Safety index · Los Angeles · data through July 2026
Is Lake Balboa safe?
Lake Balboa shows a typical level of reported crime for Los Angeles. Its SafeRoute safety index is 67 out of 100 — 12 points above the citywide median of 55, ranking 28th of 99 LA neighborhoods — based on 184 incidents reported to the LAPD within 1 km of the neighborhood center (data through July 2026).
The largest reported category here is violent crime (21% of reports) — worth taking seriously when walking at night; the full mix is broken down below.
Incidents spread across the day here — roughly 29% of severity-weighted reports come in the evening (6 p.m.–midnight) and 23% overnight.
Where incidents cluster
What's reported here
| Violent crime | 38 · 21% | |
| Other theft | 49 · 27% | |
| Public order | 27 · 15% | |
| Criminal damage & arson | 17 · 9% | |
| Burglary | 16 · 9% | |
| Vehicle crime | 15 · 8% |
When it happens
Severity-weighted share of reported incidents by time of day, from police incident timestamps.
Walking in Lake Balboa at night?
SafeRoute scores every walking route against the same live crime data on this page — and shows how much of each route runs on lit streets. Pick the safer way, share your walk, and check in when you arrive. Free, no account.
Get SafeRoute on the App StoreNearby areas
- Van Nuys39/100 · Elevated
- Encino74/100 · Moderate
- Reseda60/100 · Moderate
- North Hills West73/100 · Moderate
- Northridge South56/100 · Moderate
Common questions
Is Lake Balboa safe at night?
Moderate overall (safety index 67/100). About 52% of severity-weighted incidents in Lake Balboa are reported between 6 p.m. and 6 a.m. At night, prefer lit, busier streets — a block or two of detour often avoids the clusters on the map above.
What is the most common crime in Lake Balboa?
Violent crime — 38 of 184 incidents (21%) reported within 1 km of the neighborhood center through July 2026.
How is the Lake Balboa safety index calculated?
SafeRoute weights each incident reported to the LAPD by severity (violence weighs more than shoplifting), sums the last available period within 1 km of the neighborhood center, and normalizes against citywide crime rates onto a 0–100 scale — higher is safer. It describes reported crime only; it is not a guarantee of safety.