The Safest and Most Dangerous Places in South Lake Tahoe, CA: Crime Maps and Statistics

D-

Overall Crime Grade™

Violent Crime Grade	D-
Property Crime Grade	D-
Other Crime Grade	B-

Which crimes are included?

$17.0 million

Cost of Crime™ for South Lake Tahoe, CA

In 2025, crime will cost $1,340 per household.

More cost data

On the map, green marks the parts of South Lake Tahoe with the least crime overall and red marks the most. Each area is weighted by the type and severity of every offense, so a place with rare but serious violent crime can grade differently from one with frequent petty theft. The Interpreting the Crime Maps section below explains how to read the colors.

Is South Lake Tahoe, CA Safe?

The D- overall grade blends the violent, property, and other grades shown above into one measure, set against the average US city, where South Lake Tahoe's combined rate is higher than the norm. South Lake Tahoe sits in the 15th percentile, ahead of 15% of cities and behind 85%. The grade covers only South Lake Tahoe's official city boundaries. See the table below for nearby cities.

The overall crime rate in South Lake Tahoe is 42.25 per 1,000 residents in a typical year. Residents generally consider the southwest part of the city the safest. Your chance of being a victim ranges from 1 in 18 in the northeast neighborhoods to 1 in 45 in the southwest.

Counting total incidents instead of per-capita rates, the northeast parts of South Lake Tahoe, CA report the most crime, about 481 cases per year. The northwest part reports the fewest, around 21 per year.

The Cost of Crime™ in South Lake Tahoe, CA

Across all crime types, the projected cost of crime in South Lake Tahoe for 2025 is $17,011,336, about $577 per resident and $1,340 per household. That equals 1.0% of the median household income. These figures cover tangible costs, which include:

Criminal justice system costs (law enforcement, courts, and imprisonment): 56.2%
Direct costs to victims (damaged property, medical expenses, and lost wages): 32.6%
Lost economic contribution from offenders (time in prison or repeat offenses): 11.2%

How Much Does Crime Cost in South Lake Tahoe Compared to Other Cities?

South Lake Tahoe, CA:	$577
Lodi, CA:	$1387
Rescue, CA:	$213
California:	$491
USA:	$464

The overall cost of crime per resident in South Lake Tahoe is $577 per year, which is $113 more than the national average and $86 more than California's state average. The comparison below uses cities similar to South Lake Tahoe:

In Lodi, CA, crime costs $1,387 per person, which is $810 more than in South Lake Tahoe.
In Rescue, CA, crime costs $213 per person, which is $364 less than in South Lake Tahoe

2025 Projected Cost by Type of Crime

The table below shows the total cost of crime to the residents of South Lake Tahoe for the year 2025 along with the projected cost per resident.

Crime	Cost to South Lake Tahoe	Cost per South Lake Tahoe Resident
Murder	$3.42 million	$116
Rape/Sexual Assault	$944,483	$32
Robbery	$1.20 million	$41
Assault	$3.35 million	$114
Kidnapping	$267,241	$9
Vehicle Theft	$1.32 million	$45
Burglary	$1.98 million	$67
Theft	$2.89 million	$98
Arson	$190,689	$6
Vandalism	$811,354	$28
Animal Cruelty	$5,732	$0
Drug Crimes	$521,284	$18
Identity Theft	$115,144	$4
Total Cost of Crime	$17,011,336	$577

The Intangible Cost of Crime in South Lake Tahoe, CA

The totals above count tangible costs only. Violent crime also carries a human cost, the pain and trauma borne by victims and their families, which research-based methods estimate so it can be compared across places. That intangible cost in South Lake Tahoe totals $28,703,804 ($973 per resident), and all of it comes from violent crime rather than property loss. Added to the tangible costs, the full estimate reaches $45,715,141 ($1,550 per resident). All Cost of Crime figures come from scholarly research on the cost of crime. Read more about our methodology here.

Interpreting the Crime Maps

Crime rates on the map are measured per resident, so areas with heavy visitor traffic can read high because crime follows crowds, even where few people live. The northeast part of the city holds more retail establishments, which lifts recorded crime around those blocks. A red area does not always mean the neighborhood is unsafe for residents.

Airports, parks, and transit hubs create the same effect. Major airports draw large crowds with few residents nearby, so they read as high-crime spots. Parks and recreational areas, of which South Lake Tahoe has 14, do the same, and of South Lake Tahoe's 29,486 residents few live beside them. Before assuming an area is unsafe, weigh both the per-capita rate and the total number of incidents, and note what sits nearby.

The interactive maps load faster on a strong connection. Compare high speed internet in South Lake Tahoe, CA at ISP Reports.

South Lake Tahoe Crime Breakdown

The tables below show which crimes are used to calculate the Crime Grades above. All crime rates are shown as the number of crimes per 1,000 South Lake Tahoe residents in a standard year.

Violent Crime Rates

Crime Type	Crime Rate
Assault	3.955
Robbery	1.291
Rape	0.5283
Murder	0.0617
Total Violent Crime	5.835 (D-)

Property Crime Rates

Crime Type	Crime Rate
Theft	18.92
Vehicle Theft	2.891
Burglary	7.418
Arson	0.2678
Total Property Crime	29.50 (D-)

Other Crime Rates

Crime Type	Crime Rate
Kidnapping	0.1495
Drug Crimes	2.390
Vandalism	3.852
Identity Theft	0.5045
Animal Cruelty	0.0263
Total "Other" Rate	6.922 (B-)

Individual South Lake Tahoe Crime Maps & Stats

Crime Maps and Rates for Nearby Cities

Compared to surrounding cities, the rate of crime in South Lake Tahoe is similar. The table below shows Crime Grades for cities close to South Lake Tahoe.

Nearby City	Overall Crime Grade	Violent Crime Grade	Property Crime Grade
Echo Lake, CA	D-	F	D-
Stateline, NV	F	D-	F
Zephyr Cove, NV	D+	D	D+
Glenbrook, NV	F	F	D-
Genoa, NV	B+	C-	A-
Twin Bridges, CA	F	F	F
Tahoma, CA	D+	D+	D-
Minden, NV	D	D	D
Sorensens, CA	F	F	F
Gardnerville Ranchos, NV	C	C-	C

Crime Maps and Rates for City with Similar Populations

South Lake Tahoe is higher versus other cities of the same size for crime. The table below compares crime in cities with comparable overall population in the city‘s boundaries.

Similar City	Overall Crime Grade	Violent Crime Grade	Property Crime Grade
Fremont, NE	C-	B-	B-
Vestal, NY	B-	C+	C+
Uniondale, NY	C+	D+	D+
Ukiah, CA	D-	D-	D-
Glenside, PA	B+	B+	B+
Garden City, ID	B-	B-	B-
Galt, CA	C	D	D
Gainesville, VA	B+	A	A
Fridley, MN	D	C+	C+
Wasco, CA	C	D+	D+

Considering only the crime rate, South Lake Tahoe is less safe than the California state average and less safe than the national average.

Safety and school performance are separate topics, but both shape moving decisions. Using SchoolGrade data, schools in South Lake Tahoe, CA average SchoolGrade of B-, with 43% actual proficiency versus 39% projected; overall, schools exceed expectations. See South Lake Tahoe schools on SchoolGrade

About the Data

CrimeGrade.org provides highly detailed and accurate crime data, used by insurance companies, home security firms, and other industries. Our data is available for licensing—learn more about our USA crime data and licensing.

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All maps and statistics above are projections, not certainties, and provided without guarantee free of charge. Verify all info before making any decisions based on the data.