If you are thinking about visiting Mission Viejo and have qualms about the safety of the city, we got you covered. We deep dived into the statistics, crime rates and talked to the residents of the city to give you a better understanding of how safe the safe the city really is.
Is Mission Viejo safe?
Statistically speaking, Mission Viejo is a very safe city as indicated by its crime rates. In 2020, Mission Viejo had a violent crime rate of 74.24 per 100,000 residents, which is 81% less than the national average. Mission Viejo’s had one of the lowest crime rate for a city of its size. It’s crime rate is similar to cities like cities like Irvine, Aliso Viejo and Laguna Niguel
Here’s a scale to give you some perspective on Mission Viejo’s crime rate
Mission Viejo Crime Rates And Crime Stats
The most recent, complete set of crime statistics comes from the FBI UCR and cross referenced with the Mission Viejo PD and are for 2019 and 2020:
Mission Viejo police reported a total of 925 offenses in 2020, compared with 936 in 2019, which is a 1 percent year-over-year decrease.
CRIME REPORTS |
2019 |
2020 |
Percentage Change |
Homicide |
1 |
0 |
-100% |
Rape |
8 |
5 |
-38% |
Robbery |
22 |
20 |
-9% |
Aggravated Assault |
34 |
46 |
35% |
VIOLENT CRIME TOTAL |
65 |
71 |
9% |
Burglary |
121 |
112 |
-7% |
Larceny/Theft |
689 |
659 |
-4% |
Auto Theft |
56 |
82 |
46% |
Arson |
5 |
1 |
-80% |
PROPERTY CRIMES TOTAL |
871 |
854 |
-2% |
CRIME TOTALS |
936 |
925 |
-1% |
Violent Crime Rate
In 2020 Mission Viejo reported 769 violent crimes and had a violent crime rate of 74.24 per 100,000 residents. Mission Viejo’s violent crime rate is 81% less than the national average.
Year over year violent crime increased 9%.
You have a 1 in 1,347 chance of becoming a victim of violent crime in Mission Viejo.
Violent crimes include; homicides, rape, robbery and aggravated assaults.
Here’s a graph showing you how violent crime has trended in Mission Viejo in the last 11 years.
Property Crime Rate
In 2020 Mission Viejo reported 854 property crimes and had a property crime rate of 892.95 per 100,000 residents. Mission Viejo’s property crime rate is 54% less than the national average.
Year over year property crime decreased 2%.
You have a 1 in 112 chance of becoming a victim of property crime in Mission Viejo.
Property crimes include; burglary, larceny-theft, motor vehicle theft, and arson.
Murder Rate
In 2020 Mission Viejo reported 0 murders and had a murder rate of 0 per 100,000 residents.
Mission Viejo Crime Map
Here’s a map showing you all the locations of violent crime (homicides, robberies and sexual assaults) in Mission Viejo from 1/1/2022 – 6/15/2022 via CrimeMapping
Mission Viejo’s crime rate vs other cities in California (2020)
Here’s how Mission Viejo’s crime rate compared to other cities in California. Mission Viejo had the lowest crime rate of all cities listed.
|
Population |
Violent Crime Rate |
440,646 |
1,347.34 |
|
320,804 |
1,254.04 |
|
3,898,747 |
727.39 |
|
524,943 |
675.69 |
|
542,107 |
656.70 |
|
873,965 |
556.89 |
|
466,742 |
501.99 |
|
403,455 |
497.45 |
|
1,013,240 |
431.78 |
|
1,386,932 |
382.35 |
|
346,824 |
357.82 |
|
Mission Viejo | 95,638 | 74.24 |
Mission Viejo’s Crime Rate Comparison
Here’s a list of the top 23 most dangerous cities in the United States ranked by violent crime rates. Mission Viejo’s violent crime rate is 40 times less than Monroe, Louisiana, the most dangerous city on the list.
City |
Population |
Violent Crime Rate per 100,000 people |
Monroe |
47,702 |
2,932.79 |
Memphis |
633,104 |
2,418.24 |
Atlantic City |
38,497 |
2,335.25 |
Saginaw |
44,202 |
2,327.95 |
Detroit |
639,111 |
2,248.44 |
St. Louis |
301,578 |
1,995.17 |
Alexandria |
45,275 |
1,877.42 |
Pine Bluff |
41,253 |
1,808.35 |
Little Rock |
202,591 |
1,805.11 |
Milwaukee |
577,222 |
1,733.13 |
South Bend |
103,453 |
1,706.09 |
Cleveland |
372,624 |
1,689.10 |
Camden |
71,791 |
1,632.52 |
Birmingham |
200,733 |
1,577.22 |
Kansas City |
508,090 |
1,558.58 |
Baltimore |
585,708 |
1,460.11 |
Albuquerque |
564,559 |
1,406.41 |
Chattanooga |
181,099 |
1,382.67 |
San Bernardino |
222,101 |
1,365.59 |
New Orleans |
383,997 |
1,358.08 |
Oakland |
440,646 |
1,347.34 |
Mission Viejo | 95,638 | 74.24 |
Is the public transportation in Mission Viejo, CA safe?
The public transportation system in Mission Viejo is handled by the MV Shuttle and OCTA, which offers many routes that interweave throughout the entire city.
The MV Shuttle and OCTA is generally a safe option to use during the day and night.
Is Mission Viejo, CA safe at night?
Mission Viejo is a very safe city at night. It is one of those rare cities where you can walk anywhere in the city at night and not feel in danger.
What do residents of Mission Viejo say about it’s safety?
- The South Orange County areas (Irvine, Mission Viejo, Aliso Viejo, Laguna Niguel, etc) is a really nice and quiet place for families. And if you look at the stats, they are some of the safest places to live in California.
- Mission Viejo is very safe, quiet and suburban but it’s also very homogeneous and boring.
- Safety is the last thing you have to worry about in Mission Viejo. Being bored to death is probably at the top of the list.
- If you want to live in a place that’s is safe, clean, and quiet, Mission Viejo checks all the boxes.
- I have lived in Mission Viejo for a good portion of my life and I have never once feared for my safety. Nor do I know any neighbors or friends who haved feared for their safety. Crime is non-existent here. It’s very idyllic.
- Mission Viejo is the type of city that you could walk around at 1am and nothing bad will happen to you. A police officer might pull over and ask you a few questions but that’s about it.
- Mission Viejo and the surrounding cities are in this bubble of safety, where crime is rare. Yeah, you might have some petty crime here and there but nothing serious.
- There are no bad areas in Mission Viejo. Everywhere is clean and on the up and up. There are also no gangs. A good place ot raise a family.
Tips to stay safe while visiting Mission Viejo, CA
- Be aware of your surroundings at all times
- Don’t leave valuables in plain sight in your car. Take them with you or put it in the trunk.
- Walk with confidence and like you know where you are going. Don’t look like a lost tourist.Trust your gut.
- Walk away if something or someone doesn’t give you a good feelin
Facts about Mission Viejo, CA
- The population of Mission Viejo in 2020 was 95,638 and is the 81st most populous city in California.
- The city covers a land area of 17.66 sq mi.
- The median age was 42.2 years.
- 94.8% of residents 25 and older is a high school graduate. 49.6% of residents 25 and older has a bachelors degree or higher.
- The median income for a household in the city was $121,299. The per capita income for the city was $50,923.
- 4.8% of the population live below the poverty line.
- The median home value in Mission Viejo is $1.1M in 2022.
- In 2022, the average rent for a Mission Viejo 2-bedroom apartment is $3,000.
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