Do you live in one of the murder capitals of California?
We all watch the news with horror when we hear about a homicide that happens not that far away from us. While a murder just blocks or even a couple of towns away from your house would make anyone uneasy, in the long run, most likely, where you live is relatively safe.
To find the cities in California with the most murders and the highest murder rates per capita, we used Saturday Night Science to compare the FBI crime data on murders for the 239 cities in the Golden State with over 5,000 residents.
Table Of Contents: Top Ten | Methodology | Summary | Table
Cities With Highest Murder Rates In California
What city has the highest murder rate in California? The city with the highest murder rate in California is Commerce with 50.9 murders per 100,000 people.
What is the city in California with highest number of murders? The city in California with the highest number of murders is Los Angeles with 387 murders.
Read on below to see how we crunched the numbers and how your town in California ranked. There were ‘only’ 239 cities in California where a city reported a murder to the FBI, meaning 180 places had no murder.
For more reading on the Golden State check out:
- Best Places To Live In California
- Cheapest Places To Live In California
- Most Dangerous Cities In California
The 10 Murder Capitals Of California For 2024
/10
Population: 11,787
Murders: 6 (49th Most)
Murders Per 100k: 50.9 (Most)
More on Commerce: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living
/10
Population: 222,623
Murders: 72 (3rd Most)
Murders Per 100k: 32.3 (2nd Most)
More on San Bernardino: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living
/10
Population: 10,318
Murders: 3 (10Most)
Murders Per 100k: 29.1 (3rd Most)
More on Exeter: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living
/10
Population: 428,374
Murders: 121 (2nd Most)
Murders Per 100k: 28.2 (4th Most)
More on Oakland: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living
/10
Population: 25,465
Murders: 6 (49th Most)
Murders Per 100k: 23.6 (5th Most)
More on Barstow: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living
/10
Population: 13,510
Murders: 3 (10Most)
Murders Per 100k: 22.2 (6th Most)
More on Hawaiian Gardens: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living
/10
Population: 43,065
Murders: 9 (32nd Most)
Murders Per 100k: 20.9 (7th Most)
More on Coachella: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living
/10
Population: 91,625
Murders: 19 (13th Most)
Murders Per 100k: 20.7 (8th Most)
More on Compton: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living
/10
Population: 14,755
Murders: 3 (10Most)
Murders Per 100k: 20.3 (9th Most)
More on Mcfarland: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living
/10
Population: 14,897
Murders: 3 (10Most)
Murders Per 100k: 20.1 (10th Most)
More on Livingston: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living
Methodology: How we calculated the murder capitals of California
While there are surveys and public polls on what cities in a state are the most dangerous, we wanted to rely on something other than speculation and opinion. Instead, we used Saturday Night Science to compare the hard numbers from the FBI’s last year of reporting. Specifically, we analyzed the FBI’s Uniform Crime Report, which summarizes the number of murders in each city annually.
We only looked at every single city in California for which FBI data was available for the most recent FBI Crime In The United States. That left us with 239 cities to rank.
We took the number of murders per capita as the ranking factor. The place with the most murders per capita based on the most recent data is Commerce. It is our tenth time ranking the places with the most murders per capita in California. We updated the list for 2024.
Summary: The Places With The Most Murders In California For 2024
If you’re looking at the places in California with the most murders, and where residents have the highest chances of being killed themselves, this is an accurate list. Again, these statistics are an indication of where crimes occur, not a statement about the effectiveness of the law enforcement in the areas they serve.
The cities with the highest murder per capita in California are Commerce, San Bernardino, Exeter, Oakland, Barstow, Hawaiian Gardens, Coachella, Compton, McFarland, and Livingston.
For more California reading, check out:
- Best Places To Raise A Family In California
- Fastest Growing Cities In California
- Safest Places In California
- Best Cities For Singles In California
- Worst Places To Live In California
Murder Rates By City In California
| Rank | City | Population | Murders | Murders/100K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Commerce, CA | 11787 | 6 | 50.9 |
| 2 | San Bernardino, CA | 222623 | 72 | 32.34 |
| 3 | Exeter, CA | 10318 | 3 | 29.08 |
| 4 | Oakland, CA | 428374 | 121 | 28.25 |
| 5 | Barstow, CA | 25465 | 6 | 23.56 |
| 6 | Hawaiian Gardens, CA | 13510 | 3 | 22.21 |
| 7 | Coachella, CA | 43065 | 9 | 20.9 |
| 8 | Compton, CA | 91625 | 19 | 20.74 |
| 9 | McFarland, CA | 14755 | 3 | 20.33 |
| 10 | Livingston, CA | 14897 | 3 | 20.14 |
| 11 | Big Bear, CA | 5085 | 1 | 19.67 |
| 12 | Big Bear, CA | 5305 | 1 | 18.85 |
| 13 | East Palo Alto, CA | 27800 | 5 | 17.99 |
| 14 | Vallejo, CA | 123940 | 22 | 17.75 |
| 15 | Inglewood, CA | 102879 | 17 | 16.52 |
| 16 | Santa Fe Springs, CA | 18282 | 3 | 16.41 |
| 17 | Banning, CA | 31050 | 5 | 16.1 |
| 18 | Atwater, CA | 32157 | 5 | 15.55 |
| 19 | Oroville, CA | 19868 | 3 | 15.1 |
| 20 | Stockton, CA | 323501 | 48 | 14.84 |
| 21 | King City, CA | 13518 | 2 | 14.8 |
| 22 | Richmond, CA | 115043 | 17 | 14.78 |
| 23 | Gridley, CA | 7349 | 1 | 13.61 |
| 24 | Corcoran, CA | 22609 | 3 | 13.27 |
| 25 | Bell Gardens, CA | 37720 | 5 | 13.26 |
| 26 | Baldwin Park, CA | 69205 | 9 | 13.0 |
| 27 | Colton, CA | 54597 | 7 | 12.82 |
| 28 | National City, CA | 55676 | 7 | 12.57 |
| 29 | Maywood, CA | 24040 | 3 | 12.48 |
| 30 | Lynwood, CA | 64142 | 8 | 12.47 |
| 31 | Tulare, CA | 72303 | 9 | 12.45 |
| 32 | Victorville, CA | 137169 | 17 | 12.39 |
| 33 | Desert Hot Springs, CA | 32923 | 4 | 12.15 |
| 34 | Susanville, CA | 16493 | 2 | 12.13 |
| 35 | Soledad, CA | 24811 | 3 | 12.09 |
| 36 | Ukiah, CA | 16764 | 2 | 11.93 |
| 37 | Reedley, CA | 25269 | 3 | 11.87 |
| 38 | Lompoc, CA | 43363 | 5 | 11.53 |
| 39 | Blythe, CA | 17853 | 2 | 11.2 |
| 40 | Fresno, CA | 546871 | 61 | 11.15 |
| 41 | Palmdale, CA | 162316 | 18 | 11.09 |
| 42 | Lemon Grove, CA | 27208 | 3 | 11.03 |
| 43 | Palm Springs, CA | 45463 | 5 | 11.0 |
| 44 | Highland, CA | 57248 | 6 | 10.48 |
| 45 | Azusa, CA | 47754 | 5 | 10.47 |
| 46 | Arcata, CA | 19144 | 2 | 10.45 |
| 47 | Sacramento, CA | 526671 | 54 | 10.25 |
| 48 | Los Angeles, CA | 3809182 | 387 | 10.16 |
| 49 | Pomona, CA | 145600 | 14 | 9.62 |
| 50 | Porterville, CA | 62865 | 6 | 9.54 |
| 51 | Huntington Park, CA | 52507 | 5 | 9.52 |
| 52 | Bell, CA | 32140 | 3 | 9.33 |
| 53 | Morro Bay, CA | 10807 | 1 | 9.25 |
| 54 | Bakersfield, CA | 411873 | 38 | 9.23 |
| 55 | Fairfield, CA | 119583 | 11 | 9.2 |
| 56 | Cudahy, CA | 21807 | 2 | 9.17 |
| 57 | Downey, CA | 109226 | 10 | 9.16 |
| 58 | Placerville, CA | 10951 | 1 | 9.13 |
| 59 | Santa Maria, CA | 109518 | 10 | 9.13 |
| 60 | El Centro, CA | 44076 | 4 | 9.08 |
| 61 | Arvin, CA | 22149 | 2 | 9.03 |
| 62 | Cathedral City, CA | 55417 | 5 | 9.02 |
| 63 | Healdsburg, CA | 11229 | 1 | 8.91 |
| 64 | Claremont, CA | 35068 | 3 | 8.55 |
| 65 | Newark, CA | 46861 | 4 | 8.54 |
| 66 | La Habra, CA | 62082 | 5 | 8.05 |
| 67 | Long Beach, CA | 447528 | 36 | 8.04 |
| 68 | Salinas, CA | 162187 | 13 | 8.02 |
| 69 | Loma Linda, CA | 25350 | 2 | 7.89 |
| 70 | Antioch, CA | 114338 | 9 | 7.87 |
| 71 | Marysville, CA | 12711 | 1 | 7.87 |
| 72 | Montclair, CA | 38203 | 3 | 7.85 |
| 73 | Paramount, CA | 51405 | 4 | 7.78 |
| 74 | Kingsburg, CA | 12879 | 1 | 7.76 |
| 75 | Lancaster, CA | 167481 | 13 | 7.76 |
| 76 | Imperial Beach, CA | 25933 | 2 | 7.71 |
| 77 | Indio, CA | 91604 | 7 | 7.64 |
| 78 | Carson, CA | 92021 | 7 | 7.61 |
| 79 | Benicia, CA | 26599 | 2 | 7.52 |
| 80 | Eureka, CA | 26656 | 2 | 7.5 |
| 81 | Grass Valley, CA | 13895 | 1 | 7.2 |
| 82 | San Francisco, CA | 764693 | 55 | 7.19 |
| 83 | Hawthorne, CA | 84283 | 6 | 7.12 |
| 84 | Ridgecrest, CA | 28290 | 2 | 7.07 |
| 85 | Whittier, CA | 85074 | 6 | 7.05 |
| 86 | Red Bluff, CA | 14529 | 1 | 6.88 |
| 87 | Parlier, CA | 14760 | 1 | 6.78 |
| 88 | Pico Rivera, CA | 59557 | 4 | 6.72 |
| 89 | California City, CA | 15138 | 1 | 6.61 |
| 90 | Hemet, CA | 91046 | 6 | 6.59 |
| 91 | Merced, CA | 92191 | 6 | 6.51 |
| 92 | Artesia, CA | 15608 | 1 | 6.41 |
| 93 | Upland, CA | 79430 | 5 | 6.29 |
| 94 | Visalia, CA | 144137 | 9 | 6.24 |
| 95 | Perris, CA | 80784 | 5 | 6.19 |
| 96 | El Segundo, CA | 16550 | 1 | 6.04 |
| 97 | Clearlake, CA | 16901 | 1 | 5.92 |
| 98 | Lodi, CA | 68207 | 4 | 5.86 |
| 99 | Laguna Woods, CA | 17249 | 1 | 5.8 |
| 100 | Hayward, CA | 156458 | 9 | 5.75 |