Crime in Santa Barbara, California

Property crime

The vast majority of crimes in America are property crimes, accounting for 85% of total crimes in 2019. In Santa Barbara, property crimes account for only about 84% of all offenses.

Property crime is more prevalent in Santa Barbara than it is nationwide. There were 2,118 property crimes in Santa Barbara in 2019, or 2,309 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 Santa Barbara. There were 1,686 larcenies reported in Santa Barbara in 2019, or 1,838 for every 100,000 people. Nationwide, the larceny rate is 1,550 per 100,000.

Burglary

There were 254 break-ins reported in Santa Barbara in 2019, or 277 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 Santa Barbara, meanwhile, there were 178 motor vehicle thefts in 2019, or 194 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 Santa Barbara, however, violent offenses account for a larger 16% share of all reported crime.

At 436 incidents for every 100,000 people, the violent crime rate in Santa Barbara is above the national violent crime rate of 379 offenses per 100,000 people. Law enforcement in Santa Barbara reported a total of 400 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 Santa Barbara. There were 244 aggravated assaults reported in Santa Barbara in 2019, or 266 for every 100,000 people. Nationwide, the rate is lower, standing at 250 aggravated assaults per 100,000 people.

Robbery

Robbery is the second most common type of violent crime in America. There were 82 robberies reported in Santa Barbara in 2019, a rate of 89 robberies for every 100,000 residents. For comparison, the national robbery rate was 82 per 100,000 in 2019.

Rape

There were 72 rapes reported in Santa Barbara in 2019, or 79 for every 100,000 people. Nationwide, there were 139,815 rapes in 2019, a rate of 43 per 100,000 people.

Murder

There were 2 homicides committed in the city in 2019. Adjusted for population, the murder rate in Santa Barbara is 2.2 murders for every 100,000 people, considerably lower than the national murder rate of 5 per 100,000 people.