Do you live in one of the murder capitals of California?
We all watch the news with horror when we hear about a homicide that happens not that far away from us. While a murder just blocks or even a couple of towns away from your house would make anyone uneasy, in the long run, most likely, where you live is relatively safe.
To find the cities in California with the most murders and the highest murder rates per capita, we used Saturday Night Science to compare the FBI crime data on murders for the 217 cities in the Golden State with over 7,000 residents.
Table Of Contents: Top Ten | Methodology | Summary | Table
Cities With Highest Murder Rates In California
What city has the highest murder rate in California? The city with the highest murder rate in California is Blythe with 27.7 murders per 100,000 people.
What is the city in California with highest number of murders? The city in California with the highest number of murders is Los Angeles with 264 murders.
Read on below to see how we crunched the numbers and how your town in California ranked. There were ‘only’ 217 cities in California where a city reported a murder to the FBI, meaning 197 places had no murder.
For more reading on the Golden State check out:
- Best Places To Live In California
- Cheapest Places To Live In California
- Most Dangerous Cities In California
The 10 Murder Capitals Of California For 2026
/10
Population: 18,064
Murders: 5 (46th Most)
Murders Per 100k: 27.7 (Most)
More on Blythe: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Movers
/10
Population: 11,646
Murders: 3 (9Most)
Murders Per 100k: 25.8 (2nd Most)
More on Susanville: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Movers
/10
Population: 16,410
Murders: 4 (64th Most)
Murders Per 100k: 24.4 (3rd Most)
More on Clearlake: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Movers
/10
Population: 13,172
Murders: 3 (9Most)
Murders Per 100k: 22.8 (4th Most)
More on Hawaiian Gardens: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Movers
/10
Population: 89,564
Murders: 18 (14th Most)
Murders Per 100k: 20.1 (5th Most)
More on Compton: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Movers
/10
Population: 21,401
Murders: 4 (64th Most)
Murders Per 100k: 18.7 (6th Most)
More on Cudahy: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Movers
/10
Population: 435,042
Murders: 81 (2nd Most)
Murders Per 100k: 18.6 (7th Most)
More on Oakland: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Movers
/10
Population: 164,012
Murders: 29 (9th Most)
Murders Per 100k: 17.7 (8th Most)
More on Lancaster: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Movers
/10
Population: 121,795
Murders: 20 (13th Most)
Murders Per 100k: 16.4 (9th Most)
More on Vallejo: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Movers
/10
Population: 319,069
Murders: 51 (3rd Most)
Murders Per 100k: 16.0 (10th Most)
More on Stockton: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Movers
Methodology: How we calculated the murder capitals of California
While there are surveys and public polls on what cities in a state are the most dangerous, we wanted to rely on something other than speculation and opinion. Instead, we used Saturday Night Science to compare the hard numbers from the FBI’s last year of reporting. Specifically, we analyzed the FBI’s Uniform Crime Report, which summarizes the number of murders in each city annually.
We only looked at every single city in California for which FBI data was available for the most recent FBI Crime In The United States. That left us with 217 cities to rank.
We took the number of murders per capita as the ranking factor. The place with the most murders per capita based on the most recent data is Blythe. It is our eleventh time ranking the places with the most murders per capita in California. We updated the list for 2026.
Summary: The Places With The Most Murders In California For 2026
If you’re looking at the places in California with the most murders, and where residents have the highest chances of being killed themselves, this is an accurate list. Again, these statistics are an indication of where crimes occur, not a statement about the effectiveness of the law enforcement in the areas they serve.
The cities with the highest murder per capita in California are Blythe, Susanville, Clearlake, Hawaiian Gardens, Compton, Cudahy, Oakland, Lancaster, Vallejo, and Stockton.
For more California reading, check out:
- Best Places To Raise A Family In California
- Fastest Growing Cities In California
- Safest Places In California
- Best Cities For Singles In California
- Worst Places To Live In California
Murder Rates By City In California
| Rank | City | Population | Murders | Murders/100K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Blythe, CA | 18064 | 5 | 27.68 |
| 2 | Susanville, CA | 11646 | 3 | 25.76 |
| 3 | Clearlake, CA | 16410 | 4 | 24.38 |
| 4 | Hawaiian Gardens, CA | 13172 | 3 | 22.78 |
| 5 | Compton, CA | 89564 | 18 | 20.1 |
| 6 | Cudahy, CA | 21401 | 4 | 18.69 |
| 7 | Oakland, CA | 435042 | 81 | 18.62 |
| 8 | Lancaster, CA | 164012 | 29 | 17.68 |
| 9 | Vallejo, CA | 121795 | 20 | 16.42 |
| 10 | Stockton, CA | 319069 | 51 | 15.98 |
| 11 | Marysville, CA | 12616 | 2 | 15.85 |
| 12 | Banning, CA | 32325 | 5 | 15.47 |
| 13 | Reedley, CA | 26201 | 4 | 15.27 |
| 14 | Port Hueneme, CA | 20969 | 3 | 14.31 |
| 15 | Antioch, CA | 117675 | 16 | 13.6 |
| 16 | Bell, CA | 31353 | 4 | 12.76 |
| 17 | Pismo Beach, CA | 7910 | 1 | 12.64 |
| 18 | Woodlake, CA | 7970 | 1 | 12.55 |
| 19 | Temple City, CA | 34359 | 4 | 11.64 |
| 20 | Coachella, CA | 44131 | 5 | 11.33 |
| 21 | Tulare, CA | 71689 | 8 | 11.16 |
| 22 | San Bernardino, CA | 224283 | 25 | 11.15 |
| 23 | Palm Springs, CA | 45406 | 5 | 11.01 |
| 24 | Arroyo Grande, CA | 18179 | 2 | 11.0 |
| 25 | Lemon Grove, CA | 27559 | 3 | 10.89 |
| 26 | Paradise, CA | 9809 | 1 | 10.19 |
| 27 | Carson, CA | 89767 | 9 | 10.03 |
| 28 | Rio Vista, CA | 10191 | 1 | 9.81 |
| 29 | Hawthorne, CA | 81941 | 8 | 9.76 |
| 30 | Yucca Valley, CA | 21630 | 2 | 9.25 |
| 31 | Corcoran, CA | 21831 | 2 | 9.16 |
| 32 | Desert Hot Springs, CA | 33749 | 3 | 8.89 |
| 33 | Baldwin Park, CA | 67791 | 6 | 8.85 |
| 34 | Commerce, CA | 11464 | 1 | 8.72 |
| 35 | San Fernando, CA | 23173 | 2 | 8.63 |
| 36 | Sacramento, CA | 526670 | 45 | 8.54 |
| 37 | Azusa, CA | 47647 | 4 | 8.4 |
| 38 | Pomona, CA | 143726 | 12 | 8.35 |
| 39 | Covina, CA | 47940 | 4 | 8.34 |
| 40 | Long Beach, CA | 444232 | 37 | 8.33 |
| 41 | Rosemead, CA | 48740 | 4 | 8.21 |
| 42 | Woodland, CA | 61177 | 5 | 8.17 |
| 43 | Alameda, CA | 74458 | 6 | 8.06 |
| 44 | Lynwood, CA | 62089 | 5 | 8.05 |
| 45 | Lindsay, CA | 12449 | 1 | 8.03 |
| 46 | Richmond, CA | 113418 | 9 | 7.94 |
| 47 | Hesperia, CA | 100850 | 8 | 7.93 |
| 48 | Victorville, CA | 140309 | 11 | 7.84 |
| 49 | Hayward, CA | 153419 | 12 | 7.82 |
| 50 | Sanger, CA | 26245 | 2 | 7.62 |
| 51 | California City, CA | 13418 | 1 | 7.45 |
| 52 | Merced, CA | 96077 | 7 | 7.29 |
| 53 | National City, CA | 54915 | 4 | 7.28 |
| 54 | East Palo Alto, CA | 27663 | 2 | 7.23 |
| 55 | Highland, CA | 55936 | 4 | 7.15 |
| 56 | McFarland, CA | 14008 | 1 | 7.14 |
| 57 | Red Bluff, CA | 14329 | 1 | 6.98 |
| 58 | Los Angeles, CA | 3796352 | 264 | 6.95 |
| 59 | Inglewood, CA | 101399 | 7 | 6.9 |
| 60 | Bellflower, CA | 73883 | 5 | 6.77 |
| 61 | Bakersfield, CA | 416120 | 28 | 6.73 |
| 62 | Apple Valley, CA | 74764 | 5 | 6.69 |
| 63 | La Mesa, CA | 60352 | 4 | 6.63 |
| 64 | Redding, CA | 92468 | 6 | 6.49 |
| 65 | Atwater, CA | 32093 | 2 | 6.23 |
| 66 | Moraga, CA | 16438 | 1 | 6.08 |
| 67 | Whittier, CA | 83186 | 5 | 6.01 |
| 68 | Pleasant Hill, CA | 33539 | 2 | 5.96 |
| 69 | Berkeley, CA | 117400 | 7 | 5.96 |
| 70 | West Hollywood, CA | 33928 | 2 | 5.89 |
| 71 | El Monte, CA | 102088 | 6 | 5.88 |
| 72 | Huntington Park, CA | 51054 | 3 | 5.88 |
| 73 | Yuba City, CA | 68200 | 4 | 5.87 |
| 74 | Fresno, CA | 546722 | 32 | 5.85 |
| 75 | Coalinga, CA | 17290 | 1 | 5.78 |
| 76 | San Juan Capistrano, CA | 34620 | 2 | 5.78 |
| 77 | Palmdale, CA | 158983 | 9 | 5.66 |
| 78 | Colton, CA | 53153 | 3 | 5.64 |
| 79 | La Puente, CA | 36056 | 2 | 5.55 |
| 80 | Monrovia, CA | 36365 | 2 | 5.5 |
| 81 | Pinole, CA | 18310 | 1 | 5.46 |
| 82 | Gardena, CA | 57584 | 3 | 5.21 |
| 83 | Napa, CA | 76888 | 4 | 5.2 |
| 84 | Orinda, CA | 19314 | 1 | 5.18 |
| 85 | Pico Rivera, CA | 58318 | 3 | 5.14 |
| 86 | Stanton, CA | 39059 | 2 | 5.12 |
| 87 | San Mateo, CA | 99929 | 5 | 5.0 |
| 88 | Hanford, CA | 60208 | 3 | 4.98 |
| 89 | Santa Cruz, CA | 61346 | 3 | 4.89 |
| 90 | Santa Fe Springs, CA | 20534 | 1 | 4.87 |
| 91 | Santa Ana, CA | 310304 | 15 | 4.83 |
| 92 | Visalia, CA | 146090 | 7 | 4.79 |
| 93 | Rancho Cordova, CA | 83622 | 4 | 4.78 |
| 94 | San Leandro, CA | 84200 | 4 | 4.75 |
| 95 | American Canyon, CA | 21199 | 1 | 4.72 |
| 96 | Folsom, CA | 86152 | 4 | 4.64 |
| 97 | El Centro, CA | 43550 | 2 | 4.59 |
| 98 | Santa Monica, CA | 88948 | 4 | 4.5 |
| 99 | South Gate, CA | 89223 | 4 | 4.48 |
| 100 | San Francisco, CA | 802856 | 35 | 4.36 |