Violent Crime
Massachusetts has 76% less violent crime
Massachusetts records 283.3 violent incidents per 100k residents versus 499.5 in California (FBI UCR 2022).
Safety
California vs Massachusetts: Violent Crime Rate
Massachusetts has a lower violent crime rate than California.
National Rankings
Where They Rank Nationally
See where both states fall among all 50 states for violent crime rate.
California
#44 · 499.5 per 100k
Massachusetts
#18 · 283.3 per 100k
Best
Worst
10 Best States — Violent Crime Rate
Lower is better
#1
Maine
109.8 per 100k
Maine
#2
New Hampshire
164.4 per 100k
New Hampshire
#3
Connecticut
178.0 per 100k
Connecticut
#4
Vermont
187.6 per 100k
Vermont
#5
New Jersey
188.9 per 100k
New Jersey
#6
Virginia
195.2 per 100k
Virginia
#7
Rhode Island
215.5 per 100k
Rhode Island
#8
Wyoming
216.5 per 100k
Wyoming
#9
Kentucky
218.6 per 100k
Kentucky
#10
Idaho
224.7 per 100k
Idaho
Selected states
#44
California
499.5 per 100k
California
#18
Massachusetts
283.3 per 100k
Massachusetts
California ranks 44th and Massachusetts ranks 18th nationally for violent crime rate.
Safety Context
Violent Crime Rate in context
Economic and demographic factors behind the violent crime rate difference.
Poverty
Massachusetts has a lower poverty rate
Economic stress and crime are closely tied. Massachusetts's poverty rate is 10.4%, compared with 12.0% in California.
See full data →Income
Massachusetts has higher household income
States with stronger median incomes tend to have lower crime rates. Massachusetts leads at $96,505 vs $84,097 in California.
See full data →Population Density
Massachusetts is more densely populated
Urban density often correlates with higher crime rates. Massachusetts is more densely populated at 666.1 per sq mi vs 241.5 in California.
See full data →Safety snapshot
CaliforniaSafety
- 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%
MassachusettsSafety
- Violent crime rate / 100k
- 283.3
Contributing factors
- Poverty rate
- 10.4%
- Median household income
- $96,505
- Population density
- 666.1 / sq mi
- Unemployment rate
- 4.8%
What stands out
- Massachusetts has the lower violent crime rate at 283.3 per 100k.
- Massachusetts has the lower poverty rate.
- Massachusetts has the higher median household income.
Related pages
What this means
California vs Massachusetts: Violent Crime Rate in context
Massachusetts's violent crime rate is 283.3 per 100k, compared with 499.5 per 100k in California. Violent crime incidents per 100,000 residents (FBI UCR 2022).
California
499.5 per 100k
Massachusetts
283.3 per 100k
Difference
216.2 per 100k
People also ask
California vs Massachusetts Violent Crime Rate — common questions
QWhat is California's violent crime rate?
California's violent crime rate is 499.5 per 100k.
QWhat is Massachusetts's violent crime rate?
Massachusetts's violent crime rate is 283.3 per 100k.
QWhich state has a lower violent crime rate — California or Massachusetts?
Massachusetts has a lower violent crime rate than California.
More comparisons: California vs Massachusetts
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Data source and freshness
Primary source
Data period
2022 UCR data
Dataset reviewed
July 23, 2026
Method note
Reported offenses per 100,000 residents; reporting coverage can vary.