Southern California can’t always be sunshine and roses. In certain pockets of the state there’s definitely a dark and gritty side where crime seems to thrive. The following cities top the list for the most dangerous places in Southern California based on violence, murder and property crimes. The listings are based on data compiled by Neighborhood Scout who uses stats from the FBI and the U.S. Justice Department to determine crime rates in cities across the entire United States. Posted in no particular order, check out what cities made the list. Some of these locations might come as a surprise and a few others might not shock you at all.
8. Calexico
Located in Imperial County about 120 miles from San Diego, Calexico is a city on the US-Mexico border — hence the combined names of California and Mexico. Violent crime in Calexico is much lower than the state average, but property crime is the big risk factor here. In Calexico, your chance of being the victim of a property crime is 1 in 24.
7. El Centro
El Centro has a population of 44,000. The rate of violent crime in El Centro is close to the state average with 1 in every 254 residents likely to be a victim. Property crime in this city is a much bigger problem with the risk of being a victim at 1 in 21.
6. Desert Hot Springs
Desert Hot Springs is a medium-sized city with a population close to 28,000. The chance of being the victim of a violent crime in this city is 1 in 163. Property crimes are a lot higher coming in at 1 in 24.
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