Two numbers pull in opposite directions here. Property crime at 3,929 per 100k is 101% above the national 1,954, and the city sits in the 6th percentile of the 13,216 jurisdictions SafeNest grades on measured crime. The SafeNest grade is D. Yet violent crime fell 16.0% year over year in 2024, a pattern SafeNest classifies as improving. Schools split the same way: a 5.1/10 average across 124 rated schools hides high schools at 6.1 and elementary schools at 4.8, so the answer changes with a buyer's child's age. Flood context is state-level: California's 41 federal flood declarations between 1954 and 2024 say nothing about whether one parcel sits in a FEMA zone. Every figure above is a city-wide average. The block you buy on can differ dramatically from it, in either direction.
Crime in San Francisco vs. the national average
San Francisco reports 596 violent crimes per 100,000 residents, 56% above the U.S. average of 381, and 3,929 property crimes per 100k versus a national 1,954 (101% above). In the most recent FBI reporting year (2024), the violent crime rate fell 16.0% year over year, a pattern SafeNest classifies as improving.
| San Francisco | US average | |
|---|---|---|
| Violent crime (per 100k) | 596 | 381 |
| Property crime (per 100k) | 3929 | 1954 |
City-wide averages hide block-by-block variation — the safest and least safe neighborhoods in San Francisco 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 San Francisco'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 San Francisco 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 San Francisco
Public schools in San Francisco average 5.1/10 on the SafeNest School Score across 124 rated schools. By level, high schools rate strongest at 6.1/10 on average, while elementary schools average 4.8/10. The highest-scoring is Roosevelt Middle at 9.9/10.
Registered offenders
Registered-offender data is meaningful only at the address level, so SafeNest does not publish a city-wide figure for San Francisco: 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 San Francisco 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.
Check a specific San Francisco 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 for $6.99.
Or search any San Francisco address free in the iPhone app.
Common questions about safety in San Francisco
Is San Francisco, CA safe?
San Francisco records 596 violent crimes per 100,000 residents, 56% 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 San Francisco?
San Francisco reports approximately 596 violent crimes and 3929 property crimes per 100,000 residents in 2024, the most recent FBI reporting year in our data.
Does San Francisco have flood risk?
SafeNest reports federal disaster declaration history for the area. For San Francisco, 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).