Data through Aug 2026 (San Diego) and Jul 2026 (San Jose), FBI
San Diego vs San Jose crime rates
San Jose’s violent crime rate was 20% higher than San Diego’s over each one’s latest 12 months (to Aug 2026 for San Diego and Jul 2026 for San Jose): 463 against 385 per 100,000 residents a year. San Jose’s property crime rate was 1.5 times San Diego’s over the same period: 2,359 against 1,551 per 100,000 residents a year. San Diego recorded 36 homicides (2.6 per 100,000 residents) and San Jose 26 (2.6). Over the same period violent crime was unchanged in San Diego and down 17% in San Jose, each against its own previous 12 months.
Side by side
per 100k, per year| Measure | San Diego, CAcity, California | San Jose, CAcity, California |
|---|---|---|
| Violent crimeper 100,000 residents a year | 385 | 463 |
| Property crimeper 100,000 residents a year | 1,551 | 2,359 |
| Homicidescount in the period | 362.6 per 100k | 262.6 per 100k |
| Violent crime trendagainst the 12 months before | 0% | −17% |
| Property crime trendagainst the 12 months before | +2% | −5% |
| Residents | 1,409,432 | 994,435 |
| Period | 12 months to Aug 2026 | 12 months to Jul 2026 |
| Source | San Diego Police Departmentas reported to the FBI | San Jose Police Departmentas reported to the FBI |
Violent crime, month by month
Each line has its own scale, so read the direction, not the height; the table above has the rates.
Robbery and theft
| Offense | San Diego | San Jose |
|---|---|---|
| Robberytaken by force or threat | 92365.5 per 100k | 92893.3 per 100k |
| Burglaryentering a home or business to steal | 1,692120 per 100k | 2,878289 per 100k |
| Theft from vehiclesitems or parts taken from a vehicle | 4,689333 per 100k | 5,130516 per 100k |
| Other theftshoplifting, pickpocketing and the rest | 11,694830 per 100k | 10,4791,054 per 100k |
Counts over each period.
The FBI cautions against ranking or comparing places on these numbers alone: how dense a place is, its economy, how often residents report crime and how each agency records it all shape them. How to read crime numbers
What this comparison does not measure
read before deciding- These are crimes reported to the police. In the federal victim survey for 2024, about half of violent crime (47.9%, homicide aside) and under a third of property crime (30.5%) was reported, and that share can differ from one city to another.
- The two periods are not the same months: San Diego’s figures run to Aug 2026 and San Jose’s to Jul 2026, the latest each agency has reported in full.
- City limits are drawn differently: one city may take in suburbs and open land that another leaves to its neighbors, and that alone moves a citywide rate. A citywide figure says little about any one neighborhood; San Diego has neighborhood figures on its page.
More on each place
2 related pairsCrime in San Diego, CACrime in San Jose, CALos Angeles vs San DiegoSan Francisco vs San Jose
Source and dates
FBI Crime Data Explorer- San Diego, CA
- San Diego Police Department, as reported to the FBI. 12 months to Aug 2026; 1,409,432 residents.
- San Jose, CA
- San Jose Police Department, as reported to the FBI. 12 months to Jul 2026; 994,435 residents.
- How we count
- Violent crime is homicide, rape, robbery and aggravated assault; property crime is burglary, theft, vehicle theft and arson, the FBI’s definitions for every agency. Methodology