10 safest cities in California, according to PropertyClub

LOS ANGELES - What’s not to love about living in California? With beautiful beaches up and down the coast, snowfall in the mountains in the winter and early spring, and plenty of options when it comes to sports and entertainment, it continues to be a highly desirable place to live despite the high cost of living. 

With a homeless crisis and violent crimes happening in any given neighborhood, safety is often top of mind for people who live in or want to relocate to California. 

A new study conducted by PropertyClub examined the safest cities in the Golden State. The real estate website looked at local, state and federal crime statistics from between 2020 and 2023, quality of life and amenities in their findings for California cities with a population of 30,000 and up. 

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The results found Southern California dominated the list and half of the top 10 safest cities were in Orange County. Also, the safest cities all come with a pretty hefty price tag.

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These 10 safest cities in the Golden State are listed as follows:

1. Danville

2. Rancho Santa Margarita

3. Moorpark

4. Aliso Viejo

5. Poway

6. Yorba Linda

7. Rancho Palos Verdes

8. Laguna Niguel

9. Mission Viejo

10. Thousand Oaks

Learn more about the cities that made the list below.

Danville

Located just over 20 miles from Oakland, Danville is not only the safest city in the Bay Area but is also the safest city in California overall. PropertyClub states the suburban area has a population of just under 44,000 people and has a crime rate 78% lower than the California average. The median price tag for a home in Danville was $1.8 million last month, Redfin reported. 

Rancho Santa Margarita

For fans of "The Real Housewives of Orange County," the city name rings a bell since many scenes of the Bravo reality show are filmed here. Like every other city on the list, living in Rancho Santa Margarita is pricey. In Feb. 2024, Redfin said the average house goes for $1,000,000. "We are normally in the top 5 safest cities in the entire nation comparing cities with a population over 25,000," the city website says. PropertyClub said the crime rate is 67% lower than the state average. 

Moorpark

Located in Ventura County and about an hour’s drive from Los Angeles, Moorpark is safer than 74% of other California cities, according to the PropertyClub report. Data from last year also found Ventura County was the safest large county in California overall. PropertyClub said the crime rate in Moorpark is 662 per 100,000 people, meaning your chance of becoming the victim of a crime is 1 in 152.

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Aliso Viejo

Aliso Viejo is one of the five Orange County cities to make the list. PropertyClub states that crime is so low in this community, the chance of becoming a victim of a crime is 1 in 2,134. Data from the US Census Bureau found in 2022, the average household income was $131,708. In addition, data from Redfin showed the average home went for $900,000 in Feb. 2024.

Poway

Poway was the only city in San Diego County to make the list. Here, the crime rate is 64% lower than the national average. Redfin considers Poway a competitive market and as of last month, the median sale price was $1.2 million. 

Yorba Linda

Located roughly 10 miles northeast of Anaheim, Yorba Linda is another OC city to make the list. Yorba Linda’s crime rate is 66% lower than the average. In 2022, the US Census Bureau reported the median household income was $148,325. The housing market is also competitive here, according to Redfin, with an average home going for $1.42 million.

Rancho Palos Verdes

Rancho Palos Verdes is often referred to as one of the most picturesque parts of the city by Angelenos and it’s also one of the safest in Los Angeles County, as well as California. Data from 2022 indicated the chance of becoming the victim of crime was 1 in 22, and that Rancho Palos Verdes was safer than 61% of US cities. This hillside coastal community is stunning, and of course, it comes at a price. The US Census Bureau found the average income in 2022 for this coastal community was $166,747.

Laguna Niguel

Laguna Niguel is located just over three miles from Aliso Viejo, another city on the list. Laguna Niguel falls 60% below the national average, PropertyClub reported. Theft is the most common type of crime in the area and overall, one has a 1 in 1,560 chance of becoming the victim of a violent crime.

Mission Viejo

Crime in Mission Viejo is about 62% less than the California average. Here, the chance of becoming the victim of a violent crime is about 1 in 1,319. Located near beautiful beaches and filled with jaw-dropping real estate, the median price for a home comes just under $1 million at $995,000, Redfin reported last month. 

Thousand Oaks

Finishing it off is the second Ventura County city on the list. Thousand Oaks has a crime rate 58% lower than the national average, with the chance of becoming the victim of a violent crime about 1 in 1,649. PropertyClub research found burglary and theft are the most common crimes here. Redfin reported the market trend in Thousand Oaks is up 9.1% compared to Feb. 2023 and that the average price of a home goes for $1.1 million.

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