Go with a plan.
Numbeo's Safety Index puts Los Angeles at 46/100 for crime — that makes it read sketchier than United States's national picture overall (69/100 vs 73/100).
City page · part of United States
The one number a country page can't give you
What people who actually live in Los Angeles report
Numbeo aggregates thousands of resident-submitted perception surveys into a per-city Crime Index (higher = worse) and its inverse, a Safety Index — the only real city-granularity crime signal feeding this page, alongside United States's national advisory, political, health, and police-trust data.
Crime Index
53.8
Safety Index
46.2
Sub-scores
Same real inputs as United States's national page, with crime swapped for Los Angeles's own Numbeo number above.
Local know-how
Staying safe in Los Angeles, specifically
- • For emergencies in Los Angeles County, dial 911 toll-free from any phone including payphones. Dialing 911 from a cellphone will place you in contact with the California Highway Patrol.
- • Most tourist destinations within the Los Angeles area tend to be fairly safe, including Hollywood, Beverly Hills, Santa Monica, Westwood, and West L.A.
- • Certain areas in or near downtown, such as Skid Row (which is where the Greyhound station is located), Pico-Union, Westlake, Boyle Heights, South Los Angeles, Compton, Inglewood, Harbor Gate…
- • Though cities such as Detroit, St.
Legal status (national law)
Legal in some states since 1962, nationwide since 2003+ UN decl. sign.
Source: Wikipedia — LGBTQ rights by country →Pack this, know this
The little things that trip people up
Plug & voltage
A / B · 120V
Driving side
right
Emergency
police: 911 / ambulance: 911 / fire: 911
Tipping
Tipping is widely practiced in the United States. Standards vary, but gratuities are always given to servers in restaurants and bars, taxi drivers, parking valets, and bellstaff in hotels. When traveling in the U.S., try to keep some $1 and $5 bills in your wallet for small tips.
SIM / Data
The three largest mobile phone networks in the U.S. are AT&T, Verizon Wireless, and T-Mobile. These all have good coverage of practically all urban/suburban and many rural areas of the country, although each network has strong and weak areas. There are many mobile virtual network operators (MVNO) that rebrand service on the major carriers' networks.
Cash vs. Card
The U.S. currency is the United States dollar ($), divided into 100 cents (¢). Foreign currencies are almost never accepted, though some major hotel chains may accept traveller's checks in other currencies. Some establishments close to the Canadian and Mexican borders accept their currencies, though usually at poor exchange rates. Japanese yen is sometimes accepted in Hawaii.
How this compares to United States
Numbeo's Safety Index puts Los Angeles at 46/100 for crime — that makes it read sketchier than United States's national picture overall (69/100 vs 73/100).
See the full United States page and all receipts →