Is Santa Monica Safe To Visit? Everything You Need To Know (Crime Rates And Crime Stats)


If you are thinking about visiting Santa Monica 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 Santa Monica really is.

Is Santa Monica Safe To Visit?

is santa monica safe

Santa Monica is a safe place to visit. It’s one of the safest areas of Los Angeles and it’s crime rate is not indicative of a dangerous city.

In 2020, Santa Monica had a violent crime rate of 581.25 incidents per 100,000 residents and is on par with cities like Aurora, New York and West Hollywood.

Santa Monica’s Population

The population for the Santa Monica in 2020 was 93,076.

Santa Monica Crime Stats

Here’s a breakdown of all the crimes in Santa Monica for 2019 and 2020.

2019

2020

2019 vs 2020

Homicide

3

1

-66.7%

Rape

40

38

-5.0%

Robbery

247

167

-32.4%

Aggravated Assault

374

335

-10.4%

Burglary

577

931

61.4%

Theft-Larceny

3,143

2,530

-19.5%

Motor Vehicle Theft

244

391

60.2%

Arson

19

59

210.5%

TOTALS

4,647

4,452

-4.2%

*All data is from the FBI UCR

Santa Monica’s Violent Crime Rate

In 2020 Santa Monica reported 541 violent crimes and had a violent crime rate of 573.31 per 100,000 people.

  • The national average for violent crime is 398.5 per 100,000 residents. Santa Monica’s violent crime rate is 1.46 times greater than the national average.
  • California’s violent crime rate is 442 per 100,000. Santa Monica’s violent crime rate is 1.32 times greater than the state national average.
  • Year over year violent crime has decreased 19%.

Here’s a map showing you how violent crime has trended in Santa Monica over a 30 year period. Violent crime peaked in 1991 when there were 9,446 violent crimes reported and the city had a violent crime rate of roughly 1662.52 per 100,000 people. Violent crime has decreased over 63% from it’s 30-year high in 1993.

violent crimes graphs santa monica

*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.

Santa Monica’s Property Crime Rate

In 2020 Santa Monica reported 3,911 property crimes and had a property crime rate of 4,201.94 per 100,000 people.

  • The national average for property crime is 1958.2 per 100,000 residents. Santa Monica’s property crime rate is 2.15 times greater the national average.
  • California’s property crime rate is 2138.9 per 100,000. Santa Monica’s property crime rate is 1.96 times greater than the state national average.
  • Year over year property crime in Santa Monica has decreased by 2%.
  • Santa Monica has a similar property crime rate to New Orleans, Indianapolis and Houston.

Here’s a map showing you how property crime has trended in Santa Monica over a 30 year period. Property crime peaked in 1993 when there were 3,716 property crimes reported and the city had a property crime rate of roughly 10,867.96 per 100,000 people. Property crime has decreased over 59% from it’s 30-year high in 1993.

property crimes graphs santa monica

**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.

Santa Monica’s Murder Stats

In 2020 Santa Monica reported 1 homicides, which is a 66% decrease from 2019 when 3 homicides were reported.

The most recorded number of homicides in the last 30 year years was in 1991 when 14 homicides were reported.

Santa Monica vs Other California Cities

Here’s a graph showing you how Santa Monica’s violent crime rate compares to other cities in California.

Santa Monica’s violent crime rate is 2.4 times less than Stockton, the most dangerous city on the list.

santa monica vs california cities

Santa Monica vs The Most Dangerous Cities In The United States

Here’s a list of the top 17 most dangerous cities in the United States ranked by violent crime rates. Santa Monica’s violent crime rate is 4.2 times less than Memphis, the most dangerous city in the United States.

santa monica vs most dangerous cities us

*All data is from the 2020 FBI UCR

What do residents of Santa Monica say about its safety

  1. "Santa Monica is very safe compared to other LA neighborhoods"
  2. "Santa Monica is one of the safest places in Los Angeles. Most of the residential areas are high end and the Santa Monica police are very responsive, if you should ever need it."
  3. "Santa Monica is generally safe. When you get into Venice, things can get sketchy and definitely don’t go to the Venice Boardwalk at night."
  4. "The closer you are to the beach the more petty crime you’ll have."
  5. "I’m a long time resident and I’ve never felt unsafe anywhere in Santa Monica. There is some crime here and there but the police are very active in the city."
  6. "Santa Monica is really freaking nice. Its one of the more affluent area of Los Angeles."
  7. "SM is safe during the day. Lots of tourist, there is also a contingent of bums, so watch out for them."
  8. "The only “sketchy” part of Santa Monica is Lincoln really. South of the 10 fwy. Everywhere else is fine."
  9. It’s safer than almost any part of LA. It’s very expensive to live here, but crime is low."
  10. "There a good amount of homeless in the area, but if just ignore them, they will leave you alone."

Is The Santa Monica Pier Safe?

The Santa Monica Pier is generally safe to visit during the day and night. There are usually crowds of people on the pier and there is a good amount of police presence in the area. Things might feel more sketchy later in the night when the crowd thins out and the pier becomes more deserted.

Is Downtown Santa Monica Safe?

Downtown Santa Monica is a safe area to visit. It is is walking distance of the Pier and there is usually a good amount of people and police in the area.

Is Santa Monica Beach Safe?

Santa Monica beach is a very safe beach to visit during the daytime. However you should be careful to avoid going too far south and ending up on the Venice Beach Boardwalk at night. It is a very sketchy area and there are homeless encampments set up throughout the entire area.

Is Santa Monica Dangerous At Night?

Santa Monica is generally safe day and night.

Are There Any Bad Areas in Santa Monica?

There are not many bad areas in Santa Monica and the bad areas are relatively safe compared to most other areas of Los Angeles.

Certain areas of Lincoln Blvd, south of the 10-fwy can be sketchy and we recommend that you not walk alone by yourself at night around that area.

Is Santa Monica Safe For A Woman?

Santa Monica is safe for woman traveling alone. As long as you avoid walking in deserted areas at night and stay on well lit streets, you should be fine.

Tips While Visiting Santa Monica

  • Don’t walk through alleys or deserted streets at night. Stick to the main roads and well populated areas.
  • Don’t engage with or make eye contact with homeless people or erratic people. Just keep walking.
  • Always be aware of your surroundings. Don’t let your phone or your headphones get in the way of your situational awareness.
  • Get a Godmother sandwich from Bay Cities Deli, you will not be disappointed.
  • Rent a car to get around. You’ll be grateful you did.
  • Riding a rental bike on the bike path stretching from Santa Monica Beach past Venice Beach (don’t stop here) as far as Marina del Rey is a can’t miss activity.
  • Cha Cha Chicken is a really good spot for Caribbean food.

Final Thoughts

Santa Monica is perfectly safe and has a lot to offer in terms of restaurants, bars, shopping and attractions. It’s violent crime rate is not indicative of an unsafe city, however it does have a property crime issue, so cautious of your beloings.

There’s a fair amount of homeless people scattered around the city, but other than that it’s perfectly fine.

Quick Facts About Santa Monica

Fact

Santa Monica, California

United States

Population, Census, April 1, 2020

93,076

331,449,281

Population, Census, April 1, 2010

89,736

308,745,538

Black or African American alone, percent

4.5%

13.4%

American Indian and Alaska Native alone, percent

0.3%

1.3%

Asian alone, percent

10.2%

5.9%

Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander alone, percent

0.1%

0.2%

Two or More Races, percent

5.9%

2.8%

Hispanic or Latino, percent

15.4%

18.5%

White alone, not Hispanic or Latino, percent

64.6%

60.1%

Foreign born persons, percent, 2015-2019

23.5%

13.6%

Median value of owner-occupied housing units, 2015-2019

$1,382,700.00

$217,500.00

Median selected monthly owner costs -with a mortgage, 2015-2019

$3,926.00

$1,595.00

Median gross rent, 2015-2019

$1,802.00

$1,062.00

Language other than English spoken at home, percent of persons age 5 years+, 2015-2019

28.4%

21.6%

Households with a computer, percent, 2015-2019

94.1%

90.3%

Households with a broadband Internet subscription, percent, 2015-2019

90.9%

82.7%

High school graduate or higher, percent of persons age 25 years+, 2015-2019

95.0%

88.0%

Bachelor’s degree or higher, percent of persons age 25 years+, 2015-2019

67.9%

32.1%

In civilian labor force, total, percent of population age 16 years+, 2015-2019

69.5%

63.0%

Median household income (in 2019 dollars), 2015-2019

$96,570.00

$62,843.00

Per capita income in past 12 months (in 2019 dollars), 2015-2019

$75,481.00

$34,103.00

Persons in poverty, percent

9.9%

11.4%

*All data is from the U.S. Census

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Mariska Lee

Mariska is a recovering attorney who gave up her professional job to discover new perspectives of life while traveling in a 2009 Ford Transit. She has been living the van life for 3 years and has not looked back since.

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