Violent Crime Rate Comparison
Safety

California vs Utah: Violent Crime Rate

Utah 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).
Utah flag
Utah
UT • West
Winner
243.4
Violent crime incidents per 100,000 residents (FBI UCR 2022).

Visual Comparison

California 499.5
Utah 243.4

Difference: 256.1 per 100k — Utah leads.

Safety Context

Economic and demographic factors behind the violent crime rate difference.

Safety
Violent Crime

Utah has 105% less violent crime

Utah records 243.4 violent incidents per 100k residents versus 499.5 in California (FBI UCR 2022).

Poverty

Utah has a lower poverty rate

Economic stress and crime are closely tied. Utah's poverty rate is 9.0%, 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 $79,133 in Utah.

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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 38.5 in Utah.

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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%
Utah flag
Utah
Safety
Violent crime rate / 100k
243.4
Contributing factors
Poverty rate
9.0%
Median household income
$79,133
Population density
38.5 / sq mi
Unemployment rate
3.6%

What Stands Out

  • Utah has the lower violent crime rate at 243.4 per 100k.
  • Utah has the lower poverty rate.
  • California has the higher median household income.

What This Means

California vs Utah: Violent Crime Rate in context

Utah has a violent crime rate of 243.4, compared with 499.5 in California. Violent crime incidents per 100,000 residents (FBI UCR 2022).

California
499.5
Utah
243.4
Difference
256.1 per 100k

People Also Ask

California vs Utah Violent Crime Rate — Common Questions

Q What is California's violent crime rate?

California's violent crime rate is 499.5.

Q What is Utah's violent crime rate?

Utah's violent crime rate is 243.4.

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

Utah 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.