Is San Francisco Safe For Travelers? What You Need To Know

San Francisco is a place many folks love to visit; one of the largest cities in California, known for its fog, bright red Golden Gate Bridge, and hilly aesthetic. It’s known as home to the infamous Alcatraz Prison, and with recent news coverage, you may be wondering if San Francisco is safe. Believe it or not, this incredible city by the bay is one of the safest in the country. It’s even safer than the tourist hubs of Las Vegas, Charleston, and Orlando, according to WalletHub.

The same study ranked three other California cities, including Los Angeles, as some of the most dangerous cities in the country. Like with any data, it’s important to remember that many factors go into considering a city safe or unsafe. You also can’t discount steps you can take as a traveler to protect yourself from the moment you take off until the moment you get home.

With those considerations in mind, we’ll dive into how to visit San Francisco safely. We’ll let you know the ins and outs of San Francisco’s public transportation, crime rates, safe areas, and general safety tips to make your trip to San Fran the best.

Is It Safe To Visit San Francisco?

Whenever you consider the safety of a place, it’s crucial to know that two things can be accurate simultaneously. San Francisco’s violent crime rate is among the lowest in the country for cities its size; and the property crime rate is unusually high for the same size metropolises, according to the San Francisco Chronicle.

Anytime you travel somewhere, major city or not, it’s crucial to know that property crime can happen no matter where you stay. Particularly if you’re visiting a state like California, with some of the highest living costs in the country, you need to be aware of your surroundings during the day and at night.

Unfortunately, that high cost of living means San Francisco’s homeless population is also higher than average. We’ll cover that in more detail later.

What you need to remember about San Fran is that it isn’t a crime-ridden city. It is perfectly safe for tourists in all the same ways any beautiful city would be. It’s easy to be safe in San Francisco even if you’ve never been here before–especially if you stay in the tourist districts and use common sense.

General Safety Tips for San Francisco

There are a few ways to protect yourself in San Francisco that are both common sense and learned tactics. Keep these in mind…