San Francisco

Is San Francisco safe?

Yes, for most visitors, and safer than its reputation. The SFPD counted 28 homicides in 2025, the fewest since 1954 and about 3.4 per 100,000 people, close to New York and well below Los Angeles. Overall crime fell 25%.

The city's problem is not violence against tourists. It is property crime, especially car break-ins, and the open drug use in a few central blocks that shapes how the city feels. We score San Francisco 72.

Car break-ins: the one crime to plan for

San Francisco's car break-in rate is still among the highest of any US city, even after a 43% fall in 2025. City incident data show about 6,800 thefts from vehicles last year, roughly 820 for every 100,000 residents. Rental cars are prime targets because thieves know they carry luggage.

The worst spots are the places on every itinerary:

• Twin Peaks summit car park
• Alamo Square, opposite the Painted Ladies
• Fisherman's Wharf and Pier 39 garages and street parking
• Lands End, the Palace of Fine Arts and Golden Gate Park lots

A locked boot is no defence. Thieves watch busy car parks and strike within minutes of a driver walking away, so moving bags into the boot after you arrive only shows them where to look. Leave the car empty, or better, skip the car: Muni, cable cars and ride apps cover most sights.

The Tenderloin, SoMa and Market Street

A small area of downtown has open drug dealing and use, people living on the street and occasional aggression. It centres on the Tenderloin (roughly between Union Square, Civic Center and Van Ness) and Sixth Street in SoMa, with parts of Market Street between Fifth and Eighth Streets.

This is where visitors are most likely to feel unsafe. You can walk through by day, but stay alert and keep your phone away. At night, take a taxi or ride app even for a short distance.

Pickpocketing is less of a problem than in European capitals: the city logged fewer than 300 pickpocket cases in 2025. Phone snatches on the cable car lines and at busy Muni stops do happen.

Where to stay and walk at night

Calm areas with plenty of restaurants open late include Nob Hill, Russian Hill, North Beach, the Marina, Hayes Valley, Pacific Heights and the Mission around Valencia Street. Union Square hotels are convenient and safe within the square, but check the walk back from dinner. Fisherman's Wharf is quiet and well lit but empties after about 10 pm.

Streets, air and earthquakes

Traffic is a smaller risk here than in most US cities. The city's crash data list 25 deaths in 2025, down from 42, or about 3 per 100,000; 16 were pedestrians. Wide streets such as Market, Geary, Van Ness and Mission see most serious crashes. Watch for driverless robotaxis, which stop and turn in ways that can surprise you.

The air is some of the cleanest of any big US city. The EPA monitor in Potrero Hill averaged about 6.6 µg/m³ of fine particlesPM2.5Tiny airborne particles 2.5 micrometres across or smaller. They reach deep into the lungs and are the air pollutant most linked to early death.More in the glossary over 2023 to 2025. The exception is wildfire season, roughly August to November, when smoke from fires elsewhere in California can push the air into unhealthy levels for days. Check AirNow if you have asthma.

Earthquakes are the serious long-term hazard. The USGS estimates a 72% chance of at least one magnitude 6.7 or larger quake in the Bay Area between 2014 and 2043, most likely on the Hayward fault across the bay. The 1989 Loma Prieta quake collapsed part of the Bay Bridge. Modern hotels are built to strict codes; older brick buildings and the landfill areas of the Marina and SoMa are the most exposed. Install MyShake for alerts.

How to stay safe

• Treat your car as a display case and leave it empty.
• Avoid the Tenderloin and Sixth Street on foot after dark.
• Keep your phone in your hand, not on the table, at outdoor cafes on busy streets.
• Bring layers. Fog and wind make summer evenings cold, and hypothermia is a real risk for anyone swimming at Ocean Beach, which has strong rip currents.

Read our United States page for country-wide advice on healthcare costs and entry rules.

How we scored it

Health (88) and traffic (84) are the strongest factors, thanks to clean air and falling road deaths. Theft (56) and natural hazards (55) are the weakest: car break-ins are still very common, and a major earthquake is a real possibility. Violent crime (80) has improved sharply.