Two things are true here at once. Crime runs above the national baseline on both measures, violent 59% above and property 32% above, and the 15.1% violent-crime rise in the 2024 FBI reporting year makes that a worsening pattern rather than a settled one; the D grade and the 7th-percentile rank among 13,216 jurisdictions follow from those numbers. Schools land mid-range at 6.0/10 across 232 rated schools, and the spread inside that average matters more than the average: high schools average 6.9, elementary schools 5.8, and University Preparatory Academy Charter reaches 9.9. Flood context is state-level — 41 FEMA flood declarations for California between 1954 and 2024, plus 6 hurricane or tropical-storm declarations — and none of it speaks to a single parcel. Every figure here describes the whole city. The block you buy on is a separate question.
Crime in San Jose vs. the national average
San Jose reports 607 violent crimes per 100,000 residents, 59% above the U.S. average of 381, and 2,588 property crimes per 100k versus a national 1,954 (32% above). In the most recent FBI reporting year (2024), the violent crime rate rose 15.1% year over year, a pattern SafeNest classifies as worsening.
| San Jose | US average | |
|---|---|---|
| Violent crime (per 100k) | 607 | 381 |
| Property crime (per 100k) | 2588 | 1954 |
City-wide averages hide block-by-block variation — the safest and least safe neighborhoods in San Jose 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 Jose'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 Jose 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 Jose
Public schools in San Jose average 6.0/10 on the SafeNest School Score across 232 rated schools. By level, high schools rate strongest at 6.9/10 on average, while elementary schools average 5.8/10. The highest-scoring is University Preparatory Academy Charter 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 Jose: 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 Jose 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 Jose 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 Jose address free in the iPhone app.
Common questions about safety in San Jose
Is San Jose, CA safe?
San Jose records 607 violent crimes per 100,000 residents, 59% 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 Jose?
San Jose reports approximately 607 violent crimes and 2588 property crimes per 100,000 residents in 2024, the most recent FBI reporting year in our data.
Does San Jose have flood risk?
SafeNest reports federal disaster declaration history for the area. For San Jose, 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).