The Safest and Most Dangerous Places in Palo Alto, CA

Palo Alto is a city of 67,400 in Santa Clara County, about 15 miles northwest of downtown San Jose · Updated November 2026

Is Palo Alto, CA safe?

Yes. An overall CrimeGrade™ of A means crime in Palo Alto is low. Most US neighborhoods have little crime too, so Palo Alto sits near the middle: 55% of Americans live in neighborhoods with more crime, and 45% in neighborhoods with less. Violent crime grades better than property crime here, A against B+. What matters most is the neighborhood: grades within Palo Alto run from A+ to B+, so check the map or the safest and least safe neighborhoods below.

A
Overall CrimeGrade™Safety score 859 of 1,000
About as safe as the typical US neighborhood What this means

55% of Americans live in neighborhoods with more crime than Palo Alto as a whole, and 45% in neighborhoods with less. The typical US neighborhood has a safety score of 838, a CrimeGrade™ of A-. Palo Alto scores 859.

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 913 of 1,000Less violent crime than most US neighborhoods
B+
Property crimeSafety score 766 of 1,000About as much property crime as the typical US neighborhood

How it works

Crime map of Palo Alto

Map of Palo Alto 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 Palo Alto, CA at ISP Reports.

Who this page is for: homeowners and renters in Palo Alto, 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 Palo Alto

Thefts run high in University South, Downtown North San Jose & Crescent Park. In this part of northwest Palo Alto, they run at about double the rate in the rest of Palo Alto.

Thefts from cars happen in the evening far more often than nationally. In Palo Alto, 61% of reported thefts from cars happen in the evening (6 pm to midnight), against 32% nationally.

The safest and most dangerous neighborhoods in Palo Alto

Every part of Palo Alto where people live grades A or B on the national scale. Grades across Palo Alto run from A+ to B+; 42% of residents live in areas with less crime than the typical US neighborhood.

A or B 100%

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

  1. 1College Terrace, southwestThefts run at less than half the rate in the rest of Palo Alto.A923
  2. 2Barron Park, southThefts run at less than half the rate in the rest of Palo Alto.A905
  3. 3Duveneck-Saint Francis & Community Center, northClose to the rest of Palo Alto on most crimes.A848
  4. 4Midtown-San Jose & Fairmeadow, eastCar thefts run about 40% higher here than in the rest of Palo Alto.A-832
  5. 5Old Palo Alto & Evergreen Park, centralThefts run about 60% higher here than in the rest of Palo Alto.A-821
  6. 6Charleston Meadow, Ventura & Greenmeadow, southeastCar thefts run at about double the rate in the rest of Palo Alto.A-815
  7. 7University South, Downtown North San Jose & Crescent Park, northwestRobberies run about 70% higher here than in the rest of Palo Alto.A-811

Neighborhood areas of Palo Alto, 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 Palo Alto?

Since 2019, reported violent crime in Palo Alto is up 60%, while property crime has held about steady. Murders, rapes, robberies and aggravated assaults went from about 1.3 to 2.0 a year per 1,000 residents (US: 3.7); burglaries, thefts and vehicle thefts stayed at about 29 (US: 18). Neither changed much from 2023 to 2024.

Violent crime, change since 2019

Property crime, change since 2019

Palo AltoUnited States

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

Data table
YearViolent, Palo AltoViolent, USProperty, Palo AltoProperty, US
2016-16%+4%-29%+15%
2017+3%+4%-11%+12%
2018-17%+0%-24%+4%
2019+0%+0%+0%+0%
2020-7%+4%-4%-8%
2021+35%+6%-6%-10%
2022+63%+5%+1%-6%
2023+61%+2%-6%-7%
2024+60%-4%-0%-15%

Crime rates and types in Palo Alto

CrimeGrade™ estimates Palo Alto has about 37 reported crimes a year for every 1,000 residents, about the same as the US as a whole and close to 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 is the most common crime in Palo Alto, about 68% of everything reported, and it also accounts for the largest share of what crime costs here.

CrimeCrimeGrade™Reported a yearPer 1,000 residentsUS per 1,000
Violent crime
MurderA+under 10.010.05
RapeA-260.380.38
RobberyA400.590.62
AssaultA2824.212.3
Property crime
BurglaryA-1472.22.4
TheftB1,70725.313.1
Vehicle theftA-1201.82.7
ArsonA-90.140.12
VandalismA1732.65.5

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 Palo Alto

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

In Palo Alto, 55% of burglaries hit homes, against 57% nationally.

CrimeMost often atBusiest time
BurglaryHomes (55%)Evening (6 pm to midnight)
Car theftStreets and sidewalks (48%)Evening (6 pm to midnight)
Theft from carsParking lots and garages (49%)Evening (6 pm to midnight)
VandalismParking lots and garages (25%)Evening (6 pm to midnight)
RobberyStores and businesses (56%)Afternoon (noon to 6 pm)
Aggravated assaultHomes (29%)Afternoon (noon to 6 pm)

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

How Palo Alto compares with nearby cities

Palo Alto has less crime than 5 of its 10 nearest cities.

Nearby cities

PlaceOverallViolentPropertyResidents
Palo AltoA859AB+67,400
Stanford 2 milesA-805AB18,300
East Palo Alto 2 milesC414C+C-29,200
Menlo Park 3 milesA861AA-39,800
San Jose 17 milesB-572BC-982,000
Show all 10
PlaceOverallViolentPropertyResidents
Mountain View 4 milesA-806AB85,700
Atherton 4 milesA880AA-8,630
Los Altos Hills 4 milesA898A+A-8,860
Los Altos 5 milesA903A+A-38,000
North Fair Oaks 5 milesC+487BD-10,400
Portola Valley 5 milesA+940A+A6,760

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

Compared with cities of similar size and density, Palo Alto is safer than 68% of them.

Cities of similar size and density

PlaceOverallViolentPropertyResidents
Palo AltoA859AB+67,400
Eagan, MNA922A+A67,200
Bellevue, NEA-844AA-67,500
Dubuque, IAA-823A-A67,500
Haverhill, MAA-823A-A67,700
Show all 10
PlaceOverallViolentPropertyResidents
Portland, MEA-771B+A-67,900
Salisbury, MDB+765B+A-67,600
Puyallup, WAB+749A-B67,500
Troy, NYB+736A-B67,500
Huntington, WVB674BB+67,300
Lakewood, WAB-547B-C+67,100

Jobs, shops and walkability in Palo Alto

Two things set Palo Alto apart: it has 164 jobs for every 100 residents, against 45 for the US as a whole, and 16.0 stores and restaurants for every 1,000 residents, against 10.5 nationally. It also combines many jobs with busy transit: places with both tend to report more theft and robbery than places with only one of them, and theft runs high here.

JobsJobs draw daytime crowds. Places with many jobs tend to report more theft and robbery.164 for every 100 residentsUS: 45Higher than for 99% of US city residents
Stores and restaurantsShops and restaurants draw crowds and parked cars. Places with many stores tend to report more theft.16.0 per 1,000 residentsUS: 10.5Higher 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. 62% of residents here live in car-dependent areas.C- (31 of 100)US: 21Higher than for 82% of US city residents
Show all 6
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 Palo Alto: C- (26 of 100).16 trips an hourUS: noneHigher than for 89% of US city residents
Empty homesSeasonal and vacation homes are left out. Places with many empty homes tend to report more burglary, vandalism and arson.9.8% of homesUS: 7.1%Higher than for 84% of US city residents
Residents in dense blocksBlocks of 10,000 or more people per square mile. Dense neighborhoods tend to report more robbery and car theft.42% of residentsUS: 24%Higher than for 78% of US city residents

BestNeighborhood, a sister site of CrimeGrade™, ranks the neighborhoods of Palo Alto 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 Palo Alto

Crime costs Palo Alto about $817 a year per household, counting police, courts and prisons as well as victims' losses, 32% less than the US figure of $1,205.

Cost of crime per resident, per year

Counting the pain and suffering of victims, which comes almost entirely from violent crime, the full cost comes to about $52 million a year, or $771 per resident.

How the cost breaks down
CrimeCost a yearPer resident
Murder$1.8 million$26
Rape$1.5 million$23
Robbery$1.2 million$18
Assault$3.8 million$57
Burglary$1.3 million$20
Theft$8.8 million$130
Vehicle theft$1.8 million$27
Arson$220,000$3
Vandalism$1.2 million$18
Total$22 million$323

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 Palo Alto 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.

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 Palo Alto

Schools in Palo Alto, CA average a SchoolGrade of A+: 70% of students test proficient, against 60% projected for schools like them. Overall, they exceed expectations. See schools in Palo Alto on SchoolGrade