Sunnyvale, CA Crime Rate 2023: 276.5 per 100,000
Population 156K · 2023 FBI UCR Data · Safety Grade C
Sunnyvale, CA has a violent crime rate of 276.5 per 100,000 residents, which is 24% below the national average of 363.8. The property crime rate is 1,915 per 100,000, 5% above the national average. Over the past 5 years, crime in Sunnyvale has increased by 5.0%.Sunnyvale receives a Safety Context Score of C (61/100) based on 2023 FBI UCR data.
Reading this data in context: Sunnyvale's violent crime rate of 276.5 per 100,000 residents is 24% below the national average. Over the past 5 years, the overall crime rate has increased (+5.0%). Crime data reflects reported incidents and does not capture the full picture of neighborhood safety. All crime statistics are compiled from the FBI Crime Data Explorer, which aggregates data reported by local law enforcement agencies nationwide.
Crime Rate Breakdown (per 100K residents)
All rates per 100,000 residents. National average shown for comparison.
Sunnyvale, CA Crime Types Explained
Below is the per-capita breakdown of each FBI-tracked offense in Sunnyvale, 2023. Every figure is per 100,000 residents — never a raw count — and includes the national average for comparison.
Robbery in Sunnyvale, CA
Sunnyvale reported 41.5 robbery incidents per 100,000 residents in 2023, which is 43% below the national robbery rate of 73 per 100,000 — below the national average. The FBI defines robbery as taking property by force or threat of force. See how Sunnyvale ranks nationally for robbery.
Aggravated Assault in Sunnyvale, CA
Sunnyvale reported 179.7 aggravated assault incidents per 100,000 residents in 2023, which is 27% below the national aggravated assault rate of 246.4 per 100,000 — below the national average. The FBI defines aggravated assault as unlawful attack with intent to inflict severe bodily injury, usually involving a weapon. See how Sunnyvale ranks nationally for aggravated assault.
Murder in Sunnyvale, CA
Sunnyvale reported 5.5 murder incidents per 100,000 residents in 2023, which is 4% below the national murder rate of 5.7 per 100,000 — near the national average. The FBI defines murder as intentional homicide, the most serious violent crime category. See how Sunnyvale ranks nationally for murder.
Burglary in Sunnyvale, CA
Sunnyvale reported 229.8 burglary incidents per 100,000 residents in 2023, which is 15% below the national burglary rate of 269.8 per 100,000 — below the national average. The FBI defines burglary as unlawful entry of a structure to commit a felony or theft. See how Sunnyvale ranks nationally for burglary.
Larceny-Theft in Sunnyvale, CA
Sunnyvale reported 1,436 larceny-theft incidents per 100,000 residents in 2023, which is 2% above the national larceny-theft rate of 1,402 per 100,000 — near the national average. The FBI defines larceny-theft as the unlawful taking of property without force, threat, or fraud — the most common property crime. See how Sunnyvale ranks nationally for larceny-theft.
Motor Vehicle Theft in Sunnyvale, CA
Sunnyvale reported 153.2 motor vehicle theft incidents per 100,000 residents in 2023, which is 52% below the national motor vehicle theft rate of 318.3 per 100,000 — well below the national average. The FBI defines motor vehicle theft as theft or attempted theft of a motor vehicle. See how Sunnyvale ranks nationally for motor vehicle theft.
5-Year Crime Rate Trend
Per-capita rates per 100,000 residents
Frequently Asked Questions
Sunnyvale has a Safety Context Score of C (61/100). The violent crime rate is 276.5 per 100,000 residents, compared to the national average of 363.8. Over the past 5 years, overall crime has increased (+5.0%).
Sunnyvale's violent crime rate is 276.5 per 100,000 residents and property crime rate is 1,915 per 100,000. These are per-capita rates based on FBI UCR data, which provide a more accurate comparison than raw crime counts.
Sunnyvale's 5-year crime trend shows a +5.0% change. Crime rates have been increasing, though trends can shift year to year. Always look at long-term trends rather than single-year changes.
Sunnyvale's violent crime rate of 276.5 per 100K is below the national average of 363.8. The property crime rate of 1,915 per 100K is above the national average of 1,832.
Based on 2023 FBI data, Sunnyvale earns a Safety Context Score of C (61/100). Sunnyvale's crime rates are near the national average. The 5-year trend is worsening, which is an important factor for anyone considering relocation. Crime statistics represent city-wide averages and vary significantly by neighborhood.
The most common crime type in Sunnyvale is larceny-theft at 1,436 per 100,000 residents. Overall, property crime (1,915/100K) is significantly more common than violent crime (276.5/100K), which is typical for most US cities. Motor vehicle theft is 153.2/100K below the national average of 318.3.
Explore More
All crime rates are per 100,000 residents. Safety Context Scores are calculated using per-capita violent crime (40%), per-capita property crime (30%), and 5-year trend direction (30%), all compared to national averages.
The this entity record above pulls directly from the FBI UCR/NIBRS dataset. What follows is the per-entity context — how this entity sits in the broader U.S. city and county crime rates distribution and which underlying factors drive the headline numbers.
The methodology behind every numeric value on this page is publicly documented on the the FBI UCR/NIBRS dataset portal and described in detail on this site’s methodology page. Refresh cadence varies by underlying series; the page surfaces the as-of date for each number so readers can trace any figure back to the source release.
Practical use of this page is in combination with the comparison and ranking pages elsewhere on the site, which surface the same data for this entity’s peers within U.S. cities and counties. A single-entity reading without peer context can be misleading when an entity is an outlier on one axis but typical on another.