If you are thinking about visiting Chula Vista 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 Chula Vista really is.
Is Chula Vista safe?
Statistically speaking, Chula Vista is a safe city. In 2020, Chula Vista had a violent crime rate of 332.50 per 100,000 residents, which is 17% less than the national average and its property crime rate of 1,182.27 per 100,000 residents is 40% less than the national average.
Here’s a scale to give you some perspective on Chula Vista’s violent crime rate:
Chula Vista crime rate breakdown
Violent Crime Rate
In 2020 Chula Vista reported 916 violent crimes and had a violent crime rate of 332.50 per 100,000 residents. Violent crimes include; homicides, rape, robbery and aggravated assaults.
Chula Vista’s violent crime is similar to cities like San Diego, Anaheim and El Paso.
Year over year violent crime has increased 1%.
You have a 1 in 301 chance of becoming a victim of violent crime in Chula Vista.
Here’s a graph showing you how violent crime has trended in Chula Vista over a 11 year period.
Chula Vista’s Murder Rate
In 2020, Chula Vista reported 10 murders and had a murder rate of 3.63 per 100,000 residents. Chula Vista’s murder rate is 44% less than the national average.
Chula Vista has a similar murder rate to cities like San Jose, Virginia Beach and Austin.
You have a 1 in 27,549 chance of becoming a victim of murder in Chula Vista.
Here’s a graph showing you how murders have trended over the last 11 years in Chula Vista.
Here’s a table you showing the murder rates of 15 major cities in the United States. Chula Vista has one of the lowest murde rate of all the cities listed.
|
Murder Rate |
Philadelphia |
35.4 |
Milwaukee | 33.53 |
Washington D.C. |
32.2 |
Chicago |
29.3 |
Oakland |
28.6 |
Houston |
20.3 |
Dallas |
16.1 |
Phoenix |
11.5 |
Portland |
11 |
Los Angeles |
10.6 |
Las Vegas |
8.7 |
Austin | 8.5 |
San Francisco |
6.3 |
New York |
5.7 |
San Diego |
4.1 |
Chula Vista | 3.6 |
San Jose |
3.1 |
Chula Vista’s Property Crime Rate
In 2020 Chula Vista reported 3,257 property crimes and had a property crime rate of 1,182.27 per 100,000 residents. Property crimes include; burglary, larceny-theft, motor vehicle theft, and arson.
Chula Vista property crime rates is on par with cities like Irvine, New York and Tampa.
Year over year property crime has decreased 15%.
You have a 1 in 85 chance of becoming a victim of property crime in Chula Vista.
Here’s a graph showing you how property crime has trended in Chula Vista over a 11 year period.
Chula Vista’s crime rate vs other cities in California (2020)
Here’s how Chula Vista’s crime rate compares to other cities in California. Chula Vista had the lowest crime rate of all cities listed.
|
Population |
Violent Crimes (2020) |
Violent Crime Rate (2020) |
440,646 |
5,937 |
1,347.34 |
|
320,804 |
4023 |
1,254.04 |
|
3,898,747 |
28,359 |
727.39 |
|
524,943 |
3547 |
675.69 |
|
542,107 |
3560 |
656.70 |
|
873,965 |
4867 |
556.89 |
|
466,742 |
2343 |
501.99 |
|
403,455 |
2007 |
497.45 |
|
1,013,240 |
4375 |
431.78 |
|
1,386,932 |
5303 |
382.35 |
|
346,824 |
1241 |
357.82 |
|
Chula Vista |
275,487 | 916 |
332.50 |
Chula Vista’s Crime Rate Comparison
Here’s a list of the top 23 most dangerous cities in the United States ranked by violent crime rates. Chula Vista’s violent crime rate is nearly 9 times less than Monroe, the most dangerous city on the list.
How are Chula Vista’s 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 916 violent crimes in Chula Vista and the population was 275,487. This equals a crime rate of 332.50 per 100,000 residents.
Chula Vista’s Crime Statistics
The most recent, complete set of crime statistics comes from the FBI UCR and are for 2019 and 2020:
|
2019 |
2020 |
Percentage Change |
Homicide |
3 |
10 |
233% |
Rape |
61 |
63 |
3% |
Robbery |
265 |
302 |
14% |
Aggravated Assault |
575 |
541 |
-6% |
VIOLENT CRIME TOTALS |
904 |
916 |
1% |
Burglary |
486 |
476 |
-2% |
Larceny/Theft |
2,503 |
2,021 |
-19% |
Motor Vehicle Theft |
827 |
760 |
-8% |
PROPERTY CRIME TOTALS |
3,816 |
3,257 |
-15% |
TOTALS |
4,720 |
4,173 |
-12% |
How much has crime increased in Chula Vista?
In 2020, Chula Vista reported 4,173 total crimes, which is a 12% decrease over 2019.
In 2020, Chula Vista reported 916 violent crimes, which is a 1% increase over 2019.
In 2020, Chula Vista reported 10 murders, which is a 233% increase over 2019.
In 2020, Chula Vista reported 3,257 property crimes, which is a 15% decrease over 2019.
Is the public transportation in Chula Vista safe?
The public transportation system in Chula Vista is handled by the MTS and it offers many routes via bus and trolleys that interweave throughout the entire city.
The trolleys and buses are generally a safe option to use during normal commuting hours (7am – 6pm), however we recommend that you use a taxi or ride sharing service outside of those hours. At night there are less people using the public transit and it can get sketchy.
Is Chula Vista safe at night?
Chula Vista is generally safe at night as long as you stay out of the problem areas. Problems areas should be fairly easy to discern when you enter them.
Be aware that streets and squares that are perfectly safe to visit in the daytime can be questionable and sketchy at night.
Learn the layout of the city and figure out which parts are good and which parts are bad and plan your trip accordingly.
What do residents of Chula Vista say about it’s safety?
- "The only sketchy area of town are those by the trolly tracks."
- "Chula Vista is relatively safe for a city of its size. It’s quiet and a nice place to raise a family."
- "I’ve lived in Chula Vista for most of my life and never had any problem here, except for the occassional loud party. There is some mild gang activity in the lower income parts of Chula Vista, but it mainly a non-factor."
- "Chula Vista is basically divided into two parts west and east. West of the 805 is older and less affluent. East of the 805 is new communities and more affluent. Take what you will with that information."
Tips to stay safe while visiting Chula Vista
- Research the city before you arrive. Learn which parts of the city are good and which parts are sketchy and plan your trip with this knowledge.
- Always be aware of your surroundings. Stay off your cellphone and keep your eyes and ears open for any potential dangers.
- 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.
- Avoid the areas around the trolley at night.
Facts about Chula Vista
- The population of Chula Vista in 2020 was 275,487 and is the 78th most populous city in the United States.
- The city covers a land area of 49.64 square miles.
- 83.8% of residents 25 and older is a high school graduate. 29.2% of residents 25 and older has a bachelors degree or higher.
- The median income for a household in the city was $86,132. The per capita income for the city was $32,521.
- 9.5% of the population live below the poverty line.
- The median home value in Chula Vista is $775,000 in 2022.
- In 2022, the average rent for a Chula Vista 2-bedroom apartment is $2,600.
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