Top 10 Safest States In The US Based on the Violent Crime Rate Today

Top 10 Safest States In The US

In the United States' safest states, there are some general patterns. For instance, many of the safest states are in the northeastern part of the country. These include New Hampshire, Vermont, Maine, and Rhode Island. Some other safe states are in the west, like Idaho, Utah, and Oregon, or in the middle of the country, like North Dakota, South Dakota, and Nebraska. States with fewer people tend to have lower crime rates in general.

It is important to remember that homicide rates are a good way to figure out how safe a place is, but they don't always show how safe or dangerous a state is overall. That is, a state might have a low murder rate but a high rate of other crimes like assault and theft.

US Safety

The safety standards in the United States vary a lot from one state to the next. Through a detailed study, WalletHub tried to explain this difference. This thorough study looked at 53 safety measures in all 50 states. The measures were broken down into five main groups: Personal & Residential Safety, Roadway Safety, Financial Security, Occupational Safety, and Disaster Readiness.

These different safety measures gave a clear picture of each state's safety. Some of the things that were looked at were the number of drunk driving accidents, the condition of the roads, the unemployment rate, the amount of debt compared to income, the poverty rate, the number of mass shootings and assaults, the number of police officers, and the percentage of households with children ages 0 to 17 who felt safe in their neighborhoods. Every single one of these factors was given a score between 0 and 100, with 100 being the safest. In this way, the total score gave a number value to the level of safety in each state.

It's important to keep in mind that these rankings don't take away from the problems the US faces around the world. The country is ranked 128th out of 163 countries in the Global Peace Index. It has problems like hate crimes, mass shootings, terrorist threats, and natural disasters. Even though these things do put residents and visitors at risk, the safety quotient has a big effect on people's quality of life and is a big reason why families decide to move.

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Top 10 Safest States In The US

1. New Jersey

Rate of violent crime: 195 crimes per 100,000 people

Property crime rate: 1,158 crimes per 100,000 people

Our research shows that New Jersey is the safest state in the U.S. Based on crime data from the time period we looked at, the state has the fourth-lowest number of aggravated assaults and the lowest number of rapes per 100,000 people. It has the third fewest burglaries per person, the third-fewest thefts of property, and the sixth-fewest thefts of cars.

The number of police officers (452 out of 100,000) is what makes it really stand out. Even though it ranks 15th overall in murder and nonnegligent manslaughter (3.7 per 100,000), it gets the top spot.

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2. New Hampshire

Crime rate: 146 crimes per 100,000 people

Property crime rate: 1,099 crimes per 100,000 people

Due to its low murder rate of just 20, New Hampshire is the safest state in the United States. This makes it one of the safest and calmest places in the country to live. New Hampshire has a crime rate that is lower than most states. There are fewer property crimes and violent crimes per person in New Hampshire than in most other states. The low crime rates may be due in part to the state's rural feel and low population density. One thing that may help keep crime rates low is that New Hampshire is known for having strong law enforcement.

3. Maine

Violent crime rate of 109 crimes per 100,000 people

Property crime rate: 1,156 crimes per 100,000 people

Maine was the second safest U.S. state in 2022, with a score of 66.24. Maine is number one for being ready for emergencies, number five for road safety, and number three for personal safety. Maine has the fourth-lowest property crime rate and the lowest rate of all violent crimes in the US. It also has the lowest rate of assaults per person. Maine has one of the lowest murder rates in the country, along with New Hampshire and Vermont.

4. Massachusetts

The violent crime rate is 309 per 100,000 people.

Property crime rate: 1,053 crimes per 100,000 people

In 2022, Massachusetts had a total safety score of 61.83, making it the seventh safest state in the US. Massachusetts comes in at number one for road safety, number two for financial safety, and number five for personal and home safety. The state of Massachusetts might have been the safest in the U.S.

5. Vermont

The violent crime rate is 173 per 100,000 people.

Property crime rate: 1,217 crimes per 100,000 people

Vermont is one of the top five states for three types of violent crime: The crime rate there is the third lowest in the country. There are also the second fewest thefts and the fourth-fewest serious assaults. (The state has the 13th fewest rapes.) In Vermont, property crimes happen six times less often than in any other state in the country. With only 42.4 thefts per 100,000 people, it has the fewest car thefts of any state.

6. Connecticut

The violent crime rate is 182 per 100,000 people.

Property crime rate: 1,565 crimes per 100,000 people

With a score of 62.12, Connecticut was rated the safest state for personal and residential safety in 2022. This makes Connecticut the sixth safest state in the US. Gun violence is very low in Connecticut, and the state has one of the lowest rates of people going missing in the country.

7. Rhode Island

Rate of violent crime: 231 crimes per 100,000 people

Property crime rate: 1,245 crimes per 100,000 people

Rhode Island is eighth in the country for murders and serious assaults, but it is not one of the 20 states with the fewest rapes per person. It is one of the ten places with the fewest burglaries and thefts. With 237 police officers for every 100,000 people, Rhode Island has the 17th most police officers in the U.S.

8. Idaho

Rate of violent crime: 243 crimes per 100,000 people

Property crime rate: 1,112 crimes per 100,000 people

This is the first state on our list of the safest states that is not in the Northeastern U.S. Among states with low murder rates, Idaho is the 34th lowest. Idaho is also the 34th lowest for rapes. Idaho has the lowest rate of robberies of any state (9.5 per 100,000 people). It also has the second-lowest rate of thefts of small items and the fourth-lowest rate of thefts of motor vehicles. A relatively small number of police officers (48th, 165 officers per 100,000 people) brings it down a bit.

9. New York City

The murder and non-negligent manslaughter rate in New York is 4.2 per 100,000 people, which is the 18th lowest in the country. However, the state has the seventh-lowest number of rapes and the 10th-lowest overall property crime rate, with seventh-lowest burglaries and sixth-lowest auto thefts. It has 339 police officers for every 100,000 people, which is the third most in the country.

10. Virginia

The violent crime rate is 209 per 100,000 people.

Property crime rate: 1,456 crimes per 100,000 people

It is the fourth least likely to be raped for every 100,000 people in Virginia. It has the sixth fewest serious assaults and the thirteenth fewest thefts, but the 27th fewest murders. This is the only southern state in our top 10. It has the second-lowest rate of burglaries and the ninth-lowest rate of vehicle thefts. It has 24th most police officers per person.

The most dangerous states in the US

1. Louisiana

2. Mississippi

3. Arkansas

4. Texas

5. Florida

6. Alabama

7. Oklahoma

8. Colorado

9. Montana

10. Missouri

In conclusion

There is crime everywhere, even in Alaska, which is at the very bottom of our list of safest states, and New Jersey, which is at the very top. If you want to lower your chances of being a victim of a violent or property crime, you can do things like set up a home security system. It is also important to have homeowners insurance (or renters insurance) and auto insurance, and to review them often.

Check out online reports from the FBI, your state, and your city or town if you're thinking about moving to a different state and want to learn more about crime rates and trends in that state or town.

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