Huntington Beach crime: the official numbers
The Huntington Beach Police Department reported 350 violent crimes and 2,783 property crimes to the California Department of Justice for 2025. That is the latest full year in the DOJ's Crimes and Clearances file, published on OpenJustice. Here are the city's counts from 2015 to 2025.
| Year | Violent crimes | Property crimes | Burglary | Vehicle theft | Larceny-theft |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2015 | 420 | 4,942 | 723 | 373 | 3,846 |
| 2016 | 362 | 4,527 | 650 | 411 | 3,466 |
| 2017 | 461 | 4,285 | 617 | 385 | 3,283 |
| 2018 | 429 | 3,993 | 525 | 310 | 3,158 |
| 2019 | 386 | 4,144 | 535 | 329 | 3,280 |
| 2020 | 493 | 3,928 | 480 | 441 | 3,007 |
| 2021 | 479 | 4,115 | 446 | 396 | 3,273 |
| 2022 | 492 | 4,364 | 494 | 501 | 3,369 |
| 2023 | 416 | 3,909 | 469 | 332 | 3,108 |
| 2024 | 394 | 3,781 | 382 | 274 | 3,125 |
| 2025 | 350 | 2,783 | 252 | 238 | 2,293 |
Violent crime covers homicide, rape, robbery and aggravated assault; in 2025 those were 2, 58, 54 and 236. Property crime is burglary, motor vehicle theft and larceny-theft. Burglaries fell from 723 in 2015 to 252 in 2025, a 65% drop, and residential burglaries from 428 to 104. Vehicle thefts peaked at 501 in 2022 and fell to 238 in 2025. Violent crime has moved between 350 and 493 a year, and 2025's figure is the lowest in the table, 29% below 2022.
Huntington Beach rates compared with nearby cities
To compare places of different size, we divided each 2025 DOJ count by the Census Bureau's 2020-2024 population estimate and multiplied by 100,000. These are our calculations, not official rates, and the population base is a five-year average.
| Area (2025) | Violent crimes | Property crimes | Violent per 100,000 | Property per 100,000 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Huntington Beach | 350 | 2,783 | 179 | 1,425 |
| Fountain Valley | 99 | 881 | 176 | 1,566 |
| Newport Beach | 211 | 1,267 | 252 | 1,511 |
| Westminster | 297 | 1,782 | 331 | 1,983 |
| Costa Mesa | 584 | 2,254 | 529 | 2,043 |
| Orange County, all agencies | 8,367 | 41,934 | 264 | 1,325 |
| California | 170,397 | 705,925 | 434 | 1,797 |
On this measure, Huntington Beach's violent crime rate is about two thirds of the county figure and well under half the statewide one. Its property crime rate is above the countywide figure but below the state's. The city's own economy page puts annual visitors at more than 11 million. Crimes against visitors count in the city's totals but visitors are not in the population base, which tends to raise per-resident property rates in beach cities.
Clearance rates in Huntington Beach
The DOJ file also counts crimes cleared, usually by arrest. In 2025 the department cleared 201 violent crimes (57% of the year's count) and 447 property crimes (16%). Clearances can relate to crimes from earlier years, so treat these as rough ratios.
What the crime numbers do and do not tell you
Citywide counts cannot tell you about one street. Huntington Beach has more than 195,000 residents, and the DOJ file reports one total per agency. No official source we found publishes crime rates by Huntington Beach neighborhood, so we do not rank areas or call any part of the city safe or unsafe. A list of "safest neighborhoods" on another site is built from private models, not from police counts. Reported crime also depends on what people report: thefts of low value often go unreported, and a busy summer weekend at the pier adds incidents that have little to do with the homes nearby.
How to check crime near a Huntington Beach address
Community Crime Map (linked by HBPD)
The police department's crime prevention page links to the LexisNexis Community Crime Map. Search the address, set a date range of six to twelve months, and look at the types of incidents, not just the number of dots. A cluster of thefts from vehicles near a shopping center tells you something different from repeat residential burglaries.
California DOJ OpenJustice
OpenJustice has the downloadable Crimes and Clearances file used above, with every California agency back to 1985. Use it to compare Huntington Beach with the cities you are also considering, using the same years.
FBI Crime Data Explorer
The FBI's Crime Data Explorer shows the department's reports to the national system, with charts by offense. Figures can differ slightly from the DOJ file because of reporting timing and definitions.
HBPD press releases and Neighborhood Watch newsletters
The department's Public Information page carries press releases and Neighborhood Watch newsletters, which describe recent incidents and prevention advice by area. Reading a few months of them is a quick way to see what kind of calls are common near a block you like.
Megan's Law search
The California DOJ Megan's Law site maps registered sex offenders whose addresses are public. Search the address and the route you would walk or drive each day before you write an offer.
Flood, tsunami and earthquake are risks too
Flood zones in Huntington Beach
Parts of Huntington Beach sit beside the Bolsa Chica wetlands, the channels of Huntington Harbour and the beach. Look up the property on the FEMA Flood Map Service Center and note its flood zone. Ask your lender early whether flood insurance will be required, ask the seller for any flood policy and claims history, and get a premium quote before you remove contingencies.
Tsunami hazard areas
The California Geological Survey publishes tsunami hazard area maps for the coast. Check whether the address is inside the mapped area and know the evacuation route, especially in Huntington Harbour, Sunset Beach and downtown near the beach.
Earthquake faults and liquefaction
Use the state's EQ Zapp tool to see whether a parcel is in an earthquake fault zone or a liquefaction or landslide hazard zone. These are part of the natural hazard disclosure a seller provides. Cal OES MyHazards shows flood, fire, earthquake and tsunami layers for one address in a single search. For insurance, see our California earthquake insurance guide and homeowners insurance guide.
A checklist before you buy or rent in Huntington Beach
- Search the address on the Community Crime Map for the last 6 to 12 months and note the incident types.
- Compare the city's DOJ figures with the other cities on your list, using the same year.
- Visit at night and on a summer weekend, especially near the pier, Main Street and the beach parking lots.
- Check the Megan's Law map.
- Look up FEMA flood zone, tsunami hazard area and EQ Zapp zones, and get insurance quotes before you remove contingencies.
- Ask the HOA, if there is one, about gate access, patrols and recent incidents in its minutes.
For the rest of the picture, read is Huntington Beach a good place to live and the statewide crime data guide. A local agent can also pull HOA documents and disclosures early; see our featured Huntington Beach agent.