The Most Dangerous Cities in California in 2026

A data-driven look at where crime remains highest—and why it matters

California’s statewide crime picture has been improving—violent crime fell 6% and property crime dropped 8.4% in the latest statewide data, with homicide rates hitting their second-lowest level since 1966 (source).

But despite this positive trend, crime is far from evenly distributed. Some cities continue to experience violent-crime rates several times higher than the state average, while others struggle with persistent break-ins, auto theft, and organized retail crime.

This article examines the most dangerous cities in California heading into 2026, using up-to-date data from crime-analysis firms, legal research organizations, and FBI/DOJ reporting compilations. These rankings allow residents and business owners to understand local risks—and to make better decisions about safety and security.

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How This Ranking Was Determined

This list blends three major sources:

• Violent-crime data compiled from FBI/California DOJ submissions

• Per-capita violent crime rankings from Arcadian.ai’s Most Dangerous Cities in California (2025) (link)

• Rankings from legal/crime-analysis organizations such as KN Trial Attorneys (link) and Spolin Law (link)

• Cross-checks with Areavibes data (link)

Crime rates vary by source, but the same cities consistently appear at the top of the danger list.

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The Most Dangerous Cities in California (2025–2026)

1. Oakland

Approx. violent crime rate: ~1,900 per 100,000 residents

(source)

Oakland once again tops most “danger” lists in 2025–26. While the city continues working on major reforms, it struggles with:

• High rates of assault and robbery

• Frequent auto theft and burglary

• Organized retail crime

• Long-standing gang activity

Despite statewide declines, Oakland’s violent-crime rate is still several times the California average, and its property-crime rate remains extremely elevated.

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2. Stockton

Approx. violent crime rate: ~1,378 per 100,000

(source)

Stockton routinely ranks just behind Oakland, driven by:

• Violent assaults

• High property-crime volume

• Drug-related offenses

• Concentrated neighborhood-level hotspots

Some areas have improved, but citywide crime remains high relative to California’s overall downward trend.

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3. San Bernardino

Approx. violent crime rate: ~1,340 per 100,000

(source)

San Bernardino continues to experience serious violent offenses, including:

• Elevated homicide rates

• Gang-related activity

• Armed robberies

• Organized criminal networks

Its violent-crime rate is more than double that of many comparably sized cities in the state.

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4. Compton

Approx. violent crime rate: ~1,256 per 100,000

(source)

Compton shows slow improvement year-to-year but still faces:

• Persistent gang activity

• High rates of armed robbery

• Elevated assault statistics

• Property-crime issues in residential zones

Crime remains heavily concentrated in specific neighborhoods.

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5. Modesto

Approx. violent crime rate: ~1,124 per 100,000

(source)

Modesto lands among the top 5–7 most dangerous cities depending on methodology. The local challenges include:

• Domestic violence

• Auto theft (consistently high)

• Break-ins and burglaries

• Drug-related crimes

Even as statewide property crime drops, Modesto has not followed that trajectory.

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6. Richmond

Approx. violent crime rate: ~1,067 per 100,000

(source)

Richmond has long been a Bay Area hotspot for violent crime. Recent years have seen improvement, but the city still deals with:

• High gun-violence rates

• Property crime, including auto theft

• Assault and armed robbery
  (additional source)

Local initiatives continue to make progress, but the statistical risk remains high.

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Cities That Appear Frequently in Secondary Risk Lists

These cities vary depending on methodology but are often included in broader “danger” rankings:

• Fresno

• Vallejo

• Bakersfield (violent crime trending down sharply; property crime improving—but still higher than state average in some categories)

• San Francisco (mainly property crime)

These are not always top-five dangerous cities but have specific high-risk crime categories that keep them on radar.

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Why These Cities Remain High-Crime Hotspots

Despite California’s improving statewide numbers, structural factors keep these cities at elevated risk:

1. Concentrated Poverty & Economic Disparities

Cities like Oakland, Stockton, and Compton experience economic stratification that fuels crime.
(source)

2. High Urban Density

More targets, more anonymity, and heavier policing burden correlate with higher crime.
(Areavibes)

3. Gang Activity & Inter-Group Conflict

This remains a top contributor in Oakland, Compton, and San Bernardino.

4. Property Crime Epidemics

Organized retail crime, catalytic-converter theft, and auto theft show strong geographic clustering.
(Reolink study)

5. Law-Enforcement Resource Strain

Some departments face understaffing and budget issues.
(KN Trial Attorneys)

These long-term forces keep these cities from benefitting fully from California’s continued downward statewide crime trend.

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Crime Trends Heading Into 2026

Even the most dangerous cities show small pockets of improvement, but FBI/DOJ trendlines indicate the following statewide shifts:

• Violent crime is declining after a multi-year post-pandemic spike.

• Property crime continues to fall, reaching multi-decade lows.

• Homicide rates statewide are dropping sharply—the 2025 statewide homicide rate is the second lowest since 1966.
  (source)

But geographic disparities persist. In other words: where you live still matters far more than statewide averages.

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Why This Information Matters

Cities with higher crime rates tend to benefit most from layered security tools such as:

• Monitored alarm systems

• Video surveillance with analytics

• Remote access control

• Professional intrusion detection

• Neighborhood-level camera networks

Crime is hyperlocal, and even cities with high statistics often have extremely safe residential pockets—and vice versa. Understanding the local data is the first step toward creating environments that feel secure, stable, and community-driven.

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