Santa Monica State Beach ranks as the second-most dangerous beach in America for theft-related crimes, according to a new study that analyzed crime statistics at more than 500 U.S. coastal locations.
The popular destination has a 25.29% probability of theft incidents, driven by a vehicle theft rate of 8.91 per 1,000 residents — significantly higher than most beach communities nationwide, according to research by gambling website The Action Network.
The study comes as millions of Americans head to beaches this summer, with researchers warning that unattended phones, wallets and bags are frequent targets for opportunistic thieves, particularly in areas with higher property crime rates.
Ocracoke Lifeguarded Beach in North Carolina topped the list with a 27.91% probability of theft, fueled by a theft rate of 59.87 per 1,000 residents. Folly Beach in South Carolina claimed the third and fourth spots.
California had the most theft-prone beaches, accounting for seven of the top 20 highest-risk locations. North Carolina followed with five, while Hawaii contributed four.
Massachusetts dominated the safest beach rankings, with Cape Cod National Seashore and Marconi Beach sharing the top spot at 0.95% theft risk. Florida placed six beaches in the top 10 safest locations.
The Action Network researchers analyzed ZIP-code-level crime statistics, focusing on four property crimes most relevant to beachgoers: theft of personal belongings, robbery, vehicle theft from parking areas and burglary in surrounding neighborhoods.
The team applied a weighted scoring model that prioritized theft at 40%, robbery at 30%, vehicle theft at 20% and burglary at 10%. Crime data came from CrimeGrade.org.
Santa Monica's crime profile on CrimeGrade supports the study's findings. The city receives a D- safety grade, ranking in the 11th percentile for safety nationwide. The overall crime rate reaches 46.91 per 1,000 residents annually.
Residents' chances of becoming crime victims vary by neighborhood — from 1 in 9 in southwest areas to 1 in 30 in the northwest. The western parts of the city experience about 892 crimes annually.
While third party research has emphasized the dangers of the city, official statistics show a more mixed approach.
Official Santa Monica Police Department statistics show serious Part I crimes decreased 2% in 2024 to 4,840 incidents, while Part II crimes increased 16% to 4,080 cases.
The department recorded increases in murders — from one to six cases — and burglaries, which rose 14% to 744 incidents. Auto thefts declined 16% to 479 cases, and robberies dropped 25% to 182 incidents.
Police Chief Ramon Batista identified homelessness as the most consistent factor in local law enforcement, with homeless suspects accounting for 70% of all arrests. The department responded to nearly 24,000 homeless-related calls, representing 19% of total service calls.
Local officials have previously acknowledged crime along the shoreline as a problem and the City Council asked staff to study curfews and limited overnight closures of the beach in April of this year in an effort to curtail nefarious overnight activity.