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Lake Forest, CA vs Simi Valley, CA: Crime Rate Comparison (2025)

A side-by-side look at reported crime in Lake Forest and Simi Valley, on the FBI-based Crime Index (0–100, higher = safer) for 2025.

Lake Forest and Simi Valley are neck and neck

Both score 87/100 on the Crime Index for 2025. The difference is in the mix: Lake Forest wins 5 of 8 offense categories, Simi Valley wins 3.

Lake Forest, CA

87/100
BSafe

Crime Index

Population
87,471
Violent / 100k
165
Property / 100k
701
In California
#14 of 175
Full Lake Forest crime report

Simi Valley, CA

87/100
BSafe

Crime Index

Population
125,637
Violent / 100k
136
Property / 100k
767
In California
#15 of 175
Full Simi Valley crime report

Crime rates head-to-head

MetricLake ForestSimi ValleyUS average
Crime Index (higher = safer)87B87B73C
Violent crime /100k165136315
Property crime /100k7017671,487
Homicide /100k02.44.1
Total reported /100k8659031,802

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.

OffenseLake ForestSimi Valley
Homicide02.4
Rape4.631
Robbery33.223.1
Aggravated assault12779.6
Burglary98.3141
Larceny-theft511529
Motor vehicle theft82.396.3
Arson9.11.6

Crime trends

Lake Forest

Reported crime in Lake Forest is up 31% since 2021.
1,34592851120212022202320242025660865
Reported crime per 100,000 residents · hover a year for detail

Simi Valley

Reported crime in Simi Valley is down 6% since 2022.
1,1811,0128432022202320242025960903
Reported crime per 100,000 residents · hover a year for detail

Frequently asked questions

Is Lake Forest or Simi Valley safer?
Lake Forest and Simi Valley have an identical Crime Index of 87/100 for 2025, so they rank as equally safe overall — though the mix of violent versus property crime differs. See the offense breakdown above.
Which has more violent crime, Lake Forest or Simi Valley?
Lake Forest's violent-crime rate is 165 per 100k; Simi Valley's is 136 per 100k for 2025. Simi Valley has the lower violent-crime rate.
What are the odds of violent crime in Lake Forest vs Simi Valley?
Based on 2025 reported rates, residents face roughly a 1 in 608 annual chance of a violent crime in Lake Forest and 1 in 735 in Simi Valley, city-wide. Individual risk varies by neighborhood.
Get quotes from security companies near Lake ForestSee verified security companies in Simi Valley

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 →