You bet. And having the unfortunate experience of having to be in the 92 Los Angeles riots, I'll tell anyone here, it can happen, and will happen again. It was nothing short of war, with dozens brutally murdered, with brutal crippling effects on thousands of businesses and the economy.
I wouldn't advise anyone nowadays to be inside of large population centers. Compounded by the potential for riots and race wars, add terrorism, and the chances of a major event are very real. I've seen it close up.
Being about 120 miles from a major city, like NY, LA, Detroit, or Dallas, is very desirable, as one still has access to the city, yet is far enough away to be relatively safe.