The Safest and Most Dangerous Places in Daly City, CA

Daly City is a city of 107,500 in San Mateo County, about 7 miles southwest of downtown San Francisco · Updated November 2026

Is Daly City, CA safe?

Crime in Daly City is moderate, with an overall CrimeGrade™ of B. Most US neighborhoods have little crime: 71% of Americans live in neighborhoods with less crime than Daly City. Violent crime grades better than property crime here, A- against C. What matters most is the neighborhood: grades within Daly City run from A to D-, so check the map or the safest and least safe neighborhoods below.

B
Overall CrimeGrade™Safety score 685 of 1,000
Less safe than most US neighborhoods What this means

29% of Americans live in neighborhoods with more crime than Daly City as a whole, and 71% in neighborhoods with less. The typical US neighborhood has a safety score of 838, a CrimeGrade™ of A-. Daly City scores 685.

Crime is concentrated in a small share of places, so most neighborhoods score high on the 0 to 1,000 scale. That is why a score in the 800s can still mean more crime than most US neighborhoods.

A-
Violent crimeSafety score 819 of 1,000About as much violent crime as the typical US neighborhood
C
Property crimeSafety score 454 of 1,000More property crime than most US neighborhoods

How it works


Crime map of Daly City

Map of Daly City shaded by overall CrimeGrade™, from green for the least crime to red for the most
Click the map to explore
F D C B A+
Highest crime Safest
Colorblind friendly off

How to read the map: each area's color compares its crime with the people, homes and cars there, on one national scale, from green for the least crime to red for the most. Each area gets its own color, so a busy shopping center can show red while the homes beside it stay green. The interactive maps load faster on a strong connection. Compare high speed internet in Daly City, CA at ISP Reports.

Who this page is for: homeowners and renters in Daly City, and anyone thinking about buying or renting a home there.

Business and enterprise customers: this free map shows neighborhood areas. CrimeGrade™ business reports map crime at about 66-meter detail and estimate it for one address and type of business. See business reports


What stands out in Daly City

Burglary is a strength. Daly City grades C for property crime, but burglary grades A, better than in the neighborhoods where 50% of Americans live.

One part of Daly City stands out for robbery. Robberies in Crocker, Bayshore & Southern Hills, in northeast Daly City, run at more than double the rate in the rest of the city.

Thefts from cars happen on streets and sidewalks far more often than nationally. In Daly City, 61% of reported thefts from cars happen on streets and sidewalks, against 18% nationally.


The safest and most dangerous neighborhoods in Daly City

Low crime is the norm across Daly City: 79% of residents live in areas graded A or B, and 8% in areas graded D or F. Grades across Daly City run from A to D-; 1% of residents live in areas with less crime than the typical US neighborhood.

A or B 79%C 13%D or F 8%

Share of residents, by the overall CrimeGrade™ of the area they live in.

  1. 1Serramonte, southRobberies run at a small fraction of the rate in the rest of Daly City.A-783
  2. 2St. Francis, southwestAggravated assaults run about 40% lower here than in the rest of Daly City.B+736
  3. 3Lakeshore, northwestActs of vandalism run at about half the rate in the rest of Daly City.B+724
  4. 4Westlake-San Francisco & Broadmoor, westThefts run about 60% higher here than in the rest of Daly City.B665
  5. 5Original Daly City, northActs of vandalism run about 30% higher here than in the rest of Daly City.B655
  6. 6Hillside, eastCar thefts run about 30% higher here than in the rest of Daly City.B-609
  7. 7Crocker, Bayshore & Southern Hills, northeastThefts run about 90% higher here than in the rest of Daly City.B-565

Neighborhood areas of Daly City, ranked by overall CrimeGrade™; beside each grade is its safety score, from 0 to 1,000 (higher is safer). Each one combines several of the smaller areas on the map.


Is crime going up in Daly City?

Since 2019, reported violent crime in Daly City is up 30%, while property crime has held about steady. Murders, rapes, robberies and aggravated assaults went from about 2.2 to 2.9 a year per 1,000 residents (US: 3.7); burglaries, thefts and vehicle thefts stayed at about 18 (US: 18). In 2024 alone, violent crime fell 17% and property crime fell 15%.

Violent crime, change since 2019

Property crime, change since 2019

Daly CityUnited States

Source: crime reports to the FBI from the police department that serves Daly City. The charts follow crimes per resident.

Data table
YearViolent, Daly CityViolent, USProperty, Daly CityProperty, US
2016+5%+4%-13%+15%
2017+14%+4%-17%+12%
2018+4%+0%-19%+4%
2019+0%+0%+0%+0%
2020-14%+4%-20%-8%
2021+30%+6%+4%-10%
2022+59%+5%+20%-6%
2023+57%+2%+17%-7%
2024+30%-4%-0%-15%

Crime rates and types in Daly City

CrimeGrade™ estimates Daly City has about 30 reported crimes a year for every 1,000 residents, 18% less than the US as a whole and 23% less than California.

Overall crime

Violent crime

Property crime

Reported crimes a year, per 1,000 residents. These figures include simple assaults and vandalism, which the FBI's violent and property crime rates leave out.

Theft makes up about 43% of crime reported in Daly City. Assault is less common but costs more, because each one does more harm.

CrimeCrimeGrade™Reported a yearPer 1,000 residentsUS per 1,000
Violent crime
MurderA20.010.05
RapeB+330.310.38
RobberyC+980.910.62
AssaultA-7236.712.3
Property crime
BurglaryA1081.02.4
TheftC1,40513.113.1
Vehicle theftD3433.22.7
ArsonB+140.130.12
VandalismB5525.15.5

Each CrimeGrade™ compares a crime with what it affects: people for assaults and robbery, homes for burglary, parked cars for vehicle theft. Rates count crimes per 1,000 residents.

Select a crime's name to see its map above. CrimeGrade™ business reports map each crime at about 66-meter detail.


Where and when crime happens in Daly City

Daly City has its own police department, and these figures come from its reports, 2022 to 2024.

In Daly City, 26% of burglaries hit homes, against 57% nationally.

CrimeMost often atBusiest time
BurglaryHomes (26%)Afternoon (noon to 6 pm)
Car theftStreets and sidewalks (70%)Evening (6 pm to midnight)
Theft from carsStreets and sidewalks (61%)Evening (6 pm to midnight)
VandalismStreets and sidewalks (59%)Evening (6 pm to midnight)
RobberyStores and businesses (53%)Afternoon (noon to 6 pm)
Aggravated assaultHomes (46%)Evening (6 pm to midnight)

Shares of the crimes reported to police, 2022 to 2024. Reports with no time recorded are left out of the times.


How Daly City compares with nearby cities

Of the 9 cities closest to Daly City, 7 have less crime. Pedro Valley and Burlingame have the least.

Nearby cities

PlaceOverallViolentPropertyResidents
Daly CityB685A-C107,500
Colma 1 mileD+289BF1,860
South San Francisco 3 milesA-802AB+64,000
Brisbane 3 milesA-810A-A-5,410
San Francisco 5 milesC409B+F828,800
Show all 9
PlaceOverallViolentPropertyResidents
Pacifica 4 milesA-817AB+36,100
San Bruno 5 milesA-796AB42,000
Millbrae 7 milesA-838A+B23,600
Pedro Valley 8 milesA878AA-1,670
Burlingame 9 milesA-838AB+30,900

Nearest first, with each place's distance from Daly City. Beside each overall CrimeGrade™ is its safety score, from 0 to 1,000 (higher is safer).

Compared with cities of similar size and density, Daly City is safer than 57% of them.

Cities of similar size and density

PlaceOverallViolentPropertyResidents
Daly CityB685A-C107,500
Gaithersburg, MDA-839AA-112,100
Dearborn, MIA-815A-B+107,600
Quincy, MAA-800A-B+102,000
San Mateo, CAB+769A-B104,900
Show all 10
PlaceOverallViolentPropertyResidents
Costa Mesa, CAB+695B+B-112,400
Homestead, FLB673BB+109,100
Silver Spring, MDB-612B+C-109,000
Downey, CAC+480B+F110,900
Inglewood, CAD222CF105,200
East Los Angeles, CAF0C-F109,300

Density, parking lots and walkability in Daly City

Two things set Daly City apart: it has 86% of its residents in dense blocks, against 24% nationally, and 0.5 parking-lot spaces per resident, against 2.0 nationally. Places where many residents live in dense blocks tend to report more robbery and car theft, and they run high here.

Residents in dense blocksBlocks of 10,000 or more people per square mile. Dense neighborhoods tend to report more robbery and car theft.86% of residentsUS: 24%Higher than for 94% of US city residents
Parking lotsBig lots at stores, offices and apartment complexes. Places with more lot space tend to report more theft.0.5 spaces per residentUS: 2.0Lower than for 91% of US city residents
Walk GradeBestNeighborhood's grade for getting through daily life on foot, traced along real walking routes to shops, schools and parks. Walkable places tend to report more theft and assault.C+ (42 of 100)US: 21Higher than for 89% of US city residents
Show all 6
JobsJobs draw daytime crowds. Places with many jobs tend to report more theft and robbery.19 for every 100 residentsUS: 45Lower than for 88% of US city residents
Transit serviceBuses and trains an hour at the evening rush. Places with busy transit tend to report more theft and robbery. BestNeighborhood's Transit Grade for Daly City: C (33 of 100).10 trips an hourUS: noneHigher than for 84% of US city residents
Stores and restaurantsShops and restaurants draw crowds and parked cars. Places with many stores tend to report more theft.6.6 per 1,000 residentsUS: 10.5Lower than for 83% of US city residents

BestNeighborhood, a sister site of CrimeGrade™, ranks the neighborhoods of Daly City on shops, parks, home prices, getting around and more.

These traits tend to go with more or less crime; none of them causes it on its own. Sources: Census job counts and housing figures, OpenStreetMap and Overture business listings, CrimeGrade™ parking estimates, NASA night-light imagery, US Forest Service tree cover, EPA transit data and BestNeighborhood's Walk Grade.


What crime costs Daly City

Crime costs Daly City about $1,015 a year per household, counting police, courts and prisons as well as victims' losses, 16% less than the US figure of $1,205. The total is about $35 million a year.

Cost of crime per resident, per year

Counting the pain and suffering of victims, which comes almost entirely from violent crime, the full cost rises to about $87 million a year, or $811 per resident.

How the cost breaks down
CrimeCost a yearPer resident
Murder$2.9 million$27
Rape$2.0 million$18
Robbery$3.1 million$29
Assault$9.0 million$84
Burglary$970,000$9
Theft$7.2 million$67
Vehicle theft$5.3 million$49
Arson$330,000$3
Vandalism$3.9 million$36
Total$35 million$322

How CrimeGrade™ works

A CrimeGrade™ shows how much crime an area has compared with the rest of the country, from A+ for the least crime to F for the most. Every neighborhood in the US is graded on the same scale, so a B in Daly City means the same as a B anywhere else.

CrimeGrade™ starts from the crimes people report to police and measures each kind of crime against what it affects: people for assaults, homes for burglaries, parked cars for car thefts.

The rates on this page count crimes for every 1,000 people who live here, the way police departments report them. Daly City is the other kind of example: few people work in, shop in or visit it, so its crime per resident looks lower than its CrimeGrade™ suggests.

Comparisons with US neighborhoods use the Census Bureau's block groups, small areas of about 1,400 residents, and count the people who live in each. The figures count crimes reported to police; many crimes, shoplifting above all, never are. Behind the grades, CrimeGrade™ tested 21,607 factors from 125 data families. For business owners, paid CrimeGrade™ location reports estimate crime at a single address for each type of business.

Where the numbers come from

  • Crime reports that police departments file with the FBI
  • State crime records and city crime data, where they are published
  • Population and housing figures from the US Census Bureau
  • Published research on what crime costs victims and communities

These are estimates of reported crime for whole areas, not a record of what happened on any one street. CrimeGrade™ updates them once a year and provides them free and without guarantee. Check local sources before you rely on them for a decision.

More about CrimeGrade™ data


Schools in Daly City

Schools in Daly City, CA average a SchoolGrade of B+: 43% of students test proficient, against 42% projected for schools like them. Overall, they meet expectations. See schools in Daly City on SchoolGrade