Is Modesto Safe? Crime Rates & Safety Report

Modesto, California, might be one of the best choices in the Golden State for those who can’t decide if they want the beach or the mountains, a big city or wide open spaces, or affluent or budget accommodations.

Located in the agricultural heartland of California, you can be in the Bay Area in 90 minutes or at the entrance to Yosemite Park, all while staying in one of the most affordable California cities.

Modesto is a diverse community with as many Hispanics/Latinos as Caucasians.

Strong African Americans, Asians, Native Americans, and Pacific Islanders live here too.

This city set the stage for George Lucas’ American Graffiti and paid homage to his hometown with a film that inspired the modern-day celebration of Graffiti Summer.

This city also loves to have car cruises down the main drag, as much as in Lucas’ childhood as there is now, so car aficionados are going to be impressed with Modesto before even seeing a historical landmark.

Tourists will go nuts for the agricultural option here, too, from the focal point of the global almond industry to one of the largest family-owned wineries to the fresh produce ready all year round.

With so many bigger cities around California, it can be easy to miss some of the state’s hidden treasures.

If you look closer, you’ll see Modesto really makes a statement.

Warnings & Dangers in Modesto

Safest Places to Visit in Modesto

We advise using travel and tourism websites that are sponsored or produced by local governments or organizations directly involved in tourism.

For Modesto, that website is visitmodesto.com.

The Convention and Visitor’s Bureau also produces a podcast called “Get Fresh,” which can be great to listen to before you arrive.

You’ll have a better lay of the land and new amenities.

The Modesto Arch is an Instagram moment at best, but it’s a unique slice of the culture with the city’s motto of “Water, Wealth, Contentment, Health” and is illuminated at night.

It greets car enthusiasts and all travelers on their way into the city.

Graffiti Museum USA is one of the big draws in Modesto.

The classic car museum is a tribute to the movie American Graffiti.

If you haven’t seen the 1973 movie, you might want to watch it before you visit Modesto.

A lot of the tourist attractions will make much more sense.

The Great Valley Museum will take you on a science and history tour of the unique California climate with a planetarium on site for stargazing and mesmerizing movies about the skies above us.

Rotating exhibits are presented throughout the year.

You’ll find dozens of farm stands in and around Modesto.

The tourism website lists them all with specific information about what fruit or veggie is in season during the different times of the year.

Make a special note to try the cheese, strawberries, and almonds.

Chances are, if you ever ate an almond, it came from this part of California.

Funworks is an amusement area with batting cages, go-karts, mini golf, and so much more.

It’s fun for the whole family and a great way to burn some energy.

Don’t miss the virtual playground and the bear-stuffing section.

The Modesto Nuts are the Single-A baseball team in the city, so during baseball season, grab a cheap ticket, a hot dog, and cheer on the home team.

Vintage Faire Mall is the shopping destination in Modesto with a full slate of name-brand stores, restaurants, and activities for kids.

Check out the Kids Club for a list of events happening during your visit if you’re bringing little ones with you.

Places to Avoid in Modesto

The areas south of downtown are the most dangerous in the city.

Some Westside and northern neighborhoods are dangerous too.

The real issue for tourists in Modesto isn’t the dangerous neighborhoods – every city has those.

It’s that there isn’t a whole lot to do in Modesto.

The nightlife is scarce, and from the list of things I mentioned above, you can tell there are slim pickings unless you like visiting a dozen farm stands or walking the mall.

This leads to people driving around looking for something to do, which could lead them into a bad neighborhood.

There’s a gang problem in Modesto, and you shouldn’t take that lightly.

Stick to the main streets and the areas designed for entertainment and tourism.

Try to spend as much as you can during the day visiting places because it can get a little seedy after dark.

The benefit of Modesto is mostly all the places you are close to, not necessarily the benefits of Modesto itself.

There are great local festivals that happen throughout the year, so plot your trip around one of those to get a better vision of the city.

Safety Tips for Traveling to Modesto

So... How Safe Is Modesto Really?

Modesto, as a whole, is getting lower crime rates, but it’s still not in the “safe city” category.

There are fringe neighborhoods and surrounding cities that are much safer.

A Yahoo!

Finance report put Modesto among the “Worst American Cities To Live In” at number 13.

It cited higher crime rates, high unemployment rates, and a lower-than-average job growth rate over the next decade.

Violent crimes were rising in 2022, but there’s no official word on that until January of 2023 when the final data from the full year will be released.

The problem with Modesto is that it’s a cheap place to live, and many people commute to jobs in other, pricier cities.

It’s also what might lure tourists there.

What you’ll find is a city built around a car culture that doesn’t exist in its true form any longer.

If you’re visiting here, use it as a home base for seeing some of the nearby areas.

If you are attending a family function or visiting friends, just use caution when traveling through neighborhoods and avoid getting into verbal altercations.

The gang community here doesn’t tolerate disrespect, and you need to use common sense and situational awareness at all times.

How Does Modesto Compare?

City	Safety Index
Modesto	64
Deadwood	80
Sturgis	80
Pierre	81
Spearfish	80
Hill City	83
Sevierville	73
Temuco (Chile)	31
Puno (Peru)	45
Nara (Japan)	88
Kanazawa (Japan)	83
Hammamet (Tunisia)	78
Sidi Bou Said (Tunisia)	42

Useful Information

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Modesto Weather Averages (Temperatures)

Average High/Low Temperature

California - Safety by City

City	Safety Index
Alameda	86
Alhambra	84
Anaheim	73
Bakersfield	66
Barstow	62
Berkeley	64
Burbank	86
Chino Hills	82
Chula Vista	81
Compton	41
Concord	74
Costa Mesa	83
Daly City	76
El Cajon	86
El Monte	76
Escondido	91
Eureka	87
Fairfield	85
Fontana	68
Fremont	74
Fresno	38
Fullerton	74
Garden Grove	78
Hawthorne	62
Hayward	87
Hemet	65
Huntington Beach	78
Indio	89
Inglewood	68
Irvine	82
Lake Forest	83
Lancaster	64
Livermore	87
Long Beach	63
Los Angeles	56
Merced	92
Milpitas	91
Mission Viejo	85
Modesto	64
Moreno Valley	82
Mountain View	87
Newport Beach	84
Norwalk	79
Oakland	57
Oceanside	85
Oxnard	63
Palm Springs	65
Palmdale	78
Pasadena	78
Pomona	61
Rancho Cucamonga	91
Redding	71
Redlands	86
Redondo Beach	88
Redwood City	85
Rialto	58
Riverside	57
Sacramento	51
Salinas	64
San Bernardino	63
San Diego	67
San Francisco	61
San Jose	58
San Leandro	78
San Luis Obispo	88
San Mateo	84
Santa Ana	71
Santa Barbara	72
Santa Clara	82
Santa Clarita	76
Santa Cruz	94
Santa Monica	64
Santa Rosa	91
Simi Valley	84
South Gate	63
Stockton	38
Sunnyvale	87
Temecula	87
Thousand Oaks	86
Torrance	86
Union City	88
Vallejo	65
Ventura	76
Victorville	63
West Covina	88
Yreka	93