If you are thinking about visiting Santa Barbara and have some qualms about the safety of the city, we got you covered.
Lets deep dive into the some crime statistics and crime rates and see how safe or dangerous Santa Barbara really is.
Is Santa Barbara safe?
Statistically speaking, Santa Barbara is a safe city. In 2020, Santa Barbara had a violent crime rate of 438.73 per 100,000 residents, which is 10% greater than the national average and its property crime rate of 2,467.72 per 100,000 residents is 26% greater than the national average.
Does Santa Barbara have a high crime rate?
Santa Barbara has a low crime rate and is similar to cities like Austin and New York. Here’s a scale to give you some perspective on Santa Barbara’s crime rate:
Santa Barbara, CA crime rate breakdown
Violent Crime Rate
In 2020 Santa Barbara reported 389 violent crimes and had a violent crime rate of 438.73 per 100,000 residents. Violent crimes include; homicides, rape, robbery and aggravated assaults.
Year over year violent crime has decreased 3%.
You have a 1 in 228 chance of becoming a victim of violent crime in Santa Barbara.
Here’s a graph showing you how violent crime has trended in Santa Barbara over a 11 year period.
Santa Barbara’s Murder Rate
In 2020, Santa Barbara reported 2 murders and had a murder rate of 2.3 per 100,000 residents. Santa Barbara’s murder rate is 65% less than the national average.
Year over year murder has remained the same.
You have a 1 in 44,333 chance of becoming a victim of murder in Santa Barbara.
Here’s a graph showing you how murders have trended over the last 11 years in Santa Barbara.
Here’s a table you showing the murder rates of 15 major cities in the United States. Santa Barbara has a similar murder rate to San Diego and New York.
In 2020 Santa Barbara reported 2,188 property crimes and had a property crime rate of 2,467.72 per 100,000 residents. Property crimes include; burglary, larceny-theft, motor vehicle theft, and arson.
Year over year property crime has increased 3 %.
You have a 1 in 41 chance of becoming a victim of property crime in Santa Barbara.
Here’s a graph showing you how property crime has trended in Santa Barbara over a 11 year period.
Santa Barbara’s crime rate vs other cities in California (2020)
Here’s how Santa Barbara’s crime rate compared to other cities in California. Santa Barbara had the lowest crime rates of all cities listed.
Here’s a list of the top 23 most dangerous cities in the United States ranked by violent crime rates. Santa Barbara’s violent crime rate is 6.7 times less than Monroe, Louisiana, the most dangerous city on the list.
How are Santa Barbara, CA crime rates calculated?
Crime rate is calculated by dividing the number of reported crimes by the total population; the result is multiplied by 100,000.
For example, in 2020 there were 389 violent crimes in Santa Barbara and the population was 88,665. This equals a crime rate of 438.73 per 100,000 residents.
Santa Barbara, CA Crime Stats
The most recent, complete set of crime statistics comes from the FBI UCR and are for 2019 and 2020:
2019
2020
% Change
Murder
2
2
0%
Rape
72
60
-17%
Robbery
82
84
2%
Aggravated Assault
244
243
-0%
Violent Offense Total
400
389
-3%
Burglary
254
217
-15%
Larceny
1,686
1,748
4%
Motor Vehicle Theft
178
223
25%
Property Offense Total
2,118
2,188
3%
Total Index Offenses
2,518
2,577
2%
How much has crime increased in Santa Barbara?
In 2020, Santa Barbara reported 2,577 total crimes, which is a 2% increase over 2019.
In 2020, Santa Barbara reported 389 violent crimes, which is a 3% decrease over 2019.
In 2020, Santa Barbara reported 2 murders, which is a 0% increase over 2019.
In 2020, Santa Barbara reported 2,188 property crimes, which is a 3% increase over 2019.
Is downtown Santa Barbara safe?
Downtown Santa Barbara is generally a safe area to visit day and night. It’s a very popular area that is usually filled with crowds of people and has a good police presence.
Is the public transportation in Santa Barbara safe?
The public transportation system in Santa Barbara is handled by the Santa Barbara MTD, which offers many routes that interweave throughout the entire city.
The MTD is generally a safe option to use to get around Santa Barbara.
Is Santa Barbara safe at night?
There is almost nowhere in Santa Barbara that is genuinely unsafe and suffice to say, Santa Barbara is generally a safe city at night.
However that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t throw all caution to the wind. You should always keep your wits about you and always be aware of your surroundings.
What do residents of Santa Barbara say about it’s safety?
"Santa Barbara is a very safe place to live and raise a family. It’s very peaceful here."
"I’ve lived here for over 15 years and I honestly never felt unsafe. Supposedly there is some gang violence but I never seen anything of that sort. There’s some homeless here and there but they usually keep to themselves."
"There are no bad areas in Santa Barbara. It’s a great place to live and to raise your kids, but only if you can afford it. The most violent thing is the cost of living here."
"Santa Barbara is pretty damn safe and people around here don’t really fear for their safety."
"Santa Barbara is as safe as it gets and if somehow you fear for your safety here, go to a doctor and get your head checked."
"The Safest city I’ve lived in, nothing to worry about here."
Tips to stay safe while visiting Santa Barbara
Always be aware of your surroundings. Stay off your cellphone and keep your eyes and ears open for any potential dangers.
Always walk with confidence and purpose. Criminals like to target individuals who meek or unsure of themselves.
Don’t travel by yourself late at night.
Don’t leave valuables in your car or in plain sight in your car.
Don’t park in desolate areas or areas that are not well lit. Consider using parking garages when visiting.
Facts about Santa Barbara, CA
The population of Santa Barbara in 2020 was 88,665 and is the 91st most populous city in California.
The city covers a land area of 19.50 square miles.
The median age was 36.8 years.
87.8% of residents 25 and older is a high school graduate. 50.1% of residents 25 and older has a bachelors degree or higher.
The median income for a household in the city was $81,618. The per capita income for the city was $49,666.
12.3% of the population live below the poverty line.
The median home value in Santa Barbara is $1.75M in 2022.
In 2022, the average rent for a Santa Barbara 2-bedroom apartment is $4,098.
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