Safewise recently released its safest cities in California which resulted in two Contra Costa County communities ranking in the top 10—Danville and San Ramon.
The city of Oakley ranked 14th while the City of Martinez was 39th followed by the City of Brentwood at 90. In total, 10 Contra Costa County cities were named in the list of 169.
Danville has earned the top spot in the SafeWise “California’s Safest Cities of 2026” report. After being ranked No. 2 last year.
“We are extremely proud of our community policing approach — built on thoughtful planning, strong public safety services, and a genuine partnership with our residents — which continues to make Danville a safe and welcoming place to live,” said Mayor Newell Arnerich. “With the support of the Town Council and under the leadership of Police Chief Thomas Rossberg, our Police Department works hand-in-hand with the community to educate, prevent, and enforce in the interest of public safety. This shared commitment is a key reason Danville has been recognized by SafeWise as California’s safest city for six of the past nine years.”
In California, SafeWise ranked 169 cities in the State of California. Along with the Top 10, here is a look at where Contra Costa County cities ranked, including some in the Bay area (for reference)
| Rank | City | Violent Crime per 1,000 | Property Crime per 1,000 |
| 1 | Danville | 0.58 | 5.91 |
| 2 | Rancho Santa Margarita | 0.81 | 5.33 |
| 3 | Lincoln | 0.89 | 5.79 |
| 4 | Moorpark | 0.99 | 7.22 |
| 5 | Yorba Linda | 0.96 | 7.77 |
| 6 | Calexico | 1.44 | 5.43 |
| 7 | Poway | 1.38 | 5.96 |
| 8 | Laguna Niguel | 1.2 | 8.98 |
| 9 | San Ramon | 0.81 | 11.05 |
| 10 | Thousand Oaks | 1.01 | 10.35 |
| 14 | Oakley | 1.40 | 9.6 |
| 39 | Martinez | 2.6 | 12.45 |
| 45 | Dublin | 1.54 | 19.34 |
| 60 | Tracy | 2.92 | 16.15 |
| 85 | Livermore | 2.3 | 23.73 |
| 90 | Brentwood | 2.37 | 24.39 |
| 121 | Walnut Creek | 2.73 | 29.39 |
| 126 | Pittsburg | 4.54 | 21.69 |
| 142 | Pleasant Hill | 2.33 | 40.73 |
| 143 | Concord | 4.71 | 29.12 |
| 154 | Antioch | 5.97 | 32.39 |
| 165 | Richmond | 9.33 | 27.96 |
| 166 | Vallejo | 7.31 | 42.82 |
| 167 | Stockton | 11.63 | 26.75 |
| 168 | Berkeley | 6.32 | 53.12 |
169 California cities met criteria to be considered for ranking.
According to Safewise, The violent crime rate in California is 4.24 incidents per 1,000 people, which is slightly lower than the national average of 4.43. We weren’t able to report a statewide violent crime rate last year due to insufficient data, but in our 2024 report, California reported the same violent crime rate of 4.2.
Meanwhile, property crime in The Golden State decreased in recent years, falling from 25.3 incidents per 1,000 people in 2024 to 20.84 incidents in this year’s report. That’s lower than the national property crime rate of 22.89.
The number of Californians who feel safe in the state dropped slightly from 38% to 37% year over year. About 58% of our California survey respondents say they believe crime is increasing, which is a more pessimistic view than the nation at large (54%).
Property crime in California: Fear vs. reality
Property crime rates in California have consistently been higher than nationwide rates, and self-reported experiences with property crime went up year over year.
- 60% of Californians are highly concerned about property crime on a regular basis. Although this is the second-highest percentage nationwide, it’s actually a significant decrease from 68% the year before (46% US).
- Only Marylanders worry about property crime more than Californians.
- Despite high levels of worry, personal experiences with property crime dropped from 33% to 20% year over year (21% US).
- 39% of Californians experienced package theft in the 12 months prior to the survey, giving them the fifth-highest percentage in the country for the second year in a row. However, this figure represents a slight decrease from 42% the year before.
- Package theft concern among Californians has plummeted from 66% to 58% but is still the third highest percentage nationwide.
- 37% of Californians surveyed said they adopted new security or safety measures in the 12 months prior to the survey (32% US).
- Security cameras are the most popular form of property security (54%), followed by security systems (33%) guard dogs (33%).
Violent crime in California: Fear vs. reality
Californians are highly concerned about their safety and have the crime experiences to back it up.
- 67% of Californians said they are highly concerned about violent crime happening to them. That’s down from 72% the year before but much higher than the national average of 55%.
- Only people in Maryland, Louisiana, New York, and Illinois worry about violent crime more than Californians.
- 19% of survey respondents said they had a personal experience with violent crime in the 12 months prior to the survey, up from 15% the previous year and nearly triple the rate from two years ago.
- Only respondents in Indiana, Pennsylvania, and Maryland were more likely to have experienced a violent crime than respondents in California.
- Of those who carry personal protection, 52% rely on pepper spray, 52% use pocket knives, and 21% use firearms.
Note – Safewise says it relies on voluntary, self-reported information that cities and jurisdictions across the country report through the FBI Summary Reporting System (SRS) and National Incident-Based Reporting System (NIBRS). For its 2026 reporting year, the most recent FBI data was released in August 2025 for crimes reported in 2024. Read more in our methodology.
Related
- Danville Named Safest City in California
- 2020: SafeWise Ranks Oakley 16th Safest City in California, Brentwood at 81 and Antioch at 198
