8 Orange County Cities Among California’s Top 20 Safest

A new report ranks eight Orange County cities among the top 20 safest cities in California.

The safest cities in Orange County in order are:

1. Rancho Santa Margarita (#1 in California)
2. Aliso Viejo (#3 safest in California)
3. Yorba Linda (#5 safest in California)
4. Laguna Niguel (#7 safest in California)
5. Lake Forest (#10 safest in California)
6. Irvine (#14 safest in California)
7. Mission Viejo (#15 safest in California)
8. San Clemente (#19 safest in California)

This data is according to Safewise, a security product review platform.

Irvine didn’t rank higher due to its size and outside influences, according to City of Irvine Police Department spokesperson Kyle Oldoerp.

Data shows that 75% of Irvine arrests are people from outside of Irvine. “That’s a challenge,” Oldoerp told OrangeCountyLawyers.com in a phone interview. “We don’t have a gate around our city.”

Located in the eastern part of Orange County along the Santa Ana Mountains, Rancho Santa Margarita is a master planned city and has a population of nearly 48,000, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.

This is the second year Rancho Santa Margarita has landed in first place and FBI crime statistics show there was 0.5 violent crimes reported per 1,000 people in 2025 and 0.4 in 2024 and 4.3 property crimes in 2025 and 4.8 in 2024.

“All cities in south Orange County are extremely safe and amazing places to live and work,” said Teresa Schickling, president and CEO of Laguna Niguel Chamber of Commerce. In 7th place, Laguna Niguel was among the top ranked cities reporting fewer than 2.2 violent crimes per 1,000 people and no murders or rapes.

The master planned city has a population of some 64,355, according to the U.S. Census Bureau and is known for Laguna Niguel Regional Park and Aliso & Wood Canyons Wilderness Park.

“Having lived in Laguna Niguel for over 25 years and also worked in Laguna Niguel, I’m not at all surprised that LN is one of the safest cities in California,” Schickling told OrangeCountyLawyers.com in an email. “The city staff, community members and sheriffs department all work together to create a safe place to live and work.”

Laguna Niguel reported 1.0 violent crimes per 1,000 people in 2025 and 0.9 in 2024 compared to 9.9 property crimes in 2025 and 10.5 in 2024.

That’s compared to 7.1 property crimes per 1,000 people in 2025 and 6.8 in 2024 for Aliso Viejo and 11.5 property crimes in 2025 and 10.2 property crimes in 2024 for Yorba Linda.

Local Lawyers:

• Business attorneys
• Real estate attorneys
• Estate planning attorneys

Property Crimes in California are Higher Than Nationwide Rates

“Property crime rates in California have consistently been higher than nationwide rates, and self-reported experiences with property crime went up year over year,” the report stated.

The Orange County Sheriff’s Department patrols and offers public safety services to unincorporated cities as well as 13 contract cities within the county using land, air and sea-based operations.

All the top rated Orange County cities receive public safety services through the Orange County Sheriff’s Department except for Irvine.

“Being serviced by the Orange County Sheriff’s Department is a big advantage for many Orange County cities,” Schickling added. “There is a strong presence and consistency of service between our cities.”

With the biggest land mass in Orange County, Irvine has its own police department that provides public safety services to some 300,000 residents. “No call is too small,” Oldoerp said. “We will respond to anything if our citizens call us and we’re very proud to serve this community.”

As previously reported in Orange County Lawyers, the City of Irvine Police Department implemented a state-of-the art Real Time Crime Center (RTCC) with a surveillance capability that extends beyond the 67 square miles that make up the swanky college town.

As a result, Irvine’s RTCC is expected to benefit adjacent cities that don’t have similar resources.

“The biggest thing that helps us here in Irvine is our close partnership with our community,” Oldoerp added. “Our community is really the eyes and ears of this city. We enjoy a great relationship with our community members, and we definitely think that contributes to keeping Irvine safe.”

*Header photo created with Google ImageFX
Photo of Teresa Schickling courtesy Laguna Niguel Chamber of Commerce