Posted on 10/07/2024 8:31:34 PM PDT by SeekAndFind
Threats to safety in the U.S. come in many forms, from public health crises and natural disasters to mass shootings and traffic accidents. Aside from the types of hazards that can cause physical harm, taking out an unaffordable second mortgage, forgoing health insurance or even falling victim to identity theft are also ways people run into danger. One big worry for many people right now is the cost of inflation, which threatens Americans’ financial safety.
No one can avoid all danger, however, and we take on a certain level of risk based on where we choose to live. Some cities are simply better at protecting their residents from harm. To determine where Americans can feel most secure, WalletHub compared more than 180 cities across 41 key indicators of safety. Our data set ranges from traffic fatalities and assaults per capita to the unemployment rate and the percentage of the population that is uninsured.
Top 5 Safest Cities in the U.S.
Chip Lupo, WalletHub Analyst
Overall Rank* | City | Total Score | Home & Community Safety Rank | Natural-Disaster Risk Rank | Financial Safety Rank |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | South Burlington, VT | 74.15 | 9 | 6 | 1 |
2 | Casper, WY | 71.51 | 37 | 5 | 3 |
3 | Warwick, RI | 70.33 | 12 | 9 | 52 |
4 | Burlington, VT | 69.55 | 38 | 6 | 7 |
5 | Boise, ID | 69.17 | 26 | 46 | 19 |
6 | Yonkers, NY | 68.75 | 3 | 29 | 139 |
7 | Cedar Rapids, IA | 68.36 | 10 | 43 | 78 |
8 | Columbia, MD | 68.08 | 1 | 11 | 65 |
9 | Portland, ME | 67.77 | 44 | 23 | 2 |
10 | Virginia Beach, VA | 67.58 | 15 | 53 | 64 |
11 | Irvine, CA | 67.41 | 4 | 127 | 121 |
12 | Fargo, ND | 67.15 | 33 | 74 | 30 |
13 | Chesapeake, VA | 67.06 | 19 | 42 | 79 |
14 | Missoula, MT | 67.04 | 55 | 8 | 59 |
15 | Nashua, NH | 67.03 | 16 | 111 | 8 |
16 | Juneau, AK | 67.01 | 101 | 1 | 111 |
17 | Vancouver, WA | 66.88 | 78 | 2 | 58 |
18 | Honolulu, HI | 66.86 | 35 | 57 | 10 |
19 | Madison, WI | 66.82 | 29 | 88 | 14 |
20 | Huntsville, AL | 66.78 | 27 | 63 | 50 |
21 | Laredo, TX | 66.72 | 32 | 25 | 84 |
22 | Sioux Falls, SD | 66.71 | 36 | 86 | 23 |
23 | Chula Vista, CA | 66.34 | 20 | 39 | 104 |
24 | Fremont, CA | 66.24 | 17 | 137 | 37 |
25 | Glendale, CA | 66.15 | 5 | 150 | 137 |
26 | Salem, OR | 66.13 | 72 | 13 | 20 |
27 | Santa Rosa, CA | 65.94 | 50 | 20 | 48 |
28 | Nampa, ID | 65.92 | 49 | 16 | 60 |
29 | Santa Clarita, CA | 65.82 | 2 | 150 | 159 |
30 | Brownsville, TX | 65.54 | 21 | 95 | 71 |
31 | Gilbert, AZ | 65.33 | 7 | 155 | 27 |
32 | Port St. Lucie, FL | 65.20 | 25 | 56 | 132 |
33 | Boston, MA | 65.19 | 57 | 31 | 13 |
34 | St. Paul, MN | 65.03 | 51 | 44 | 47 |
35 | Garden Grove, CA | 64.82 | 14 | 127 | 120 |
36 | Huntington Beach, CA | 64.79 | 22 | 127 | 102 |
37 | Oceanside, CA | 64.78 | 34 | 39 | 95 |
38 | Bismarck, ND | 64.69 | 59 | 65 | 12 |
39 | Scottsdale, AZ | 64.27 | 18 | 155 | 21 |
40 | Pearl City, HI | 64.08 | 6 | 57 | 4 |
41 | Aurora, IL | 64.05 | 24 | 62 | 151 |
42 | Fort Wayne, IN | 64.04 | 42 | 32 | 114 |
43 | San Diego, CA | 64.01 | 43 | 39 | 81 |
44 | Modesto, CA | 63.69 | 77 | 21 | 56 |
45 | Worcester, MA | 63.46 | 52 | 80 | 22 |
46 | Chandler, AZ | 63.27 | 31 | 155 | 24 |
47 | Lincoln, NE | 63.25 | 56 | 115 | 26 |
48 | Rancho Cucamonga, CA | 63.12 | 30 | 166 | 92 |
49 | Oxnard, CA | 63.05 | 47 | 59 | 122 |
50 | Lexington-Fayette, KY | 62.72 | 54 | 73 | 40 |
51 | Moreno Valley, CA | 62.72 | 28 | 68 | 167 |
52 | West Valley City, UT | 62.68 | 58 | 82 | 55 |
53 | Hialeah, FL | 62.63 | 11 | 116 | 174 |
54 | Spokane, WA | 62.59 | 85 | 24 | 35 |
55 | Cheyenne, WY | 62.46 | 70 | 114 | 6 |
56 | Amarillo, TX | 62.14 | 53 | 154 | 33 |
57 | Jersey City, NJ | 62.02 | 68 | 17 | 147 |
58 | Overland Park, KS | 61.94 | 65 | 118 | 28 |
59 | Cape Coral, FL | 61.88 | 23 | 132 | 166 |
60 | Manchester, NH | 61.77 | 67 | 111 | 9 |
61 | Bridgeport, CT | 61.72 | 62 | 28 | 156 |
62 | Grand Prairie, TX | 61.67 | 8 | 179 | 118 |
63 | Anchorage, AK | 61.63 | 128 | 3 | 18 |
64 | Providence, RI | 61.26 | 69 | 47 | 86 |
65 | Des Moines, IA | 61.11 | 73 | 50 | 105 |
66 | Omaha, NE | 60.97 | 83 | 96 | 38 |
67 | Charlotte, NC | 60.80 | 48 | 135 | 74 |
67 | North Las Vegas, NV | 60.80 | 40 | 103 | 180 |
69 | Peoria, AZ | 60.66 | 46 | 143 | 36 |
70 | Ontario, CA | 60.32 | 41 | 166 | 142 |
71 | Billings, MT | 60.31 | 106 | 37 | 34 |
72 | Winston-Salem, NC | 60.17 | 74 | 97 | 66 |
73 | Pembroke Pines, FL | 60.01 | 13 | 174 | 169 |
74 | Durham, NC | 59.98 | 63 | 148 | 29 |
75 | Santa Ana, CA | 59.92 | 61 | 127 | 138 |
76 | Columbus, GA | 59.78 | 82 | 48 | 112 |
77 | Las Cruces, NM | 59.76 | 81 | 60 | 97 |
78 | Lubbock, TX | 59.72 | 75 | 120 | 39 |
79 | Irving, TX | 59.55 | 39 | 178 | 96 |
80 | Fontana, CA | 59.51 | 45 | 166 | 149 |
81 | Rapid City, SD | 59.35 | 97 | 98 | 16 |
82 | Raleigh, NC | 59.07 | 66 | 165 | 31 |
83 | Anaheim, CA | 59.05 | 76 | 127 | 128 |
84 | Reno, NV | 58.92 | 114 | 26 | 91 |
85 | Mesa, AZ | 58.91 | 71 | 155 | 43 |
86 | Fort Smith, AR | 58.72 | 92 | 106 | 15 |
87 | Newport News, VA | 58.68 | 99 | 30 | 99 |
88 | Grand Rapids, MI | 58.66 | 96 | 64 | 76 |
89 | Minneapolis, MN | 57.90 | 102 | 133 | 42 |
90 | Lewiston, ME | 57.88 | 144 | 4 | 11 |
91 | Plano, TX | 57.85 | 64 | 171 | 53 |
92 | Tempe, AZ | 57.79 | 80 | 155 | 32 |
93 | Huntington, WV | 57.79 | 132 | 14 | 70 |
94 | New Haven, CT | 57.78 | 112 | 36 | 85 |
95 | Rochester, NY | 57.71 | 100 | 67 | 93 |
96 | Henderson, NV | 57.54 | 86 | 103 | 162 |
97 | Newark, NJ | 57.05 | 88 | 35 | 179 |
98 | Norfolk, VA | 56.98 | 103 | 79 | 87 |
99 | Riverside, CA | 56.80 | 98 | 68 | 124 |
100 | Arlington, TX | 56.72 | 60 | 181 | 119 |
101 | St. Petersburg, FL | 56.55 | 115 | 45 | 109 |
102 | San Jose, CA | 56.46 | 117 | 99 | 75 |
103 | Sacramento, CA | 56.35 | 125 | 54 | 98 |
104 | Wichita, KS | 56.21 | 116 | 91 | 44 |
105 | Long Beach, CA | 56.17 | 91 | 150 | 155 |
106 | Augusta, GA | 55.99 | 79 | 89 | 88 |
107 | Stockton, CA | 55.79 | 123 | 52 | 135 |
108 | Springfield, MO | 55.61 | 129 | 51 | 68 |
109 | Tulsa, OK | 55.55 | 107 | 119 | 102 |
110 | Corpus Christi, TX | 55.54 | 140 | 18 | 41 |
111 | Fresno, CA | 55.42 | 93 | 176 | 145 |
112 | Greensboro, NC | 55.31 | 110 | 123 | 90 |
113 | San Francisco, CA | 55.24 | 149 | 10 | 69 |
114 | Columbia, SC | 55.22 | 95 | 126 | 154 |
115 | Aurora, CO | 55.22 | 120 | 93 | 134 |
116 | Tampa, FL | 55.13 | 87 | 147 | 153 |
117 | Montgomery, AL | 55.11 | 118 | 34 | 165 |
118 | Portland, OR | 55.07 | 150 | 19 | 17 |
119 | Charleston, SC | 54.83 | 113 | 145 | 62 |
120 | Glendale, AZ | 54.77 | 105 | 155 | 73 |
121 | Fort Worth, TX | 54.64 | 84 | 177 | 152 |
122 | El Paso, TX | 54.62 | 122 | 78 | 110 |
123 | New York, NY | 54.60 | 127 | 66 | 115 |
124 | Miami, FL | 54.60 | 89 | 116 | 178 |
125 | Mobile, AL | 54.39 | 90 | 170 | 146 |
126 | Seattle, WA | 54.32 | 146 | 22 | 63 |
127 | Knoxville, TN | 54.32 | 124 | 90 | 94 |
128 | Indianapolis, IN | 54.31 | 134 | 33 | 131 |
129 | San Antonio, TX | 54.23 | 108 | 162 | 100 |
130 | Tallahassee, FL | 53.97 | 111 | 139 | 123 |
131 | Dover, DE | 53.94 | 121 | 76 | 141 |
132 | Garland, TX | 53.79 | 94 | 173 | 126 |
133 | Gulfport, MS | 53.78 | 109 | 144 | 107 |
134 | Salt Lake City, UT | 53.76 | 139 | 82 | 61 |
135 | Tacoma, WA | 53.61 | 155 | 12 | 44 |
136 | Bakersfield, CA | 53.43 | 130 | 109 | 143 |
137 | Cincinnati, OH | 53.39 | 126 | 102 | 116 |
138 | Austin, TX | 52.87 | 131 | 142 | 46 |
139 | Chicago, IL | 52.42 | 104 | 140 | 177 |
140 | Buffalo, NY | 52.17 | 138 | 108 | 49 |
141 | Toledo, OH | 51.98 | 137 | 72 | 136 |
142 | Fayetteville, NC | 51.88 | 119 | 164 | 129 |
143 | Akron, OH | 51.56 | 133 | 113 | 150 |
144 | Charleston, WV | 51.44 | 156 | 55 | 5 |
145 | Albuquerque, NM | 51.34 | 147 | 110 | 77 |
146 | Tucson, AZ | 51.33 | 152 | 27 | 80 |
147 | Nashville, TN | 51.08 | 135 | 149 | 82 |
148 | Kansas City, MO | 50.87 | 154 | 38 | 72 |
149 | Phoenix, AZ | 50.83 | 136 | 155 | 66 |
150 | Louisville, KY | 50.63 | 141 | 134 | 89 |
151 | Pittsburgh, PA | 50.52 | 153 | 84 | 25 |
152 | Oklahoma City, OK | 50.19 | 143 | 141 | 57 |
153 | Wilmington, DE | 49.48 | 142 | 121 | 130 |
154 | Las Vegas, NV | 48.79 | 145 | 103 | 173 |
155 | Shreveport, LA | 48.43 | 148 | 75 | 171 |
156 | Milwaukee, WI | 48.08 | 159 | 49 | 106 |
157 | Colorado Springs, CO | 47.95 | 151 | 180 | 51 |
158 | Chattanooga, TN | 47.19 | 160 | 77 | 54 |
159 | Columbus, OH | 46.35 | 161 | 85 | 108 |
160 | Birmingham, AL | 46.08 | 157 | 94 | 160 |
161 | Denver, CO | 45.88 | 167 | 81 | 101 |
162 | Los Angeles, CA | 45.20 | 158 | 150 | 161 |
163 | St. Louis, MO | 44.07 | 173 | 15 | 127 |
164 | Jacksonville, FL | 43.00 | 164 | 124 | 163 |
165 | Atlanta, GA | 42.93 | 163 | 163 | 140 |
166 | Dallas, TX | 42.88 | 162 | 172 | 132 |
167 | Jackson, MS | 42.31 | 166 | 125 | 164 |
168 | Orlando, FL | 42.05 | 169 | 122 | 144 |
169 | Little Rock, AR | 42.01 | 168 | 146 | 117 |
170 | Richmond, VA | 41.06 | 174 | 70 | 125 |
171 | Houston, TX | 41.01 | 165 | 182 | 157 |
172 | Washington, DC | 39.72 | 178 | 92 | 83 |
173 | San Bernardino, CA | 39.55 | 170 | 166 | 168 |
174 | Philadelphia, PA | 39.43 | 175 | 87 | 158 |
175 | Oakland, CA | 39.42 | 176 | 137 | 113 |
176 | Cleveland, OH | 39.33 | 171 | 107 | 172 |
177 | Baltimore, MD | 38.39 | 179 | 61 | 170 |
178 | New Orleans, LA | 37.53 | 181 | 71 | 175 |
179 | Baton Rouge, LA | 36.23 | 182 | 136 | 148 |
180 | Fort Lauderdale, FL | 36.06 | 172 | 174 | 176 |
181 | Detroit, MI | 35.49 | 177 | 100 | 182 |
182 | Memphis, TN | 34.81 | 180 | 101 | 181 |
Notes: *No. 1 = Safest
With the exception of “Total Score,” all of the columns in the table above depict the relative rank of that city, where a rank of 1 represents the best conditions for that metric category.
South Burlington, VT, is the safest city in 2024, in part because of its safe roads. It has one of the lowest pedestrian fatality rate in the country along with the 13th-lowest percentage of uninsured motorists. When accidents do happen, the city benefits from having the ninth-most EMTs and paramedics per capita.
One area where South Burlington really shines, which many people might not think about, is financial safety. It has the lowest unemployment rate in the country, at 1.9%, the second-lowest share of seriously underwater mortgages, and the third-fewest non-business bankruptcy filings per capita over the past year. This demonstrates that residents are doing well financially and are at a reduced risk of being unable to pay their bills, losing their property or becoming homeless.
On top of that, South Burlington is safe from certain natural disasters. For example, it has the 14th-lowest risk of flooding, 21st-lowest risk of tornadoes and 31st-lowest risk of wildfires.
Casper, WY, ranks as the second-safest city, in part because it has one of the lowest pedestrian fatality rates and the 32nd-lowest aggravated assault rate. It also ranks as the second-safest city for walking alone at night and the fourth-safest for walking alone during the day, according to studies by Numbeo. The city has the 42nd-lowest murder rate among the more than 180 cities in our study, too.
In addition, Casper residents are at relatively low risk for several types of natural disasters or severe weather. The city has the sixth-lowest risk of hail, 20th-lowest risk of flooding, 24th-lowest risk of tornadoes and 32nd-lowest risk of earthquakes.
Casper residents are also quite safe from fraudsters – the city has the fewest identity theft complaints and the second-fewest fraud complaints per capita. In addition, Casper has the fifth-lowest percentage of uninsured drivers, which prevents people from racking up hefty expenses after an accident.
Warwick, RI, is the third-safest city, with the lowest number of murders and the second-lowest number of aggravated assaults per capita. It also has the fewest thefts per capita, so residents can worry less about both violent and non-violent crimes.
When it comes to natural disasters, Warwick ranks as the city with the seventh-lowest risk of hail, 10th-lowest risk of wildfires, 23rd-lowest risk of tornadoes and 29th-lowest risk of earthquakes.
Finally, Warwick provides good conditions for financial safety. It has the seventh-lowest percentage of residents without health insurance and the sixth-lowest percentage who are living in poverty. The city also has the 20th-fewest fraud complaints per capita.
For the best ways to improve safety, we asked a panel of experts to weigh in with their thoughts on the following key questions:
In order to determine the safest cities in which to live, WalletHub compared 182 cities — including the 150 most populated U.S. cities, plus at least two of the most populated cities in each state — across three key dimensions: 1) Home & Community Safety, 2) Natural-Disaster Risk, and 3) Financial Safety.
We evaluated those dimensions using 41 relevant metrics, which are listed below with their corresponding weights. Each metric was graded on a 100-point scale, with a score of 100 representing the highest level of safety.
We then determined each city’s weighted average across all metrics to calculate its overall score and used the resulting scores to rank-order our sample. In determining our sample, we considered only the city proper in each case, excluding cities in the surrounding metro area.
Sources: Data used to create this ranking were collected as of August 27, 2024 from the U.S. Census Bureau, Bureau of Labor Statistics, Federal Bureau of Investigation, TransUnion, Parents for Megan’s Law, U.S. Fire Administration, US Department of Housing and Urban Development, Wm. Robert Johnston, Federal Trade Commission, Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation, Chmura Economics & Analytics, Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts, Federal Highway Administration, National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, The Pew Charitable Trusts, County Health Rankings, Numbeo, Gun Violence Archive, Federal Emergency Management Agency, ATTOM, a property data provider - U.S. Foreclosure Market Report, ATTOM, a property data provider – U.S. Home Equity & Underwater Report and Insurance Information Institute.
Brownsville? Jersey city!!?? Bridgeport!!!???
I see a pattern but I shan’t say it.
Yup. Visiting each city’s wikipedia page, scrolling down to ‘demographics’ and noting any common ‘trends’ is instructive. Left as an exercise for the reader.
1-5 gotta lotta YPePo.
I’m not surprised DC has one of the biggest crime rates.
RE: if a city fails the brown paper bag test, then it a dangerous place to live.
Pardon my ignorance, but what is the brown paper bag test?
Burlington has become a leftist crime ridden cesspool.
I grew up near there and no way I go to Burlington now.
Why is Colorado Springs so high in natural disaster risk?
“Why is Colorado Springs so high in natural disaster risk?”
I would highly suspect moose bites.
Hmm... maybe Yogi knows.
That joint is on a few lists.
Those wouldn’t be natural I guess... but when the balloon goes up I don’t wanna be there.
“Why is Colorado Springs so high in natural disaster risk?”
High winds. Hail storms.
The same with Portland, Maine.
Illegal haven and a crummy place.
Compare skin color to shade of bag.
Portland Maine and Burlington vt hsve turned into sh@@holes in a matter of months.
Information is out of date.
Essentially the top of the list are the white majority cities we are no longer permitted to have by the leftists who run the country.
CS has fire issues, hail, blizzards and tornados. The study did not cover the rough storms that can happen. CS is in the top three counties for lightning strikes in the US. Though not on the top for car accidents now a couple of the roads were national leaders for accidents in the past, Nevada and Academy.
Did bident and kmaletoe do this survey on the bribe curve.
Any city missing The Bloods and Crips is going to be safe.
It also helps to NOT be near the Mexican border.
The Whiter and conservative the neighborhood, the safer it is. You didn’t need a “study” for this.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.