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.
Main Findings
Safest Cities in the U.S.
Overall Rank* | City | Total Score | Home & Community Safety | Natural-Disaster Risk | Financial Safety |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Nashua, NH | 86.00 | 8 | 27 | 8 |
2 | Columbia, MD | 85.97 | 1 | 63 | 85 |
3 | South Burlington, VT | 85.18 | 21 | 36 | 1 |
4 | Gilbert, AZ | 84.24 | 10 | 14 | 56 |
5 | Warwick, RI | 84.03 | 9 | 22 | 68 |
6 | Portland, ME | 83.99 | 32 | 11 | 2 |
7 | Casper, WY | 83.92 | 27 | 20 | 11 |
8 | Yonkers, NY | 83.76 | 4 | 39 | 122 |
9 | Burlington, VT | 83.70 | 28 | 37 | 10 |
10 | Scottsdale, AZ | 83.63 | 17 | 53 | 28 |
11 | Laredo, TX | 82.98 | 19 | 24 | 80 |
12 | Virginia Beach, VA | 82.95 | 11 | 44 | 63 |
13 | Lewiston, ME | 82.43 | 45 | 12 | 20 |
14 | Chandler, AZ | 82.35 | 29 | 8 | 54 |
15 | Bismarck, ND | 82.09 | 47 | 64 | 6 |
16 | Cape Coral, FL | 81.67 | 6 | 111 | 132 |
17 | Brownsville, TX | 81.45 | 34 | 2 | 116 |
18 | Raleigh, NC | 81.41 | 42 | 55 | 34 |
19 | Chesapeake, VA | 81.31 | 20 | 69 | 97 |
20 | Boise, ID | 81.30 | 38 | 71 | 27 |
21 | Worcester, MA | 81.21 | 35 | 17 | 57 |
22 | Madison, WI | 81.13 | 44 | 89 | 13 |
23 | Cedar Rapids, IA | 81.13 | 26 | 101 | 46 |
24 | Manchester, NH | 80.70 | 58 | 30 | 9 |
25 | Aurora, IL | 80.63 | 12 | 91 | 134 |
26 | Winston-Salem, NC | 80.63 | 51 | 40 | 82 |
27 | Nampa, ID | 80.62 | 39 | 49 | 67 |
28 | Peoria, AZ | 80.45 | 40 | 26 | 94 |
29 | Pearl City, HI | 80.41 | 5 | N/A | 3 |
30 | Pembroke Pines, FL | 80.33 | 15 | 48 | 163 |
31 | Fargo, ND | 80.18 | 52 | 77 | 25 |
32 | Mesa, AZ | 79.96 | 50 | 18 | 70 |
33 | Irvine, CA | 79.86 | 2 | 150 | 126 |
34 | Cheyenne, WY | 79.83 | 62 | 97 | 4 |
35 | Henderson, NV | 79.82 | 13 | 95 | 151 |
36 | Grand Prairie, TX | 79.62 | 22 | 112 | 104 |
37 | Juneau, AK | 79.44 | 86 | 50 | 21 |
38 | Tempe, AZ | 79.36 | 70 | 9 | 45 |
39 | Grand Rapids, MI | 79.03 | 73 | 7 | 41 |
40 | Sioux Falls, SD | 79.00 | 56 | 103 | 24 |
41 | Missoula, MT | 78.91 | 59 | 108 | 15 |
42 | Durham, NC | 78.89 | 74 | 42 | 31 |
43 | Vancouver, WA | 78.82 | 67 | 87 | 30 |
44 | Fort Wayne, IN | 78.80 | 61 | 59 | 75 |
45 | Charlotte, NC | 78.75 | 65 | 57 | 42 |
46 | Providence, RI | 78.59 | 54 | 10 | 123 |
47 | Glendale, CA | 78.51 | 7 | 151 | 138 |
48 | Lincoln, NE | 78.46 | 64 | 105 | 19 |
49 | Fremont, CA | 78.42 | 25 | 157 | 33 |
50 | Salem, OR | 78.39 | 83 | 70 | 35 |
51 | Rancho Cucamonga, CA | 78.08 | 18 | 159 | 74 |
52 | Las Cruces, NM | 77.81 | 66 | 66 | 111 |
53 | Omaha, NE | 77.73 | 60 | 107 | 39 |
54 | Chula Vista, CA | 77.67 | 37 | 132 | 77 |
55 | Bridgeport, CT | 77.59 | 57 | 16 | 159 |
56 | Irving, TX | 77.40 | 41 | 125 | 98 |
56 | Augusta, GA | 77.40 | 69 | 61 | 153 |
58 | Tallahassee, FL | 77.39 | 71 | 28 | 139 |
59 | Santa Clarita, CA | 77.37 | 3 | 168 | 171 |
60 | Newport News, VA | 77.19 | 78 | 21 | 113 |
61 | Santa Rosa, CA | 77.15 | 36 | 153 | 55 |
62 | Rochester, NY | 77.13 | 91 | 4 | 62 |
63 | Spokane, WA | 76.97 | 108 | 19 | 32 |
64 | Hialeah, FL | 76.87 | 14 | 128 | 176 |
65 | Oxnard, CA | 76.75 | 33 | 148 | 109 |
66 | North Las Vegas, NV | 76.73 | 24 | 99 | 179 |
67 | Oceanside, CA | 76.72 | 43 | 144 | 73 |
68 | Tampa, FL | 76.54 | 75 | 92 | 84 |
69 | San Diego, CA | 76.51 | 53 | 130 | 72 |
70 | Huntington Beach, CA | 76.35 | 30 | 170 | 90 |
71 | Port St. Lucie, FL | 76.21 | 16 | N/A | 92 |
72 | Fontana, CA | 75.97 | 31 | 163 | 119 |
73 | Glendale, AZ | 75.83 | 102 | 13 | 95 |
74 | Norfolk, VA | 75.67 | 82 | 81 | 125 |
75 | Salt Lake City, UT | 75.62 | 107 | 116 | 5 |
76 | Plano, TX | 75.31 | 95 | 113 | 43 |
77 | Moreno Valley, CA | 75.24 | 23 | 166 | 152 |
78 | Greensboro, NC | 75.20 | 113 | 33 | 79 |
79 | San Antonio, TX | 75.19 | 98 | 73 | 87 |
80 | Amarillo, TX | 75.05 | 63 | 162 | 47 |
81 | Dover, DE | 74.97 | 111 | 1 | 144 |
82 | Overland Park, KS | 74.81 | 109 | 121 | 22 |
83 | Ontario, CA | 74.76 | 46 | 156 | 133 |
84 | Mobile, AL | 74.75 | 97 | 43 | 148 |
85 | Arlington, TX | 74.50 | 79 | 122 | 105 |
86 | Gulfport, MS | 74.47 | 92 | 56 | 157 |
87 | Montgomery, AL | 74.43 | 80 | 93 | 174 |
88 | West Valley City, UT | 74.38 | 48 | N/A | 26 |
89 | Huntsville, AL | 74.38 | 77 | 142 | 76 |
90 | Des Moines, IA | 74.27 | 76 | 143 | 71 |
91 | Jacksonville, FL | 74.22 | 106 | 62 | 142 |
92 | Rapid City, SD | 74.08 | 112 | 129 | 17 |
93 | Colorado Springs, CO | 73.97 | 88 | 126 | 86 |
94 | Honolulu, HI | 73.84 | 49 | N/A | 23 |
95 | Lubbock, TX | 73.74 | 114 | 114 | 58 |
96 | Columbus, GA | 73.69 | 96 | 38 | 177 |
97 | Minneapolis, MN | 73.51 | 116 | 131 | 12 |
98 | Garden Grove, CA | 73.39 | 55 | 171 | 131 |
99 | Charleston, WV | 73.32 | 139 | 45 | 18 |
100 | Billings, MT | 73.28 | 137 | 58 | 37 |
101 | Boston, MA | 73.25 | 138 | 35 | 14 |
102 | Columbia, SC | 73.13 | 105 | 83 | 156 |
103 | Sacramento, CA | 73.02 | 100 | 119 | 103 |
104 | Santa Ana, CA | 73.02 | 68 | 167 | 118 |
105 | Anaheim, CA | 72.82 | 72 | 154 | 124 |
106 | Reno, NV | 72.74 | 93 | 158 | 49 |
107 | Fayetteville, NC | 72.62 | 121 | 51 | 162 |
108 | Anchorage, AK | 72.47 | 103 | 161 | 36 |
109 | Fort Worth, TX | 72.39 | 90 | 134 | 130 |
110 | Jersey City, NJ | 72.34 | 118 | 84 | 147 |
111 | Tucson, AZ | 72.33 | 127 | 65 | 89 |
112 | Fort Smith, AR | 72.25 | 132 | 94 | 64 |
113 | Newark, NJ | 72.23 | 101 | 29 | 180 |
114 | Huntington, WV | 72.23 | 133 | 47 | 102 |
115 | Modesto, CA | 72.17 | 120 | 135 | 60 |
116 | Nashville, TN | 72.10 | 122 | 115 | 96 |
117 | San Jose, CA | 72.09 | 94 | 169 | 53 |
118 | Garland, TX | 72.09 | 119 | 110 | 121 |
119 | Springfield, MO | 72.05 | 123 | 127 | 61 |
120 | New Haven, CT | 72.03 | 136 | 6 | 146 |
121 | Aurora, CO | 72.03 | 104 | 133 | 112 |
122 | Fresno, CA | 72.02 | 117 | 117 | 127 |
123 | Louisville, KY | 71.95 | 124 | 106 | 101 |
124 | Knoxville, TN | 71.83 | 130 | 78 | 91 |
125 | El Paso, TX | 71.61 | 128 | 74 | 120 |
126 | Wichita, KS | 71.55 | 99 | 172 | 50 |
127 | Phoenix, AZ | 71.43 | 142 | 25 | 83 |
128 | Riverside, CA | 71.23 | 87 | 164 | 128 |
129 | Miami, FL | 71.14 | 89 | 118 | 178 |
130 | Toledo, OH | 71.13 | 135 | 60 | 141 |
131 | Akron, OH | 71.08 | 129 | 68 | 145 |
132 | Tulsa, OK | 70.89 | 125 | 120 | 100 |
133 | Pittsburgh, PA | 70.86 | 144 | 72 | 59 |
134 | Corpus Christi, TX | 70.48 | 154 | 3 | 48 |
135 | St. Paul, MN | 70.46 | 81 | N/A | 29 |
136 | Bakersfield, CA | 70.30 | 115 | 146 | 135 |
137 | New York, NY | 70.07 | 145 | 34 | 129 |
138 | Buffalo, NY | 70.03 | 155 | 5 | 51 |
139 | Austin, TX | 70.01 | 147 | 98 | 40 |
140 | Chicago, IL | 69.98 | 126 | 79 | 172 |
141 | Long Beach, CA | 69.76 | 110 | 152 | 143 |
142 | Cincinnati, OH | 69.66 | 146 | 76 | 108 |
143 | Lexington-Fayette, KY | 69.30 | 85 | N/A | 52 |
144 | Milwaukee, WI | 69.21 | 148 | 52 | 107 |
145 | Indianapolis, IN | 68.93 | 134 | 124 | 136 |
146 | St. Petersburg, FL | 68.74 | 84 | N/A | 66 |
147 | Albuquerque, NM | 68.65 | 151 | 88 | 81 |
148 | Portland, OR | 68.51 | 159 | 86 | 16 |
149 | Stockton, CA | 68.32 | 131 | 140 | 137 |
150 | Shreveport, LA | 68.02 | 141 | 100 | 167 |
151 | Houston, TX | 67.82 | 140 | 102 | 160 |
152 | Wilmington, DE | 67.64 | 152 | 23 | 169 |
153 | San Francisco, CA | 66.89 | 157 | 123 | 44 |
154 | Little Rock, AR | 66.57 | 143 | 147 | 117 |
155 | Las Vegas, NV | 66.32 | 150 | 96 | 170 |
156 | Kansas City, MO | 66.24 | 153 | 138 | 65 |
157 | Richmond, VA | 65.65 | 163 | 75 | 110 |
158 | Seattle, WA | 65.63 | 160 | 141 | 7 |
159 | Charleston, SC | 65.34 | 149 | 165 | 88 |
160 | Orlando, FL | 65.15 | 166 | 32 | 140 |
161 | Tacoma, WA | 64.67 | 161 | 145 | 38 |
162 | Columbus, OH | 64.63 | 171 | 46 | 93 |
163 | Baltimore, MD | 63.94 | 164 | 67 | 165 |
164 | Atlanta, GA | 63.82 | 165 | 82 | 150 |
165 | Dallas, TX | 63.07 | 168 | 104 | 115 |
166 | Birmingham, AL | 63.04 | 158 | 136 | 161 |
167 | Jackson, MS | 61.86 | 162 | 137 | 173 |
168 | Cleveland, OH | 61.86 | 173 | 54 | 168 |
169 | Denver, CO | 61.72 | 172 | 139 | 69 |
170 | New Orleans, LA | 61.68 | 174 | 31 | 175 |
171 | Philadelphia, PA | 61.13 | 176 | 15 | 164 |
172 | Chattanooga, TN | 60.95 | 177 | 109 | 99 |
173 | Washington, DC | 60.58 | 180 | 80 | 106 |
174 | Los Angeles, CA | 60.31 | 167 | 149 | 149 |
175 | Oklahoma City, OK | 60.28 | 156 | 173 | 77 |
176 | Memphis, TN | 59.73 | 170 | 85 | 182 |
177 | Oakland, CA | 59.13 | 175 | 155 | 114 |
178 | Detroit, MI | 58.18 | 179 | 41 | 181 |
179 | Baton Rouge, LA | 56.72 | 182 | 90 | 158 |
180 | San Bernardino, CA | 55.14 | 181 | 160 | 154 |
181 | Fort Lauderdale, FL | 48.16 | 169 | N/A | 166 |
182 | St. Louis, MO | 44.88 | 178 | N/A | 155 |
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.
- Fewest
- 1. Oxnard, CA
- 2. Henderson, NV
- 3. Glendale, CA
- 4. Pearl City, HI
- 5. Santa Clarita, CA
- Most
- 176. Albuquerque, NM
- T-177. Fort Lauderdale, FL
- T-177. Baton Rouge, LA
- T-177. Knoxville, TN
- T-177. Memphis, TN
- Most
- T-1. Washington, DC
- T-1. Chicago, IL
- T-1. New York, NY
- T-1. St. Louis, MO
- T-1. Jersey City, NJ
- T-1. Wilmington, DE
- Fewest
- 172. Fontana, CA
- 173. Modesto, CA
- 174. Fremont, CA
- 175. Irvine, CA
- 176. Chula Vista, CA
- Fewest
- 1. Irvine, CA
- 2. Nashua, NH
- 3. Warwick, RI
- 4. Glendale, CA
- 5. Virginia Beach, VA
- Most
- T-173. Detroit, MI
- T-173. Little Rock, AR
- T-173. Kansas City, MO
- T-173. St. Louis, MO
- T-173. Birmingham, AL
- T-173. Memphis, TN
- Fewest
- 1. Tampa, FL
- 2. Tulsa, OK
- 3. St. Louis, MO
- 4. Milwaukee, WI
- 5. Laredo, TX
- Most
- T-163. Cincinnati, OH
- T-163. Salem, OR
- T-163. Washington, DC
- T-163. Seattle, WA
- T-163. South Burlington, VT
- T-163. Cleveland, OH
- Lowest
- T-1. Sioux Falls, SD
- T-1. Manchester, NH
- T-1. Bismarck, ND
- T-1. Rapid City, SD
- T-1. South Burlington, VT
- T-1. Nashua, NH
- 176. North Las Vegas, NV
- 177. Stockton, CA
- 178. Newark, NJ
- 179. Wilmington, DE
- 180. Detroit, MI
- Highest
- 1. Wichita, KS
- 2. Portland, ME
- T-3. Minneapolis, MN
- T-3. St. Paul, MN
- T-5. Portland, OR
- T-5. Vancouver, WA
- Lowest
- T-116. Miami, FL
- T-116. Hialeah, FL
- T-116. Fort Lauderdale, FL
- T-116. Pembroke Pines, FL
- 120. Memphis, TN
- Lowest
- T-1. Fremont, CA
- T-1. Pearl City, HI
- 3. South Burlington, VT
- 4. Worcester, MA
- 5. Burlington, VT
- Highest
- 178. Dallas, TX
- 179. Houston, TX
- 180. Garland, TX
- 181. Laredo, TX
- 182. Brownsville, TX
- Lowest
- 1. Dover, DE
- 2. Brownsville, TX
- 3. Corpus Christi, TX
- 4. Rochester, NY
- 5. Buffalo, NY
- Highest
- 169. San Jose, CA
- 170. Huntington Beach, CA
- 171. Garden Grove, CA
- 172. Wichita, KS
- 173. Oklahoma City, OK
Ask the Experts
For the best ways to improve safety, we asked a panel of experts to weigh in with their thoughts on the following key questions:
- What steps should local authorities take to help reduce the public costs associated with clean-ups after major natural disasters? Should flood or other types of insurance be mandatory?
- What are some of the top public safety issues this year?
- What measures can police departments take to increase public trust? How important is it to have a police force that is representative of the local community?
- How do police shortages affect safety in U.S. cities?
- What can consumers do to increase their financial literacy since sound financial decisions increase a person’s financial safety?
Ask the Experts
Methodology
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.
Home & Community Safety - Total Points: 50
- Presence of Terrorist Attacks: Triple Weight (~7.89 Points)
Note: This binary metric considers the presence or absence of terrorist attack or terrorist-related incident in the city between 2013 and 2023. - Number of Mass Shootings: Full Weight (~2.63 Points)
- Murders & Non-Negligent Manslaughters per Capita: Triple Weight (~7.89 Points)
- Forcible Rapes per Capita: Full Weight (~2.63 Points)
- Assaults per Capita: Full Weight (~2.63 Points)
- Thefts per Capita: Full Weight (~2.63 Points)
- Sex Offenders per Capita: Full Weight (~2.63 Points)
- Law-Enforcement Employees per Capita: Half Weight (~1.32 Points)
- Active Firefighters per Capita: Half Weight (~1.32 Points)
- EMTs & Paramedics per Capita: Half weight (~1.32 Points)
Note: “EMTs” refer to Emergency Medical Technicians. - Hate Crimes per Capita: Full Weight (~2.63 Points)
- Share of Sheltered Homeless: Half Weight (~1.32 Points)
- Perception of Safety (Safety walking alone during daylight/night): Full Weight (~2.63 Points)
Note: These data are based on perceptions of visitors of Numbeo website in the past 3 years. If the value is 0, it means it is perceived as very low, and if the value is 100, it means it is perceived as very high. - Drug Poisoning Deaths per Capita: Full Weight (~2.63 Points)
- Traffic Fatalities per Capita: Full Weight (~2.63 Points)
- Pedestrian Fatalities per Capita: Full Weight (~2.63 Points)
Note: “Pedestrians” also includes pedacyclists. - Road Quality: Full Weight (~2.63 Points)
Natural-Disaster Risk - Total Points: 30
- Earthquake Risk Level: Full Weight (~5.00 Points)
- Flood Risk Level: Full Weight (~5.00 Points)
- Hail Risk Level: Full Weight (~5.00 Points)
- Hurricane Storm-Surge Risk Level: Full Weight (~5.00 Points)
- Tornado Risk Level: Full Weight (~5.00 Points)
- Wildfire Risk Level: Full Weight (~5.00 Points)
Financial Safety - Total Points: 20
- Unemployment Rate: Double Weight (~2.11 Points)
- Underemployment Rate: Full Weight (~1.05 Points)
- Share of Uninsured Population: Full Weight (~1.05 Points)
- Share of Uninsured Drivers: Full Weight (~1.05 Points)
- Foreclosure Rate: Full Weight (~1.05 Points)
- Median Credit Score: Full Weight (~1.05 Points)
- Debt-to-Income Ratio: Full Weight (~1.05 Points)
- Share of Owner Occupied Housing Units Spending at Least 35% of Their Household Income on Housing: Full Weight (~1.05 Points)
- Poverty Rate: Full Weight (~1.05 Points)
- Fraud & Other Complaints per Capita: Full Weight (~1.05 Points)
Note: “Other” includes both financial and nonfinancial complaints. - Identity-Theft Complaints per Capita: Full Weight (~1.05 Points)
- Share of Unbanked Households: Full Weight (~1.05 Points)
- Job Security: Full Weight (~1.05 Points)
Note: (Number of Employees in 2023 June - Number of Employees in 2022 June) / Number of Employees in 2022 June. - Employment Growth: Full Weight (~1.05 Points)
Note: This metric was adjusted for the working-age population growth and compares figures between 2023 and 2022. - Share of Households with Emergency Savings: Full Weight (~1.05 Points)
Note: This metric measures the share of households that saved for unexpected expenses or emergencies in the past 12 months. - Retirement Plan Access & Participation Rate: Full Weight (~1.05 Points)
Note: “Retirement Plan” includes only employer-based plans. - Personal Bankruptcy Filings per Capita: Full Weight (~1.05 Points)
- Share of Seriously Underwater Mortgages: Full Weight (~1.05 Points)
Note: This metric measures the proportion of seriously underwater mortgages, where the combined estimated balance of loans secured by those properties was at least 25 percent more than their estimated market value.
Sources: Data used to create this ranking were collected 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, ATTOM Data Solutions – U.S. Natural Hazard Housing Risk Index, ATTOM Data Solutions - U.S. Foreclosure Market Report, ATTOM Data Solutions – U.S. Home Equity & Underwater Report and Insurance Information Institute.
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