Berkeley, CA vs Santa Monica, CA: Crime Rate Comparison (2025)
A side-by-side look at reported crime in Berkeley and Santa Monica, on the FBI-based Crime Index (0–100, higher = safer) for 2025.
Santa Monica is the safer city
Santa Monica scores 38/100 (grade E) versus 37/100 (grade E) for Berkeley — a 1-point gap. Berkeley's violent-crime rate is in line with Santa Monica. Across the 8 offense categories, Santa Monica has the lower rate in 4.
Berkeley, CA
Crime Index
- Population
- 121,235
- Violent / 100k
- 639
- Property / 100k
- 4,109
- In California
- #170 of 175
Santa Monica, CA
SaferCrime Index
- Population
- 90,193
- Violent / 100k
- 619
- Property / 100k
- 4,108
- In California
- #169 of 175
Crime rates head-to-head
| Metric | Berkeley | Santa Monica | US average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Crime Index (higher = safer) | 37E | 38E | 73C |
| Violent crime /100k | 639 | 619 | 315 |
| Property crime /100k | 4,109 | 4,108 | 1,487 |
| Homicide /100k | 0.8 | 4.4 | 4.1 |
| Total reported /100k | 4,748 | 4,727 | 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 | Santa Monica |
|---|---|---|
| Homicide | 0.8 | 4.4 |
| Rape | 69.3 | 49.9 |
| Robbery | 125 | 157 |
| Aggravated assault | 444 | 407 |
| Burglary | 586 | 662 |
| Larceny-theft | 3,019 | 2,955 |
| Motor vehicle theft | 456 | 430 |
| Arson | 47.8 | 61 |
Crime trends
Berkeley
Santa Monica
Frequently asked questions
Is Berkeley or Santa Monica safer?
Which has more violent crime, Berkeley or Santa Monica?
What are the odds of violent crime in Berkeley vs Santa Monica?
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 & Santa Monica
Worried about the numbers above? Compare local providers, estimate costs, and explore the right kind of coverage.