Violent Crime Rate Comparison
Safety

California vs Florida: Violent Crime Rate

Florida has a lower violent crime rate than California.

California flag
California
CA • West
499.5
Violent crime incidents per 100,000 residents (FBI UCR 2022).
Florida flag
Florida
FL • South
Winner
252.4
Violent crime incidents per 100,000 residents (FBI UCR 2022).

Visual Comparison

California 499.5
Florida 252.4

Difference: 247.1 per 100k — Florida leads.

Safety Context

Economic and demographic factors behind the violent crime rate difference.

Safety
Violent Crime

Florida has 98% less violent crime

Florida records 252.4 violent incidents per 100k residents versus 499.5 in California (FBI UCR 2022).

Poverty

California has a lower poverty rate

Economic stress and crime are closely tied. California's poverty rate is 12.0%, compared with 12.3% in Florida.

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Income

California has higher household income

States with stronger median incomes tend to have lower crime rates. California leads at $84,097 vs $67,917 in Florida.

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Population Density

Florida is more densely populated

Urban density often correlates with higher crime rates. Florida is more densely populated at 327.5 per sq mi vs 241.5 in California.

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Safety Snapshot

California flag
California
Safety
Violent crime rate / 100k
499.5
Contributing factors
Poverty rate
12.0%
Median household income
$84,097
Population density
241.5 / sq mi
Unemployment rate
5.5%
Florida flag
Florida
Safety
Violent crime rate / 100k
252.4
Contributing factors
Poverty rate
12.3%
Median household income
$67,917
Population density
327.5 / sq mi
Unemployment rate
4.3%

What Stands Out

  • Florida has the lower violent crime rate at 252.4 per 100k.
  • California has the lower poverty rate.
  • California has the higher median household income.

What This Means

California vs Florida: Violent Crime Rate in context

Florida has a violent crime rate of 252.4, compared with 499.5 in California. Violent crime incidents per 100,000 residents (FBI UCR 2022).

California
499.5
Florida
252.4
Difference
247.1 per 100k

People Also Ask

California vs Florida Violent Crime Rate — Common Questions

Q What is California's violent crime rate?

California's violent crime rate is 499.5.

Q What is Florida's violent crime rate?

Florida's violent crime rate is 252.4.

Q Which state has a lower violent crime rate — California or Florida?

Florida has a lower violent crime rate than California.

Sources: Core demographic data comes from the 2020 U.S. Census, with land area from U.S. Census Bureau TIGER files. Income, housing, affordability, and tax fields are maintained in our comparison dataset, with minimum wage data from the U.S. Department of Labor, gas prices from AAA, and electricity rates from the U.S. Energy Information Administration. Political control and election fields use 2024 presidential results together with National Conference of State Legislatures data. Gun-law labels use the Giffords scorecard, alcohol system data comes from NABCA, and marijuana status uses NCSL's state cannabis laws tracker.