Fresno's numbers pull in two directions. Crime sits in the 4th percentile of the 13,216 jurisdictions SafeNest grades, with property crime 67% above the national rate and violent crime 93% above. The 1.4% year-over-year rise is classified stable, so a buyer should plan around this level rather than expect it to fall. Schools depend on the child's age: high schools average 5.8/10 while middle schools average 4.3/10, and Clovis West High reaches 9.5/10. The 5.0 average across 179 rated schools describes a spread, not a typical school. The same caution applies to the hazard and crime figures. The 41 California disaster declarations are state-level, and the D grade is a city-wide average. Neither tells you what the block you are buying on looks like.
Crime in Fresno vs. the national average
Fresno reports 736 violent crimes per 100,000 residents, 93% above the U.S. average of 381, and 3,271 property crimes per 100k versus a national 1,954 (67% above). In the most recent FBI reporting year (2024), the violent crime rate rose 1.4% year over year, a pattern SafeNest classifies as stable.
| Fresno | US average | |
|---|---|---|
| Violent crime (per 100k) | 736 | 381 |
| Property crime (per 100k) | 3271 | 1954 |
City-wide averages hide block-by-block variation — the safest and least safe neighborhoods in Fresno can differ dramatically. For a specific address, a SafeNest report covers it directly — or search free in the iPhone app.
Flood & natural hazard risk
Federal disaster records for California — the state SafeNest uses for Fresno's flood context — list 41 FEMA flood disaster declarations between 1954 and 2024, most recently "Severe Storm And Flooding". California has also seen 6 hurricane or tropical-storm declarations, events that frequently drive flooding. These are state-level federal declarations, not a parcel-level flood-zone determination — a specific Fresno address may sit inside or well outside a FEMA flood zone, which SafeNest does not determine; check FEMA's flood maps and flood-insurance requirements for that address.
Schools in Fresno
Public schools in Fresno average 5.0/10 on the SafeNest School Score across 179 rated schools. By level, high schools rate strongest at 5.8/10 on average, while middle schools average 4.3/10. The highest-scoring is Clovis West High at 9.5/10.
Registered offenders
Registered-offender data is meaningful only at the address level, so SafeNest does not publish a city-wide figure for Fresno: a single citywide number would blend blocks with very different profiles and mislead more than it informs. Registered offender counts by distance band for any specific Fresno address are included in a SafeNest report, drawn directly from the state's public registry. The iPhone app shows that count free for any address, and maps each registrant with Premium.
Compare other cities
- Compare with Bakersfield crime rate.
- Also on SafeNest: is San Jose safe?
- See also crime and safety data for Stockton.
- Compare how safe Oakland is.
- Another city on the same data: the Fremont safety report.
Check a specific Fresno address
City averages are a starting point. A SafeNest report covers one specific address — crime, registered offender counts, flood and disaster history, schools, air quality, taxes — delivered by email as a PDF.
Or search any Fresno address free in the iPhone app.
Common questions about safety in Fresno
Is Fresno, CA safe?
Fresno records 736 violent crimes per 100,000 residents, 93% above the US national average of 381. Overall SafeNest grade: D, a city-wide average of reported crime. It does not describe a specific street or address.
What is the crime rate in Fresno?
Fresno reports approximately 736 violent crimes and 3271 property crimes per 100,000 residents in 2024, the most recent FBI reporting year in our data.
Does Fresno have flood risk?
SafeNest reports federal disaster declaration history for the area. For Fresno, federal records show 41 FEMA flood disaster declarations for California, most recently in 2024; a specific address may still sit inside or outside a FEMA flood zone, which SafeNest does not determine — check FEMA's flood maps for that address.
How this page was built
Every figure here comes from the same public records behind SafeNest's grading. We published the full method and what it does and doesn't support in We graded 13,216 American cities with FBI data — including where a letter grade means almost nothing. City comparisons: safest cities in California.
Other city safety reports
Data compiled from public sources including FBI crime statistics, FEMA disaster declarations and the FEMA National Risk Index, NCES education data, and state registries. Last updated 2026-08-17. Figures are city-level estimates; verify with primary sources before making decisions. SafeNest is not a consumer reporting agency (see Terms).