SACRAMENTO — Homicide rates in several major California cities have dropped to levels not seen in over 60 years, marking a significant improvement in public safety.

According to city records and data released in January 2026, Oakland, Los Angeles, and San Francisco have all reached record-low numbers. In Oakland, there were 67 homicides in 2025. That is 50% lower than the 134 killings in 2021 and marks the city’s lowest count since 1967.

An analysis of police data by the Los Angeles Times found that homicides in Los Angeles dropped by 18% in 2025, totaling 230 deaths. This is the city's lowest total since 1966. Similarly, San Francisco recorded its lowest number of homicides since 1954.

The California Department of Justice usually releases official state numbers in June. However, early reports show the state homicide rate dropped to about four deaths for every 100,000 people by the end of 2024. Officials noted that although California’s population has doubled since the 1960s, the number of annual homicides has returned to those 60-year lows.

National Trends and Solved Cases

The improvement in California follows a broader national trend. A Council on Criminal Justice study of 35 major U.S. cities found an overall 21% decrease in homicides between 2024 and 2025.

Data also shows a rebound in the homicide clearance rate—the percentage of cases that result in an arrest. Magnus Lofstrom, a policy director at the Public Policy Institute of California, said the rate returned to over 64% in 2024. He noted that police departments have filled open jobs and refocused on solving cases after the pandemic.

Shani Buggs, a professor at UC Davis, noted that cities with major crime drops often used federal pandemic relief money to fund violence prevention. These cities also focused more on cases involving repeat violent offenders. However, Buggs warned that there is not enough data yet to say for sure what caused these drops.

Regional and Political Context

The decline is not happening everywhere in the state. Kern County, for example, currently has the state's highest homicide rate. Despite this, Governor Gavin Newsom has pointed to the statewide trend to show that California is safer than states like Missouri and Arkansas.

Researchers continue to monitor the data to see if these downward trends hold steady in the coming years.