Mission Viejo Ranks Among Top 10 Safest Cities In CA: Report

MISSION VIEJO, CA — Mission Viejo ranks among the top 10 safest cities in California, according to a new report from Safewise.

SafeWise, a security product review platform, looked at FBI crime statistics for cities in California to compile its 10th annual Safest Cities report. A total of 77 cities met criteria to be considered for ranking.

Rancho Santa Margarita, followed by Aliso Viejo and Yorba Linda, ranked as the top three safest cities in the state. All three cities are in Orange County. Orange County cities dominated the list with cities in the region claiming seven of the top 10 spots.

Here are the 10 Safest Cities in California for 2024, per Safewise.

1. Rancho Santa Margarita
2. Aliso Viejo
3. Yorba Linda
4. Laguna Niguel
5. Mission Viejo
6. Lake Forest
7. Lincoln
8. Poway
9. Rocklin
10. Irvine

In Orange County, Mission Viejo ranked as the fifth safest city in the state. The city has a violent crime rate of .8 and a property crime rate of 11.4 incidents per 1,000 people, according to the report. The city has a population of 91,382.

"Mission Viejo has always been one of the safest cities in California and the country. Public safety is a priority for us, and it is one of the reasons people choose to live here," City Councilmember Trish Kelley told Patch. "The top safest South County cities is a reflection of the great work the Orange County Sheriff’s Department does on behalf of the contract cities they serve."

The rankings were based on FBI crime data. Cities and jurisdictions across the country voluntarily report the information through the FBI Summary Reporting System and National Incident-Based Reporting System. The most recent FBI data was released in October 2023 and accounts for crimes reported in 2022. SafeWise also used population thresholds in its reporting, according to the company.

Read the full report.