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Safest Places to Live in California

Rutuja Jathar
Mission Viejo, California was named as the 'safest city in the US' in the year 2007 by Morgan Quitno Crime Statistic Survey.

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California, fondly known as the Golden State is one of the largest States in the United States of America, with diversity in climate, people and residential areas.
Often cited as one of the most expensive places to live in, California has many places that are ideal for people who are in search of a safe place for settling down. Safety is a major factor that affects the choice of almost all home buyers.
Most of us prefer to live in a neighborhood which is free from gang wars, violent crimes, property crimes and other notorious activities. When it comes to California, most of the Californian cities are known for their chic lifestyles and downtown vitalities.
It is also important to understand that California has parts which are synonymous with gangs, criminal activities, drug distribution and violence. Keeping that in mind, migrating to California in search of the safest place to live is quite a challenge. Here are a few places in California which are said to be safe to live.

Safe Places to Live in California

Experts have different opinions when it comes to ranking the best places to live in California, that are also safe for both families and the elderly. Some say that Southern California is the safest, while others say that beach cities of California are the safest. Beach cities of California are located in the western part of Southern California.

Mission Viejo

Mission Viejo is one of the safest places to live in Southern California. Located in the Saddleback Valley region of the Southern Orange County, Mission Viejo is one of the largest master-planned communities in the US. This place offers a suburban atmosphere which is rich in culture as well as nature.
In the year 2009, Mission Viejo was named as the number one safest city in California and the third-safest city in the US by the CQ Press. All in all, Mission Viejo is a great city to live with people having diverse cultural interests ranging from folk music to jazz festivals and with various natural attractions.
Growing economical strength and its convenient location (the midpoint of Los Angeles and San Diego) has made it an excellent place to live for families as well as retirees. According to findthebest, it enjoys the maximum safety rating of 5 for both property crimes and violent crimes.
As perĀ cityrating, in 2010 the city's violent crime rate was lower than that of the California State by 83.22% and property crime rate was lower by 54.52%. Similarly, the city's violent crime rate was lower than the national violent crime rate average by 81.68% and the property crime rate was lower than the national property crime rate average by 59.25%.

Laguna Beach

Laguna Beach city is located in the Southern Orange County of California. One of the popular beach cities of the US, Laguna Beach is an artists' community. Laguna Beach was incorporated as a city in the year 1927 and since then, the area has shown a steady growth in population as well as the economy.
The area is always cited to be the epicenter of alternative culture in the US. The warm Mediterranean climate and sandy beaches make this place a tourist hot spot during peak seasons.
However, it is also important for you to understand that Laguna Beach is also the birthplace of the notorious Brotherhood of Eternal Love, which was a group of drug dealers and users! All in all, today, Laguna Beach is cited to be a safe place to live.
According to cityrating, in 2010, the violent crime rate of Laguna Beach was much lower than the crime rate in California by 26.68%. Also, its property crime rate was lower by 25.53% than that of the entire State of California.
It was found that the city's violent crime rate was lower than the national violent crime rate average by 19.97% and the property crime rate was lower than the national property crime rate average by 33.27%. Based on the trend, it is estimated that the crime rate in Laguna Beach will decrease further in 2013.

San Luis Obispo

San Luis Obispo is located on the Central Coast and at the midpoint of Los Angeles and San Francisco. San Luis Obispo has been referred to as the happiest city in America, by Oprah Winfrey and Dan Buettner of the National Geographic.
The region was originally inhabited by the Chumash people, today's San Luis Obispo population is made of mixed races including Latino as well as Pacific Icelanders. The city has a warm Mediterranean climate with moderate rain during the winter season.
San Luis Obispo is one of the popular tourist attractions in the Central Coast region, since it is rich with natural and geological wonders. According to cityrating, in 2010 the violent crime rate for San Luis Obispo was lower than that of California State by 35.01%. However, the property crime was higher by 45.35% than the property crime rate in California.
Similarly, the violent crime rate was lower by 29.07% than the national violent crime rate average and the property crime was higher than the national property crime rate average by 30.23%. However, irrespective of this, it still remains a preferred place by many to settle down and is considered to be safe for life and wealth.

Thousand Oaks

Thousand Oaks is considered as one of the safest cities in the nation. It has consistently ranked in the top ten large safe cities in the country. It has also ranked at number five position on the FBI's list for "Top 10 Safest US Cities with population of 100,000+".
The people in Thousand Oaks earn a high income and it ranks second among the top ten wealthiest cities in California. It has a mild Mediterranean Climate throughout the year. It is said to be a well-planned community as it has not strayed away from its master plan. Thousand Oaks is a culturally rich city that has become a hub for world-class entertainment.
It is one of the safest cities to settle down and raise kids. According to cityrating, in 2010, the city's violent crime rate was lower than that of California State by 74.57% and the property crime rate was lower than that of the California State by 37.73%.
Also, its violent crime rate was lower than the national violent crime rate by 72.24% and property crime rate was lower than the national property crime rate by 44.21%.
Apart from the places mentioned above, San Francisco Bay Area, Aliso Viejo, Dana Point, Chico, Madera, Rancho Santa Margarita, Saratoga, Los Altos, etc., are some of the other safest places to live in California.