Threats to safety in the U.S. come in many forms, from public health crises and natural disasters to mass shootings and traffic accidents. People can feel unsafe in other ways, too.
Aside from the types of hazards that can cause bodily injury or other physical harm, taking out an unaffordable second mortgage, forgoing health insurance or even visiting unsecured websites 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 — in more than one sense — WalletHub compared more than 180 cities across 41 key indicators of safety. Our data set ranges from traffic fatalities per capita 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.
- Warwick, RI
- Overland Park, KS
- Burlington, VT
- Juneau, AK
- Yonkers, NY
“When people think about safety in a city, their minds probably immediately go to things like the crime rate, auto fatality rate or risk of natural disasters. The safest cities in America protect residents from these threats of bodily harm and property damage, but on top of that, they also help secure people’s financial safety. Financial safety includes things like minimizing the risk of fraud and identity theft, keeping the population employed and insured, and combating homelessness.”
Chip Lupo, WalletHub Analyst
Safest Cities in the U.S.
Overall Rank*
City
Total Score
Home & Community Safety Rank
Natural-Disaster Risk Rank
Financial Safety Rank
1
Warwick, RI
71.21
8
9
44
2
Overland Park, KS
70.04
4
118
16
3
Burlington, VT
68.79
33
6
9
4
Juneau, AK
68.74
86
1
57
5
Yonkers, NY
68.65
3
29
118
6
Casper, WY
68.42
51
5
7
7
South Burlington, VT
68.35
46
6
3
8
Columbia, MD
68.02
2
11
51
9
Lewiston, ME
67.77
63
4
2
10
Salem, OR
66.93
52
13
31
11
Nashua, NH
66.72
13
111
8
12
Boise, ID
66.65
41
46
6
13
Laredo, TX
66.43
26
25
81
14
Santa Rosa, CA
66.43
32
20
93
15
Virginia Beach, VA
66.37
27
53
43
16
Nampa, ID
66.35
43
16
46
17
Irvine, CA
66.05
6
127
116
18
Chesapeake, VA
66.03
24
42
61
19
Cedar Rapids, IA
66.00
23
43
74
20
Bismarck, ND
65.95
42
65
4
21
Honolulu, HI
65.82
31
57
27
22
Portland, ME
65.75
58
23
1
23
Chula Vista, CA
65.52
21
39
113
24
Vancouver, WA
65.45
80
2
70
25
Madison, WI
65.25
30
88
21
26
Lincoln, NE
65.23
35
115
14
27
Fremont, CA
64.98
20
137
65
28
Pearl City, HI
64.91
1
57
13
29
Gilbert, AZ
64.83
9
155
36
30
Port St. Lucie, FL
64.78
10
56
167
31
Boston, MA
64.59
50
31
26
32
Omaha, NE
64.52
40
96
35
33
Aurora, IL
64.50
17
62
126
34
Missoula, MT
64.30
88
8
19
35
Fargo, ND
64.10
54
74
20
36
Glendale, CA
64.02
7
150
146
37
West Valley City, UT
63.76
45
82
37
38
Sioux Falls, SD
63.75
57
86
12
39
San Diego, CA
63.68
38
39
90
40
Chandler, AZ
63.49
19
155
30
41
Scottsdale, AZ
63.49
22
155
24
42
Huntington Beach, CA
63.44
25
127
106
43
Worcester, MA
63.37
37
80
40
44
Santa Clarita, CA
63.30
5
150
175
45
Huntsville, AL
63.28
44
63
42
46
Rancho Cucamonga, CA
63.21
18
166
97
47
St. Paul, MN
63.16
74
44
23
48
Moreno Valley, CA
63.12
16
68
153
49
Oceanside, CA
63.00
36
39
103
50
Garden Grove, CA
62.72
29
127
120
51
Oxnard, CA
62.58
49
59
111
52
Bridgeport, CT
62.31
56
28
91
53
Rapid City, SD
62.02
69
98
5
54
Manchester, NH
61.76
55
111
17
55
Cape Coral, FL
61.52
14
132
168
56
Fontana, CA
61.47
28
166
135
57
Hialeah, FL
61.32
12
116
174
58
Providence, RI
61.23
61
47
96
59
Seattle, WA
61.22
109
22
15
60
Fort Wayne, IN
61.22
65
32
102
61
Brownsville, TX
61.13
48
95
68
62
Newport News, VA
60.66
76
30
85
63
Wichita, KS
60.60
73
91
22
64
Des Moines, IA
60.46
71
50
75
65
Grand Prairie, TX
60.39
11
179
125
66
Peoria, AZ
60.34
39
143
53
67
Cheyenne, WY
59.86
79
114
29
68
Billings, MT
59.86
113
37
10
69
Reno, NV
59.73
110
26
52
70
Modesto, CA
59.71
104
21
87
71
Mesa, AZ
59.68
53
155
49
72
Anchorage, AK
59.33
135
3
18
73
Raleigh, NC
59.32
60
165
32
74
Austin, TX
59.23
64
142
45
75
Jersey City, NJ
58.94
93
17
137
76
Lubbock, TX
58.88
62
120
95
77
Ontario, CA
58.71
47
166
139
78
Winston-Salem, NC
58.61
78
97
69
79
Irving, TX
58.49
34
178
112
80
Amarillo, TX
58.46
82
154
38
81
Charlotte, NC
58.45
66
135
82
82
Grand Rapids, MI
58.44
98
64
48
83
New Haven, CT
58.41
102
36
73
84
San Jose, CA
58.39
100
99
39
85
Pembroke Pines, FL
58.36
15
174
171
86
Montgomery, AL
58.31
84
34
141
87
Columbus, GA
58.16
70
48
172
88
Anaheim, CA
58.12
72
127
127
89
North Las Vegas, NV
57.99
59
103
173
90
Lexington-Fayette, KY
57.97
91
73
80
91
Rochester, NY
57.85
95
67
83
92
Norfolk, VA
57.55
92
79
84
93
Spokane, WA
57.54
115
24
79
94
Riverside, CA
57.52
85
68
131
95
Sacramento, CA
56.82
114
54
99
96
Santa Ana, CA
56.81
81
127
133
97
Durham, NC
56.72
89
148
33
98
El Paso, TX
56.69
99
78
101
99
St. Petersburg, FL
56.60
101
45
136
100
Salt Lake City, UT
56.58
122
82
28
101
Fort Smith, AR
56.31
107
106
41
102
Tampa, FL
56.30
77
147
115
103
Charleston, WV
56.24
126
55
11
104
Tempe, AZ
56.21
83
155
47
105
Fresno, CA
55.94
87
176
117
106
Henderson, NV
55.73
96
103
151
107
Oklahoma City, OK
55.61
105
141
58
108
Huntington, WV
55.51
137
14
55
109
Plano, TX
55.51
75
171
88
110
Newark, NJ
55.42
94
35
179
111
Las Cruces, NM
55.34
116
60
89
112
Tucson, AZ
55.19
127
27
98
113
Miami, FL
55.16
68
116
180
114
Greensboro, NC
54.96
108
123
104
115
Arlington, TX
54.94
67
181
130
116
Minneapolis, MN
54.56
129
133
25
117
New York, NY
54.34
123
66
100
118
Springfield, MO
54.29
133
51
63
119
Gulfport, MS
54.18
97
144
107
120
Tallahassee, FL
54.00
106
139
123
121
San Francisco, CA
53.96
149
10
86
122
Stockton, CA
53.67
131
52
138
123
Long Beach, CA
53.58
112
150
148
124
San Antonio, TX
53.55
111
162
108
125
Fort Worth, TX
53.42
90
177
143
126
Knoxville, TN
53.36
132
90
62
127
Aurora, CO
53.35
125
93
132
128
Tulsa, OK
53.18
120
119
92
129
Bakersfield, CA
52.85
124
109
134
130
Corpus Christi, TX
52.48
147
18
56
131
Glendale, AZ
52.46
118
155
72
132
Columbia, SC
52.14
119
126
129
133
Garland, TX
52.07
103
173
145
134
Indianapolis, IN
51.94
138
33
128
135
Cincinnati, OH
51.36
134
102
121
136
Phoenix, AZ
51.28
130
155
71
137
Charleston, SC
50.98
128
145
78
138
Pittsburgh, PA
50.97
143
84
50
139
Portland, OR
50.96
157
19
34
140
Buffalo, NY
50.36
141
108
59
141
Tacoma, WA
50.22
161
12
60
142
Mobile, AL
50.20
117
170
155
143
Fayetteville, NC
49.62
121
164
160
144
Toledo, OH
49.58
136
72
170
145
Kansas City, MO
49.08
153
38
66
146
Dover, DE
49.00
142
76
144
147
Milwaukee, WI
48.49
151
49
109
148
Akron, OH
47.94
140
113
154
149
Louisville, KY
47.84
144
134
110
150
Las Vegas, NV
47.56
145
103
169
151
Augusta, GA
47.07
139
89
152
152
Shreveport, LA
46.86
146
75
176
153
Wilmington, DE
46.06
148
121
157
154
Albuquerque, NM
45.78
162
110
67
155
Colorado Springs, CO
45.34
152
180
76
156
Los Angeles, CA
44.69
150
150
163
157
St. Louis, MO
44.59
170
15
140
158
Birmingham, AL
44.01
156
94
165
159
Columbus, OH
43.83
164
85
122
160
Orlando, FL
43.45
160
122
119
161
Chicago, IL
43.16
154
140
159
162
Denver, CO
42.86
172
81
105
163
Dallas, TX
42.77
155
172
142
164
Little Rock, AR
42.75
159
146
114
165
Jacksonville, FL
42.28
158
124
158
166
Nashville, TN
41.98
168
149
54
167
Chattanooga, TN
41.80
174
77
64
168
Richmond, VA
41.39
175
70
94
169
Oakland, CA
41.28
169
137
124
170
Jackson, MS
40.43
167
125
149
171
Atlanta, GA
40.26
163
163
164
172
Washington, DC
39.81
178
92
77
173
Cleveland, OH
39.74
171
107
162
174
Philadelphia, PA
39.39
176
87
150
175
San Bernardino, CA
38.57
173
166
156
176
Houston, TX
38.10
165
182
161
177
Fort Lauderdale, FL
37.28
166
174
178
178
Baltimore, MD
36.69
180
61
166
179
Detroit, MI
36.38
177
100
181
180
Baton Rouge, LA
33.74
181
136
147
181
Memphis, TN
33.71
179
101
182
182
New Orleans, LA
31.57
182
71
177
Note: *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.
Ray Hanania is an award-winning opinion columnist, author & former Chicago City Hall reporter (1977-1992). A veteran who served during the Vietnam War and the recipient of four SPJ Peter Lisagor Awards for column writing, Hanania writes weekly opinion columns on mainstream American & Chicagoland topics for the Southwest News-Herald, Des Plaines Valley News, the Regional News, The Reporter Newspapers, and Suburban Chicagoland.
His award winning columns can be found at www.HANANIA.COM Subscribe FREE today
Hanania also writes about Middle East issues for the Arab News, and The Arab Daily News criticizing government policies in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
Hanania was named “Best Ethnic American Columnist” by the New America Media in November 2007, and is the 2009 recipient of the SPJ National Sigma Delta Chi Award for column writing.
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