Last updated 2026-07-10 ยท MovePlan Editorial Team
California sunshine with low crime, strong schools, and a real sense of community.
1. Irvine: Safest overall
2. Santa Clara: Best for tech families
3. Sunnyvale: Best Silicon Valley pick
4. Carlsbad: Best coastal safety
5. Fremont: Best diverse suburb
6. Thousand Oaks: Best LA-area safety
7. Mission Viejo: Best master-planned suburb
8. Folsom: Best Sacramento-area safety
Safety tops the list for families relocating to California, and the state has plenty of cities that pair low crime with great weather and schools. These are typically well-run suburbs and smaller cities rather than the big urban cores. Here are the 8 safest places to live in California, ranked.