Violent Crime Drops in San Diego, Except for Rapes

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Violent crime in San Diego dropped last year, mirroring a national trend, but with one major exception - rapes increased by 8.7% to 335 in 2025, from 308 a year earlier. While homicides, robberies and other major crimes declined significantly, the number of rapes in the city bucked the overall downward trend.

Why it matters

The rise in rapes in San Diego bucks the broader decline in violent crime seen both nationally and in other major California cities. This highlights the need for continued focus on addressing sexual violence and supporting victims, even as other crime categories show improvement.

The details

According to the annual report from the Major City Chiefs Association, robbery and homicide rates in the nation's biggest cities dropped by nearly 20% last year. San Diego was consistent with the national decline, with the city's homicide rate falling 18.75% in 2025 to 39 from 48 the prior year. Local robberies also fell, though not as steeply as the national average. However, rapes in San Diego increased by 8.7% to 335, up from 308 the previous year. Other major California cities like San Francisco, Sacramento, San Jose and Oakland saw rape fall along with other violent crime, but San Diego wasn't alone in the increase - Fresno and areas covered by the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Office also saw rises in rape.

• In 2025, the number of rapes in San Diego increased by 8.7% to 335, up from 308 the previous year.
• In 2024, preliminary data indicated a year-over-year decline in murders in San Diego, though final data showed murders ultimately increased that year.
• In 2021, the San Diego Police Department recorded 57 homicides, which was the recent peak.