If you are thinking about visiting Moreno Valley 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 Moreno Valley safe?
Although Moreno Valley has a spotty reputation among residents of the Inland Empire, if you just look at the statistics, Moreno Valley is a safe city. In 2020, Moreno Valley had a violent crime rate of 398.82 per 100,000 residents, which is on par with the national average. Moreno Valley’s crime rate is 3 times less than San Bernardino and 18% less than Riverside, its neighboring cities.
Here’s a scale to give you some perspective on Moreno Valley’s crime rate
Moreno Valley Crime Rates And Crime Stats
The most recent, complete set of crime statistics comes from the FBI UCR and cross referenced with the Moreno Valley PD and are for 2019 and 2020:
Moreno Valley police reported a total of 5,972 offenses in 2020, compared with 6,390 in 2019, which is a 7% year-over-year decrease.
2019
2020
% Change
Homicide
15
17
13%
Rape
19
28
47%
Robbery
290
245
-16%
Aggravated Assaults
523
543
4%
VIOLENT CRIME TOTALS
847
833
-2%
Burglary
966
734
-24%
Larceny
3,489
3,230
-7%
Motor Vehicle Theft
1,079
1,162
8%
Arson
9
13
44%
PROPERTY CRIME TOTALS
5,543
5,139
-7%
TOTAL CRIME
6,390
5,972
-7%
Violent Crime Rate
In 2020 Moreno Valley reported 833 violent crimes and had a violent crime rate of 398.82 per 100,000 residents. Moreno Valley’s violent crime rate is roughly the same as the national average.
Year over year violent crime increased 2%.
You have a 1 in 251 chance of becoming a victim of violent crime in Moreno Valley.
Violent crimes include; homicides, rape, robbery and aggravated assaults.
Here’s a graph showing you how violent crime has trended in Moreno Valley in the last 11 years.
Property Crime Rate
In 2020 Moreno Valley reported 5,139 property crimes and had a property crime rate of 2,460.44 per 100,000 residents. Moreno Valley’s property crime rate is 26% higher than the national average.
Year over year property crime decreased 7%.
You have a 1 in 41 chance of becoming a victim of property crime in Moreno Valley.
Property crimes include; burglary, larceny-theft, motor vehicle theft, and arson.
Murder Rate
In 2020 Moreno Valley reported 17 murders and had a murder rate of 8.14 per 100,000 residents. Moreno Valley’s murder rate is 25% greater than the national average.
Year over year murders decreased 67%.
You have a 1 in 12,286 chance of becoming a victim of property crime in Moreno Valley.
Moreno Valley neighborhoods to avoid
Here’s a map showing you the areas in Moreno Valley that you should avoid (colored red) – Justice Map
Moreno Valley’s crime rate vs other cities in California (2020)
Here’s how Moreno Valley’s crime rate compared to other cities in California. Moreno Valley had a similar crime rate to Anaheim and San Diego.
Here’s a list of the top 23 most dangerous cities in the United States ranked by violent crime rates. Moreno Valley’s violent crime rate is 7 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
Moreno Valley
208,865
398.82
Is the public transportation in Moreno Valley, CA safe?
The public transportation system in Moreno Valley is handled by the Riverside Transit Agency (RTA), which offers many routes that interweave throughout the entire city.
The RTA is generally a safe option to use during normal commuting hours (6am – 8pm). Before and after these hours, we recommend that you take a cab or use a ride sharing service.
Is Moreno Valley, CA safe at night?
Moreno Valley is safe at night as long as you avoid walking through the sketchy areas. You should also stay in well populated and well lit areas at night. Walking through desolate areas late at night is a recipe for failure.
What do residents of Moreno Valley say about it’s safety?
Moreno Valley is not nearly as bad as some people make it out to be. I have lived here most of my life and I have never been afraid to walk around my neighborhood. Sure, there are some areas that are sketchy, but there are also plenty of places that are perfectly safe.
Generally speaking the areas near the highway and heading south through the neghborhoods in the central part of Moreno Valley is rough. north of the 60 is nicer.
Moreno Valley is trash. There’s absolutely nothing to do here except watching meth addicts rummage through trash.
Moreno Valley is not Irvine but we sure as hell are not San Bernardino. Just use some common sense and you should be fine.
I’m tired of people calling Moreno Valley ghetto. It’s just not true. Crime here is not that bad compared to San Bernardino.
Moreno Valley is a shit hole. There are way too many incompetent people trying to run this city and it shows.
If you are thinking about moving here, North of the 60 has the best neighborhoods, as well as the southeast areas. Avoid the Edgemont area, a lot of gang activity there. Also on Weber ave.
Tips to stay safe while visiting Moreno Valley, CA
Familiarize yourself with the city before you arrive. Figure out what parts of the city are safe and what parts are sketchy and plan your trip with that knowledge.
Avoid walking by yourself at night.
Don’t walk through deserted or desolate areas at night. Stay in places that are well populated.
Don’t use the ATM at night.
Don’t leave valuables in your car. Put anything worth value in your trunk. Make your car as uninviting to thieves as possible.
Always trust your intuition. If you think something is amiss, remove yourself from that situation.
There’s no need to be courtesy to anyone that is making you feel uncomfortable.
Wait a second or two when the light turns green before crossing the street or driving through the intersection.
Facts about Moreno Valley, CA
The population of Moreno Valley in 2020 was 208,865 and is the 20th most populous city in California.
The city covers a land area of 51.30 sq mi.
The median age was 28.6 years.
78.0% of residents 25 and older is a high school graduate. 17.1% of residents 25 and older has a bachelors degree or higher.
The median income for a household in the city was $70,385. The per capita income for the city was $22,364.
14.0% of the population live below the poverty line.
The median home value in Moreno Valley is $550K in 2022.
In 2022, the average rent for a Moreno Valley 2-bedroom apartment is $2,500.
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