Riverside, CA Crime Map

Frequently Asked Questions

Frequently Asked Questions About Crime in Riverside, CA

Is Riverside, CA safe to live in?

Yes, Riverside earns a city-wide Safety Rating of B (Safe) based on analysis of 31 neighborhoods. An impressive 97% of neighborhoods score in the safe range — 51.6% earned a Grade A and 45.2% earned a Grade B. Only one neighborhood (3.2%) landed in Grade C territory, and zero neighborhoods received a D or F. For a Southern California city of more than 2.1 million residents, that distribution is notably strong. Standout safe areas include Alessandro Heights (Grade A+, median income $204,854), El Sobrante (Grade A+, median income $134,801), and Orangecrest (Grade A+, median income $131,190). Even the areas with the most elevated crime levels — such as University of California Riverside (Grade C+) and Downtown Riverside (Grade B) — remain within manageable ranges relative to comparable metro areas.

What is the crime rate in Riverside, CA?

Riverside's overall crime picture earns a Grade C- on a composite index that factors in both violent and property crime across the city. However, this city-level grade contrasts with the neighborhood-level reality: when you break down all 31 analyzed neighborhoods, 16 score Grade A, 14 score Grade B, and just 1 scores Grade C. The single Grade C neighborhood is University of California Riverside (Grade C+), which is typical for dense, high-traffic university corridors. Areas like Hunter Industrial Park (Grade B-) and Sycamore Highlands / Canyon Springs (Grade B-) show slightly elevated rates compared to the city's quieter residential zones, but neither reaches a concerning threshold. The gap between the city-wide grade and the neighborhood grades suggests that crime is concentrated in a small number of high-activity zones rather than spread evenly across Riverside.

What are the safest neighborhoods in Riverside?

Of the 31 neighborhoods analyzed, four earned the top grade of A+: Alessandro Heights (population 4,259; median income $204,854), El Sobrante (population 12,835; median income $134,801), Orangecrest (population 23,746; median income $131,190), and Airport (population 930; median income $66,064). Six additional neighborhoods earned a solid Grade A: Hawarden Hills (median income $154,937), Woodcrest (median income $113,916), Mission Grove (median income $109,506), Arlington South (median income $81,262), La Sierra South (median income $77,099), and La Sierra Hills (median income $75,580). Collectively, these ten neighborhoods span a wide range of incomes and population sizes, demonstrating that safety in Riverside is not limited to only the wealthiest enclaves. Orangecrest, for example, is home to nearly 24,000 residents and still maintains an A+ grade.

Which neighborhoods in Riverside have higher crime?

Within Riverside's 31-neighborhood dataset, no area received a D or F grade — a meaningful distinction. The neighborhoods with the most elevated crime grades are University of California Riverside (Grade C+), Sycamore Highlands / Canyon Springs (Grade B-), and Hunter Industrial Park (Grade B-). Downtown Riverside and the Grand corridor both sit at Grade B. The C+ grade at UC Riverside is consistent with patterns seen around major university campuses nationally, where higher foot traffic, transient populations, and property crimes like bike theft and vehicle break-ins tend to inflate crime metrics. Even so, a C+ remains far from the lowest end of the grading scale. Residents and visitors to these zones are encouraged to stay aware of surroundings and use standard urban precautions, but these areas do not represent dangerous outliers by California standards.

Is Riverside a good place to live in 2026?

By the numbers, Riverside presents a compelling case. The city's median household income of $72,738 sits close to the California median, while a median home value of $388,650 and median rent of $1,466 make it meaningfully more affordable than Los Angeles or Orange County. The unemployment rate of 6.5% and poverty rate of 13.2% reflect real economic challenges shared by many Inland Empire communities, but they are offset by a housing market that still allows middle-income families to build equity. On the safety side, 97% of analyzed neighborhoods score Grade A or B, giving most residents access to low-crime environments. Families seeking space and value often gravitate toward Woodcrest (Grade A, 18,413 residents) or Orangecrest (Grade A+, 23,746 residents), both of which combine size, community infrastructure, and strong safety grades. Overall, Riverside's data profile in 2026 supports a positive quality-of-life assessment for the majority of its neighborhoods.

How does Riverside's safety compare across different parts of the city?

Riverside's safety landscape is notably tiered. The southeastern and hillside neighborhoods — including Alessandro Heights, Hawarden Hills, and El Sobrante — consistently achieve A and A+ grades, buoyed by higher median incomes (ranging from $134,801 to $204,854) and lower population densities. Mid-city residential areas like Mission Grove (Grade A, median income $109,506) and La Sierra South (Grade A, median income $77,099) demonstrate that strong safety grades extend well into moderate-income communities. The commercial and institutional corridors — Downtown Riverside, Hunter Industrial Park, and the UC Riverside campus zone — show predictably higher crime grades tied to daytime population surges, retail density, and transient traffic. With 51.6% of neighborhoods at Grade A and 45.2% at Grade B, the data confirms that Riverside's safer residential zones substantially outnumber its higher-activity areas.