New Study Ranks the Safest and Most Dangerous California Cities for Halloween 2026
The Californer/10360781

FRESNO, Calif. - Californer -- With Halloween falling on a Saturday this year, Californians are mapping out trick-or-treat routes and making party plans. A new Maison Law report offers a closer look at local safety conditions.

The California personal injury law firm compared 336 cities with populations of at least 10,000. Signal Hill tops the danger rankings, while Canyon Lake ranks safest.

The 10 most dangerous cities

1. Signal Hill
2. Beverly Hills
3. Malibu
4. West Hollywood
5. Eureka
6. Emeryville
7. El Segundo
8. San Rafael
9. Montclair
10. Colton

The 10 safest cities

1. Canyon Lake
2. Clayton
3. Rancho Santa Margarita
4. Blythe
5. Moraga
6. Los Altos
7. Yorba Linda
8. Susanville
9. Piedmont
10. Poway

What stands out

• Los Angeles County cities occupy all four highest-risk positions and five of the 10 highest Danger Scores.
• Signal Hill has the highest seasonal fatal and injury crash rate and the highest long-term annual crash rate among the ranked cities.
• Malibu has the highest alcohol-involved seasonal crash rate, while West Hollywood has the highest pedestrian-involved seasonal crash rate.
• Eureka ranks fifth overall. Its seasonal pedestrian crash rate is second highest: 13.94 per 100,000 residents, about 5.5 times the median among ranked cities.
• The Bay Area places seven cities among the 25 safest and four among the 25 most dangerous.
• Four San Joaquin Valley cities—Newman, Parlier, Sanger and Reedley—make the safest Top 25. Modesto ranks 17th most dangerous.

How the rankings work

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Five population-adjusted measures each carry 20% of the score:

• Seasonal fatal and injury crashes
• Alcohol-involved crashes
• Pedestrian-involved crashes
• Long-term annual crashes
• October reported violent and property crime

Each factor is normalized and combined into a 0–100 Danger Score. Higher scores indicate less favorable conditions.

Seasonal crash data cover October and adjacent weekend days in 2023–2025; crime data cover October only. Sources include UC Berkeley's TIMS using CHP records, California DOJ OpenJustice and California Department of Finance population estimates.

The scores describe broader seasonal and background conditions, rather than a person's chance of harm on Halloween night. Crash records for 2025 remain provisional, though several cities were excluded from the ranking due to incomplete or inconsistent data, which are detailed in the methodology section of the full report linked below.

Find your city's ranking and read more in our full report linked here:

The full report includes all 336 city rankings, Top 25 lists, graphics, safety tips and methodology:

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https://maisonlaw.com/dangerous-safest-cities-halloween/

About Maison Law

Maison Law is a California-based law firm specializing in personal injury, car accidents, and wrongful death claims. In addition to practicing law, they also publish data-driven safety reports, provide expert commentary for local news outlets, and are heavily involved in victim advocacy and community safety events. Learn more on Maison Law's media page: https://maisonlaw.com/media/