Crime in San Marcos, California

Property crime

The vast majority of crimes in America are property crimes, accounting for 85% of total crimes in 2019. In San Marcos, however, property crimes account for only about 83% of all offenses.

Property crime is much less prevalent in San Marcos than it is nationwide. There were 955 property crimes in San Marcos in 2019, or 969 for every 100,000 residents. Meanwhile, the national property crime rate is 2,110 incidents per 100,000 people.

Larceny

Larceny is by far the most common type of property crime in the U.S. It is also the most commonly committed type of property crime in San Marcos. There were 649 larcenies reported in San Marcos in 2019, or 658 for every 100,000 people. Nationwide, the larceny rate is 1,550 per 100,000.

Burglary

There were 163 break-ins reported in San Marcos in 2019, or 165 for every 100,000 residents. For reference, there were 341 reported burglaries for every 100,000 people nationwide in 2019.

Motor Vehicle Theft

Across the United States, the annual motor vehicle theft rate is 220 for every 100,000 people. In San Marcos, meanwhile, there were 143 motor vehicle thefts in 2019, or 145 for every 100,000 people.

Violent crime

Violent crime accounts for a relatively small share of crimes nationwide. These offenses, which are generally more egregious than property crimes, account for about 15% of the nearly 8.2 million offenses reported across the U.S. in 2019. In San Marcos, however, violent offenses account for a larger 17% share of all reported crime.

At 196 incidents for every 100,000 people, the violent crime rate in San Marcos is below the national violent crime rate of 379 offenses per 100,000 people. Law enforcement in San Marcos reported a total of 193 violent crimes in 2019.

Aggravated Assault

Aggravated assault is by far the most common type of violent crime reported in the U.S. It is also the most commonly reported violent offense in San Marcos. There were 130 aggravated assaults reported in San Marcos in 2019, or 132 for every 100,000 people. Nationwide, the rate is higher, standing at 250 aggravated assaults per 100,000 people.

Robbery

Robbery is the second most common type of violent crime in America. There were 46 robberies reported in San Marcos in 2019, a rate of 47 robberies for every 100,000 residents. For comparison, the national robbery rate was 82 per 100,000 in 2019.

Rape

There were 17 rapes reported in San Marcos in 2019, or 17 for every 100,000 people. Nationwide, there were 139,815 rapes in 2019, a rate of 43 per 100,000 people.

Murder

While there were 16,425 murders nationwide in 2019, none were reported in San Marcos.