheim’s murder rate is 2.19 times less than the national average.
To put it in perspective, St. Louis had a murder rate of 86.87 in 2020. Anaheim’s murder rate is 38 times LESS than St. Louis.
Anaheim vs The Rest Of California
Here’s a table showing you violent crime rate and property crime rate of the top 20 most populous cities in the state of California.
Anaheim’s violent crime rate of 320.03, places it in 16th place behind San Jose.
City |
Population |
Violent Crime Rate |
Property Crime Rate |
313,604 |
1,396.67 |
3,943.51 |
|
216,715 |
1,318.78 |
4,190.30 |
|
434,036 |
1,271.78 |
6,420.67 |
|
Modesto |
216,542 |
811.85 |
3,317.14 |
Los Angeles |
4,015,546 |
732.15 |
2,383.34 |
San Francisco |
886,007 |
669.63 |
5,505.60 |
513,934 |
627.12 |
3,182.12 |
|
467,974 |
506.22 |
2,414.02 |
|
Riverside |
333,260 |
505.91 |
2,937.65 |
Bakersfield |
388,080 |
455.06 |
4,141.93 |
1,040,008 |
438.36 |
2,419.60 |
|
333,664 |
436.6 |
2,040.38 |
|
San Diego |
1,441,737 |
361.72 |
1,882.52 |
Fontana |
215,883 |
342.32 |
1,433.18 |
Chula Vista |
275,230 |
328.45 |
1,386.48 |
Anaheim |
353,915 |
320.03 |
2,333.33 |
Fremont |
240,887 |
166.05 |
1,877.64 |
Santa Clarita |
218,103 |
127.00 |
944.05 |
Irvine |
292,673 |
64.24 |
1,306.24 |
*All data is from the 2019 FBI Uniform Crime Reporting Datasets
Anaheim vs The Most Dangerous Cities In The United States
Here’s a list of the top 10 most dangerous cities in the United States ranked by violent crime rate. It can give you some perspective on Anaheim’s violent crime rate, which is 320.03 per 100,000 people.
Anaheim’s violent crime rate is 7.55 times LESS than Memphis, the most dangerous city on the list.
City | Population | Number of violent crimes in 2020 | Rate per 100,000 people |
Memphis | 633,104 | 15,310 | 2,418.24 |
Detroit | 639,111 | 14,370 | 2,248.44 |
Baltimore | 2,707,064 | 9,273 | 2,027.01 |
St. Louis | 301,578 | 6,017 | 1,995.17 |
Little Rock | 202,591 | 3,657 | 1,805.11 |
South Bend | 103,453 | 1,765 | 1,706.09 |
Cleveland | 372,624 | 6,281 | 1,685.61 |
Milwaukee | 577,222 | 9,407 | 1,629.70 |
Kansas City | 508,090 | 7,919 | 1,558.58 |
Lansing | 112,644 | 1,699 | 1,508.29 |
Springfield | 169,176 | 2,545 | 1,504.35 |
*All data is from the 2019 FBI Crime Stats Report**
What do residents of Anaheim say about its safety
- "Orange County is one of the safest regions in the country and Anaheim gets a bad rap when compared to its neighbor but if you compare it on a national leve, it is really safe."
- "People that claim Anaheim is dangerous have never left their cul-de-sac."
- "If you are comparing Anaheim to Irvine, its probably unsafe by those standards. Compared to Los Angeles or San Francisco, Anaheim is a lot safer."
- "There’s a few bad neighborhoods here and there, but it is not bad overall."
- "People who call it ‘Anacrime’, have seriously never left Orange County and have never really experienced a place where crime is rampant."
- "As long as you stay away from Beach ave and Ball rd you will be fine."
- "I live in a not so great area of Anaheim and it’s still not unsafe. There are parts taht are unsightly and there are some homeless people who hang out at the park but it’s nothing serious. The things we worry about are thieves stealing packages or bikes that aren’t locked. There is not really any violence or gang banging or anything like that."
- "It’s no Irvine, but then again its not Detroit. It’s way closer to Irvine in terms of safety than it is closer to Detroit in terms of danger."
Is Downtown Anaheim Safe?
Downtown Anaheim is safe to visit at night. There is a lot of investment into the downtown area right now and it is being slowly gentrified. You will find a lot of hip bars, restaurants and shops in the area.
Is Anaheim safe at night?
Anaheim is safe at night. Avoid walking alone around sketchy areas at night and you should be able to mitigate your chances of becoming a victim.
Is it safe to visit alone?
Anaheim is a safe place to visit alone. You can mitigate your chances of becoming a victim if you learn the layout of the city, avoid the sketchy areas and follow the safety tips posted below.
Tips To Stay Safe In Anaheim
- Don’t leave valuables in plain sight in your car.
- Always be aware of your surroundings.
- Don’t walk alone at night, especially in unlit or desolate areas.
- Do not make extended eye contact with people.
- Trust your instincts. It something feels off, it probably is. Remove yourself from that situation.
- Don’t wear flash jewelry, watches or purses. Doing so makes you a walking advertisement for thieves.
- Drink responsibly and never to excess. Being overly drunk can make you a target for scammers and thieves.
Final Thoughts
Anaheim is a safe place to visit. It’s crime statistics are low and even lower than the national average. You will be fine in most places in Anaheim and even the worst parts of Anaheim are relatively mild compared to nearby Los Angeles.
Quick Facts About Anaheim
Fact |
Anaheim, California |
United States |
Population, Census, April 1, 2010 |
336,265 |
308,745,538 |
Population, Census, April 1, 2020 |
346,824 |
331,449,281 |
White alone, percent |
66.4% |
76.3% |
Black or African American alone, percent |
2.7% |
13.4% |
Asian alone, percent |
16.8% |
5.9% |
Hispanic or Latino, percent |
54.3% |
18.5% |
White alone, not Hispanic or Latino, percent |
24.2% |
60.1% |
Median value of owner-occupied housing units, 2015-2019 |
$575,600.00 |
$217,500.00 |
Median selected monthly owner costs -with a mortgage, 2015-2019 |
$2,473.00 |
$1,595.00 |
Median gross rent, 2015-2019 |
$1,651.00 |
$1,062.00 |
High school graduate or higher, percent of persons age 25 years+, 2015-2019 |
76.8% |
88.0% |
Bachelor’s degree or higher, percent of persons age 25 years+, 2015-2019 |
25.5% |
32.1% |
In civilian labor force, total, percent of population age 16 years+, 2015-2019 |
67.3% |
63.0% |
Total accommodation and food services sales, 2012 ($1,000) |
1,589,090 |
708,138,598 |
Median household income (in 2019 dollars), 2015-2019 |
$71,763.00 |
$62,843.00 |
Per capita income in past 12 months (in 2019 dollars), 2015-2019 |
$28,465.00 |
$34,103.00 |
Persons in poverty, percent |
14.8% |
11.4% |
*All data is from the U.S. Census
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