What is the safest county in California?

Of the 30 California counties measured here, Marin County records the lowest violent crime rate at 182 offenses per 100,000 residents, against 245 for the median comparable US county. Homes there closed at a median of $1,384,277 over the last 12 months.

Is this every county in California?

No. It covers 30 of the state's 58 counties, the ones where police agencies report at least 90 percent of the population to the FBI, the area has at least 50,000 residents and 250 tracked closings, and the resulting rate falls inside the sanity bounds we apply. The larger places that miss those bars are listed on the page with the reason.

Does a lower crime rate mean higher home prices?

Less than most people assume. Comparing the safest third of these counties with the highest-crime third, the median closed price is 64 percent higher and household income 48 percent higher. Across 688 US counties we found that once income and density are held constant, a county's crime rate stops predicting its home prices. At the scale of a block, the research says violent crime does lower nearby values.

Is this crime rate for my neighborhood?

No. The FBI publishes these figures for whole counties, so every part of a county carries the same number here, from its densest district to its farmland. It is useful for narrowing a search and not a substitute for looking at a specific address.

Are these rents asking rents or lease rents?

They are the median asking rent on rental listings in the county over the last 12 months. That is what landlords advertised, a guide to the market rather than a lease figure.

Safest Counties in California: 30 Ranked (2026)

Safety rankings usually stop at the crime rate. This one puts the price next to it, because for anyone actually moving, the two questions are one question.

Thirty counties clear the bar. The crime rates here are built from the 15,383,434 residents those police agencies actually report on. Each figure is a single county-wide figure, so treat this as a way to narrow a search rather than a verdict on any street.

The ranking

#	County	Violent per 100k	Property per 100k	Median closed price	Median asking rent	Median income
1	Marin	182	1,246	$1,384,277	$4,300	$139,197
2	Placer	201	932	$650,000	$2,900	$110,020
3	Yolo	214	1,782	$600,000	$2,650	$91,192
4	Sonoma	249	1,097	$750,000	$2,900	$100,157
5	El Dorado	252	678	$646,944	$2,650	$107,063
6	Orange	265	1,360	$1,143,314	$4,200	$109,768
7	Imperial	266	693	$385,000	$1,850	$58,768
8	Riverside	276	1,537	$575,415	$3,000	$90,251
9	Ventura	294	1,190	$849,311	$3,700	$106,526
10	Nevada	297	729	$615,000	$3,200	$87,142
11	San Luis Obispo	298	1,050	$850,000	$3,000	$89,809
12	Napa	311	1,097	$835,000	$3,400	$100,469
13	Humboldt	376	1,434	$405,000	$1,600	$61,307
14	Sutter	398	1,539	$430,000	$2,100	$71,968
15	Kings	414	878	$361,490	$2,000	$65,768
16	Monterey	426	1,156	$870,333	$3,500	$86,809
17	Tulare	430	1,546	$374,949	$1,900	$71,368
18	Madera	449	1,069	$427,500	$2,250	$66,084
19	Tehama	470	1,332	$322,500	$1,595	$58,333
20	Yuba	474	784	$435,000	$1,950	$71,493
21	Solano	480	1,932	$557,678	$2,700	$99,117
22	Merced	487	1,894	$418,000	$2,100	$58,962
23	Mendocino	529	745	$451,000	$2,000	$65,891
24	Shasta	558	1,198	$360,000	$1,800	$71,935
25	Butte	570	1,685	$355,000	$1,595	$63,084
26	Tuolumne	586	812	$360,000	$1,850	$72,329
27	Lake	592	1,192	$285,000	$1,750	$57,945
28	Fresno	602	1,983	$415,000	$2,195	$71,271
29	Alameda	660	3,316	$999,219	$3,100	$119,230
30	Kern	665	1,973	$375,000	$1,850	$68,436

The median values across these 30 counties are 420 violent and 1,195 property offenses per 100,000, a closed price of $443,000 and a household income of $72,148. The median asking rent across the 30 is $2,222 a month.

County by county

1. Marin County

At 182 violent offenses per 100,000, Marin sits in the lowest quarter of the places on this list. The median comparable US county records 245, so it is quieter than most of the country too. Homes changed hands at a median $1,384,277, around 312 percent of what the rest of this list recorded. Low crime and high prices arrive together here, which is the arrangement buyers assume is universal and is not. Homes cost 9.9 times what the median household there earns, among the steepest ratios on this list. Its property rate, 1,246 per 100,000, sits in the middle of these counties. For prices at street level, see San Rafael, the market with the most tracked closings in this county's ZIP codes.

2. Placer County

Placer records 201 violent offenses per 100,000 residents, which places it in the lowest quarter of the California counties measured here. The median comparable US county records 245, so it is quieter than most of the country too. A median closing price of $650,000 puts it at roughly 147 percent of the middle figure for this list. Median household income is $110,020, roughly 152 percent of the level across this list. Property crime is low too, at 932 per 100,000, the bottom quarter of this list and 0.8 times the median comparable US county. The median rental listing asks $2,900 a month. Resideline publishes a separate page for Roseville, the market with the most tracked closings in this county's ZIP codes.

3. Yolo County

Yolo's violent crime rate is 214 per 100,000 residents, the lowest quarter among the California counties Resideline can measure. That is close to the median comparable US county, which records 245. Homes there closed at a median of $600,000, about 135 percent of the median across this list. Median household income is $91,192, roughly 126 percent of the level across this list. Its property rate of 1,782 per 100,000 is in the top quarter here, and 1.5 times the median comparable US county. Asking rents run about $2,650 a month. For prices at street level, see Woodland, the market with the most tracked closings in this county's ZIP codes.

4. Sonoma County

At 249 violent offenses per 100,000, Sonoma sits in the lowest quarter of the places on this list. That is close to the median comparable US county, which records 245. Homes changed hands at a median $750,000, around 169 percent of what the rest of this list recorded. Median household income is $100,157, roughly 139 percent of the level across this list. Property offenses run at 1,097 per 100,000, in the middle of this list. The median rental listing asks $2,900 a month. Resideline publishes a separate page for Santa Rosa, the market with the most tracked closings in this county's ZIP codes.

5. El Dorado County

El Dorado's violent crime rate is 252 per 100,000 residents, the lowest quarter among the California counties Resideline can measure. That is close to the median comparable US county, which records 245. Homes there closed at a median of $646,944, about 146 percent of the median across this list. Median household income is $107,063, roughly 148 percent of the level across this list. Its property rate is also among the lowest here, 678 per 100,000, or 0.6 times the median comparable US county. Asking rents run about $2,650 a month. For prices at street level, see El Dorado Hills, the market with the most tracked closings in this county's ZIP codes.

6. Orange County

Orange records 265 violent offenses per 100,000 residents, which places it in the lowest quarter of the California counties measured here. That is close to the median comparable US county, which records 245. Buyers there paid a median of $1,143,314, some 258 percent of the level across the counties measured. That combination, among the safest counties here and among the most expensive, is what most buyers are picturing when they pay a premium for a quiet address. Homes cost 10.4 times what the median household there earns, among the steepest ratios on this list. Property offenses run at 1,360 per 100,000, in the middle of this list. Resideline publishes a separate page for Mission Viejo, the market with the most tracked closings in this county's ZIP codes.

7. Imperial County

Imperial's violent crime rate is 266 per 100,000 residents, the lowest quarter among the California counties Resideline can measure. That is close to the median comparable US county, which records 245. Homes changed hands at a median $385,000, around 87 percent of what the rest of this list recorded. Median household income is $58,768, roughly 81 percent of the level across this list. Its property rate is also among the lowest here, 693 per 100,000, or 0.6 times the median comparable US county. The median rental listing asks $1,850 a month.

8. Riverside County

At 276 violent offenses per 100,000, Riverside sits in the lowest quarter of the places on this list. That is close to the median comparable US county, which records 245. Homes there closed at a median of $575,415, about 130 percent of the median across this list. Median household income is $90,251, roughly 125 percent of the level across this list. At $3,000 a month in asking rent, the gross return here is in the top quarter of the counties measured. Its property rate, 1,537 per 100,000, sits in the middle of these counties. For prices at street level, see Menifee, the market with the most tracked closings in this county's ZIP codes.

9. Ventura County

Police in Ventura reported 294 violent offenses per 100,000 people, putting it in the middle range of this list. That is close to the median comparable US county, which records 245. Buyers there paid a median of $849,311, some 192 percent of the level across the counties measured. Against what households there earn, a home costs 8.0 times median income, in the top quarter of this list. Property offenses run at 1,190 per 100,000, in the middle of this list. The median rental listing asks $3,700 a month. Resideline publishes a separate page for Oxnard, the market with the most tracked closings in this county's ZIP codes.

10. Nevada County

Nevada records 297 violent offenses per 100,000 residents, which places it in the middle range of the California counties measured here. That is 1.2 times the median comparable US county, which records 245, high by any standard. A median closing price of $615,000 puts it at roughly 139 percent of the middle figure for this list. Households there earn a median of $87,142, about 121 percent of the median for these counties. At $3,200 a month in asking rent, the gross return here is in the top quarter of the counties measured. Property crime is low, at 729 per 100,000, the bottom quarter of this list and 0.6 times the median comparable US county. For prices at street level, see Grass Valley, the market with the most tracked closings in this county's ZIP codes.

11. San Luis Obispo County

Police in San Luis Obispo reported 298 violent offenses per 100,000 people, putting it in the middle range of this list. That is 1.2 times the median comparable US county, which records 245, high by any standard. Homes changed hands at a median $850,000, around 192 percent of what the rest of this list recorded. Measured against local pay it is one of the harder counties on this list to buy into, at 9.5 times median household income. Its property rate, 1,050 per 100,000, sits in the middle of these counties. Asking rents run about $3,000 a month. Resideline publishes a separate page for Paso Robles, the market with the most tracked closings in this county's ZIP codes.

12. Napa County

Napa records 311 violent offenses per 100,000 residents, which places it in the middle range of the California counties measured here. That is 1.3 times the median comparable US county, which records 245, high by any standard. Homes there closed at a median of $835,000, about 188 percent of the median across this list. Homes cost 8.3 times what the median household there earns, among the steepest ratios on this list. Property offenses run at 1,097 per 100,000, in the middle of this list. The median rental listing asks $3,400 a month. For prices at street level, see Napa, the market with the most tracked closings in this county's ZIP codes.

Does safety set the price in California?

Somewhat, and less than you would expect. The safest third of these counties runs 64 percent above the highest-crime third on price. But the same safe places also earn 48 percent more, so most of that gap is the income gap wearing a different label.

It is the same pattern our national study found across 688 counties, where crime stopped predicting prices once income was accounted for. The method is set out in our study, Does Crime Actually Lower Home Prices?.

That is a county-level result. Within a county, research at the scale of a block or a neighborhood finds that violent crime does lower the value of the homes nearest to it, so use these figures to compare counties, not streets.

The counties we cannot rank

Larger California places are missing from the table above. Every one with more than 150,000 residents is listed here with the reason.

•Los Angeles, with about 9.76 million residents, does not have enough closings in our data for a reliable price median, which is a limit of our sales coverage rather than of the FBI's.
•San Diego, with about 3.30 million residents, reports 89 percent of its population through the FBI program, below the 90 percent we require.
•San Bernardino, with about 2.21 million residents, does not have enough closings in our data for a reliable price median, which is a limit of our sales coverage rather than of the FBI's.
•Santa Clara, with about 1.93 million residents, does not have enough closings in our data for a reliable price median, which is a limit of our sales coverage rather than of the FBI's.
•Sacramento, with about 1.61 million residents, does not have enough closings in our data for a reliable price median, which is a limit of our sales coverage rather than of the FBI's.
•Contra Costa, with about 1.17 million residents, does not have enough closings in our data for a reliable price median, which is a limit of our sales coverage rather than of the FBI's.
•San Francisco, with about 828,000 residents, does not have enough closings in our data for a reliable price median, which is a limit of our sales coverage rather than of the FBI's.
•San Joaquin, with about 816,000 residents, does not have enough closings in our data for a reliable price median, which is a limit of our sales coverage rather than of the FBI's.
•San Mateo, with about 743,000 residents, does not have enough closings in our data for a reliable price median, which is a limit of our sales coverage rather than of the FBI's.
•Stanislaus, with about 557,000 residents, does not have enough closings in our data for a reliable price median, which is a limit of our sales coverage rather than of the FBI's.
•Santa Barbara, with about 444,000 residents, does not have enough closings in our data for a reliable price median, which is a limit of our sales coverage rather than of the FBI's.
•Santa Cruz, with about 262,000 residents, does not have enough closings in our data for a reliable price median, which is a limit of our sales coverage rather than of the FBI's.

Reporting to the FBI is voluntary and incomplete. Where a place's agencies cover only part of its population, the rate is built on the part that reported, so it describes those communities rather than the whole area. We publish at 90 percent coverage or better, which is a line we chose rather than a point where the data becomes reliable.

How to read this list

The right way to use this is to narrow the list, then check the address. Averages at this scale hide the variation that actually matters once you are choosing between two houses.

Prices and rents are as of September 8, 2026, from closings and rental listings Resideline tracks over the previous 12 months. Rent figures are the median asking rent on listings, not lease figures. Crime is the 2025 FBI Crime Data Explorer release, measured for the whole county, and violent crime means murder, rape, robbery and aggravated assault. Household income is the Census SAIPE 2023 estimate of the county's median household income. Where this page compares a rate with the median comparable US county, that figure (245 violent and 1188 property offenses per 100,000) is the median across the 874 US counties with at least 50,000 residents whose agencies reported on 90 percent or more of them for the year.