Berkeley, CA vs San Bernardino, CA: Crime Rate Comparison (2025)
A side-by-side look at reported crime in Berkeley and San Bernardino, on the FBI-based Crime Index (0–100, higher = safer) for 2025.
Berkeley is the safer city
Berkeley scores 37/100 (grade E) versus 36/100 (grade E) for San Bernardino — a 1-point gap. San Bernardino's violent-crime rate is +40% vs Berkeley. Across the 8 offense categories, Berkeley has the lower rate in 4.
Berkeley, CA
SaferCrime Index
- Population
- 121,235
- Violent / 100k
- 639
- Property / 100k
- 4,109
- In California
- #170 of 175
San Bernardino, CA
Crime Index
- Population
- 225,448
- Violent / 100k
- 894
- Property / 100k
- 2,458
- In California
- #172 of 175
Crime rates head-to-head
| Metric | Berkeley | San Bernardino | US average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Crime Index (higher = safer) | 37E | 36E | 73C |
| Violent crime /100k | 639 | 894 | 315 |
| Property crime /100k | 4,109 | 2,458 | 1,487 |
| Homicide /100k | 0.8 | 9.8 | 4.1 |
| Total reported /100k | 4,748 | 3,352 | 1,802 |
Grade shown per index band (88–100 = A … 0–29 = F). Rates are reported offenses per 100,000 residents.
By offense
Rate per 100,000 residents — the lower (safer) city is highlighted.
| Offense | Berkeley | San Bernardino |
|---|---|---|
| Homicide | 0.8 | 9.8 |
| Rape | 69.3 | 63.4 |
| Robbery | 125 | 215 |
| Aggravated assault | 444 | 605 |
| Burglary | 586 | 371 |
| Larceny-theft | 3,019 | 1,536 |
| Motor vehicle theft | 456 | 530 |
| Arson | 47.8 | 21.3 |
Crime trends
Berkeley
San Bernardino
Frequently asked questions
Is Berkeley or San Bernardino safer?
Which has more violent crime, Berkeley or San Bernardino?
What are the odds of violent crime in Berkeley vs San Bernardino?
No area has zero risk
A high Crime Index score means lower reported crime relative to other US cities — it is not a guarantee of safety. Reported crime is not the same as actual crime. Research on the gap between crime that occurs and crime that gets reported to police — often called the "dark figure" of crime — estimates that roughly 40% of violent crime and about a third of property crime go unreported each year. Every index built on official statistics, including this one, necessarily undercounts real crime. That gap is exactly why homicide — the offense with the smallest dark figure — anchors the calculation instead of a more commonly reported but less reliable category like theft.
Scores on this page reflect FBI-reported data for 2025. See the full methodology →
Protecting yourself in Berkeley & San Bernardino
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