Violent Crime Rate Comparison
Safety

California vs Nevada: Violent Crime Rate

California has a lower violent crime rate than Nevada.

California flag
California
CA • West
Winner
499.5
Violent crime incidents per 100,000 residents (FBI UCR 2022).
Nevada flag
Nevada
NV • West
516.8
Violent crime incidents per 100,000 residents (FBI UCR 2022).

Visual Comparison

California 499.5
Nevada 516.8

Difference: 17.3 per 100k — California leads.

Safety Context

Economic and demographic factors behind the violent crime rate difference.

Safety
Violent Crime

California has 3% less violent crime

California records 499.5 violent incidents per 100k residents versus 516.8 in Nevada (FBI UCR 2022).

Poverty

Nevada has a lower poverty rate

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

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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 $72,281 in Nevada.

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Population Density

California is more densely populated

Urban density often correlates with higher crime rates. California is more densely populated at 241.5 per sq mi vs 28.1 in Nevada.

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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%
Nevada flag
Nevada
Safety
Violent crime rate / 100k
516.8
Contributing factors
Poverty rate
12.0%
Median household income
$72,281
Population density
28.1 / sq mi
Unemployment rate
5.2%

What Stands Out

  • California has the lower violent crime rate at 499.5 per 100k.
  • Nevada has the lower poverty rate.
  • California has the higher median household income.

What This Means

California vs Nevada: Violent Crime Rate in context

California has a violent crime rate of 499.5, compared with 516.8 in Nevada. Violent crime incidents per 100,000 residents (FBI UCR 2022).

California
499.5
Nevada
516.8
Difference
17.3 per 100k

People Also Ask

California vs Nevada Violent Crime Rate — Common Questions

Q What is California's violent crime rate?

California's violent crime rate is 499.5.

Q What is Nevada's violent crime rate?

Nevada's violent crime rate is 516.8.

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

California has a lower violent crime rate than Nevada.

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.