Safest Cities in California & Orange County for 2025
When it comes to choosing a place to live, safety is often a top priority. Based on recent crime data analysis from SafeWise, here’s a look at some of the safest cities in California and Orange County for 2025, highlighting what makes them stand out. This information draws from SafeWise’s comprehensive report, which uses FBI crime statistics and population data to rank cities based on violent and property crime rates.
| Top 10 Safest Cities in California | Safest Cities in Orange County & State Rank |
| 1. Rancho Santa Margarita 2. Danville 3. Aliso Viejo 4. Lincoln 5. Yorba Linda 6. Calexico 7. Laguna Niguel 8. Simi Valley 9. San Ramon 10. Lake Forest | 1. Rancho Santa Margarita (#1) 2. Aliso Viejo (#3) 3. Yorba Linda (#5) 4. Laguna Niguel (#7) 5. Lake Forest (#10) 6. Irvine (#14) 7. Mission Viejo (#15) 8. San Clemente (#19) |
A closer look at the safest cities in California
- 153 cities met criteria to be considered for ranking.
- Rancho Santa Margarita is the safest city in California for the second year in a row.
- 4 cities reported zero murders and zero rapes: Rancho Santa Margarita, Aliso Viejo, Yorba Linda, and Laguna Niguel.
- All the safest cities reported fewer than 2.2 violent crimes per 1,000 people.
- 6 cities saw declines in both property crime and violent crime rates: Lincoln, Poway, San Marcos, Elk Grove, Murrieta, and Menifee.
- Irvine has more than 316,000 residents, making its low per capita crime rates even more impressive.
