Nestled in the foothills of the Santa Ana Mountains, Rancho Santa Margarita has a serene, family-friendly vibe. Residents enjoy high levels of education and above-average salaries to boot. According to a new safety report, they also experience exceptionally low crime.
For the second year in a row, Rancho Santa Margarita has ranked #1 on SafeWise’s list of the safest cities in California. The researchers used the latest FBI crime statistics from 2023 to draw their conclusions. Cities that fell below a certain population threshold or had not submitted a complete crime report were excluded.
According to SafeWise, these are the 20 safest cities in the Golden State:
Rancho Santa Margarita
Danville
Aliso Viejo
Lincoln
Yorba Linda
Calexico
Laguna Niguel
Simi Valley
San Ramon
Lake Forest
Rocklin
Poway
San Marcos
Irvine
Mission Viejo
Murrietta
Elk Grove
Menifee
San Clemente
Pacifica
In addition to Rancho Santa Margarita, three California cities reported zero rapes or murders in 2023: Aliso Viejo, Yorba Linda, and Laguna Niguel. All four cities are in Orange County.
Property and violent crime rates decreased in six cities: Lincoln, Poway, San Marcos, Elk Grove, Murrieta, and Menifee.
Property crime continues to cast a dark cloud over public safety perceptions. 68% of Californians say they are highly concerned about property crime on a regular basis.
Read SafeWise’s full report. Click here to learn more about the methodology.