The Safest States in America - 2018's Ranking!
The importance of safety in all aspects of our lives is quite obvious. It's a fundamental human need. There’s nothing worse than feeling insecure or in danger where you live. The US is a fairly safe country. It is ranked 51st in the ranking of the world’s safest countries, which puts it in the top third of the ranking.
However, how exposed Americans are to crime depends on where they live, as the rate of crime is not uniform across the country. Crime is far more common in some cities than others.
So, If you are someone who is looking for a place where people sleep safer at night, where violent crime doesn't dominate the local news and a safe place to raise a family, then you might want to consider moving to these states.
Here are 3 factors that can affect the crime rate:
“Poverty is the mother of crime.” ~ Marcus Aurelius.
Poverty can lead to high levels of stress that in turn may lead individuals to commit theft, robbery, or other violent acts. In the US, crime is often perceived as a problem in areas with high poverty levels. In other words, where there is poverty, you will find crime.
It is found that states with high crime rates also have high unemployment rates, particularly among young people. People who are unemployed and seeking jobs are more likely to commit robbery than individuals with full-time jobs.
Most studies have found that graduation rates are generally associated with positive public safety outcomes and lower crime rates for communities. For instance, certain types of crimes increase in areas with lower percentages of high school graduates, such as car theft and several violent and property crime. According to Safer America 1, “While the top four safest cities have at least a 91% rate of high school graduates, the ten most dangerous drop to 83% or lower.”
To create the following ranking, we used the Crime Statistics Report done by the FBI, which factors in elements like population, property crimes and violent crimes. In order to standardize the data for states of varying populations, each state was analyzed and scored to reflect crimes per 100,000 residents.
Here is a list of the safest states in America, ranked from safest to least safe:
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New Hampshire NH
Population: 1,334,795 residents
Total Crime Rate (Per 100,000): 1710.45
Safest City: Sandown
Most Dangerous City: Laconia
To learn more about the safest and most dangerous cities in the state of New Hampshire, follow this link.
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Maine ME
Population: 1,331,479 residents
Total Crime Rate (Per 100,000): 1769.46
Safest City: Cumberland
Most Dangerous City: Skowhegan
To learn more about the safest and most dangerous cities in the state of Maine, follow this link.
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New Jersey NJ
Population: 8,944,469 residents
Total Crime Rate (Per 100,000): 1789.55
Safest City: New Hanover Township
Most Dangerous City: Wildwood
To learn more about the safest and most dangerous cities in the state of New Jersey, follow this link.
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Vermont VT
Population: 624,594 residents
Total Crime Rate (Per 100,000): 1855.77
Safest City: Shelburne
Most Dangerous City: St. Albans
To learn more about the safest and most dangerous cities in the state of Vermont, follow this link.
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New York NY
Population: 19,745,289 residents
Total Crime Rate (Per 100,000): 1921.81
Safest City: Lewisboro Town
Most Dangerous City: Niagara Falls
To learn more about the safest and most dangerous cities in the state of New York, follow this link.
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Massachusetts MA
Population: 6,811,779 residents
Total Crime Rate (Per 100,000): 1938.05
Safest City: Wayland
Most Dangerous City: Holyoke
To learn more about the safest and most dangerous cities in the state of Massachusetts, follow this link.
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Idaho ID
Population: 1,683,140 residents
Total Crime Rate (Per 100,000): 1974.46
Safest City: Rexburg
Most Dangerous City: Garden City
To learn more about the safest and most dangerous cities in the state of Idaho, follow this link.
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Connecticut CT
Population: 3,576,452 residents
Total Crime Rate (Per 100,000): 2035.17
Safest City: Weston
Most Dangerous City: Hartford
To learn more about the safest and most dangerous cities in the state of Connecticut, follow this link.
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Pennsylvania PA
Population: 12,784,227 residents
Total Crime Rate (Per 100,000): 2059.12
Safest City: Redstone Township
Most Dangerous City: Darby
To learn more about the safest and most dangerous cities in the state of Pennsylvania, follow this link.
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Virginia VA
Population: 8,411,808 residents
Total Crime Rate (Per 100,000): 2077.01
Safest City: Bridgewater
Most Dangerous City: Portsmouth
To learn more about the safest and most dangerous cities in the state of Virginia, follow this link.
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Rhode Island RI
Population: 1,056,426 residents
Total Crime Rate (Per 100,000): 2137.58
Safest City: Glocester
Most Dangerous City: Newport
To learn more about the safest and most dangerous cities in the state of Rhode Island, follow this link.
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Wyoming WY
Population: 585,501 residents
Total Crime Rate (Per 100,000): 2201.53
Safest City: Green River
Most Dangerous City: Riverton
To learn more about the safest and most dangerous cities in the state of Wyoming, follow this link.
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Wisconsin WI
Population: 5,778,708 residents
Total Crime Rate (Per 100,000): 2239.24
Safest City: Freedom
Most Dangerous City: Monona
To learn more about the safest and most dangerous cities in the state of Wisconsin, follow this link.
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Michigan MI
Population: 9,928,300 residents
Total Crime Rate (Per 100,000): 2368.91
Safest City: Thetford Township
Most Dangerous City: Benton Township
To learn more about the safest and most dangerous cities in the state of Michigan, follow this link.
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Minnesota MN
Population: 5,519,952 residents
Total Crime Rate (Per 100,000): 2375.93
Safest City: Corcoran
Most Dangerous City: Waite Park
To learn more about the safest and most dangerous cities in the state of Minnesota, follow this link.
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Iowa IA
Population: 3,134,693 residents
Total Crime Rate (Per 100,000): 2376.66
Safest City: Sioux Center
Most Dangerous City: Council Bluffs
To learn more about the safest and most dangerous cities in the state of Iowa, follow this link.
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South Dakota SD
Population: 865,454 residents
Total Crime Rate (Per 100,000): 2398.97
Safest City: Brandon
Most Dangerous City: Pierre
To learn more about the safest and most dangerous cities in the state of South Dakota, follow this link.
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West Virginia WV
Population: 1,831,102 residents
Total Crime Rate (Per 100,000): 2405.33
Safest City: Grafton
Most Dangerous City: Charleston
To learn more about the safest and most dangerous cities in the state of West Virginia, follow this link.
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Kentucky KY
Population: 4,436,974 residents
Total Crime Rate (Per 100,000): 2422.06
Safest City: Flatwoods
Most Dangerous City: Pikeville
To learn more about the safest and most dangerous cities in the state of Kentucky, follow this link.
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Illinois IL
Population: 12,801,539 residents
Total Crime Rate (Per 100,000): 2485.33
Safest City: Hawthorn Woods
Most Dangerous City: North Riverside
To learn more about the safest and most dangerous cities in the state of Illinois, follow this link.
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North Dakota ND
Population: 757,952 residents
Total Crime Rate (Per 100,000): 2547
Safest City: Watford City
Most Dangerous City: Devils Lake
To learn more about the safest and most dangerous cities in the state of North Dakota, follow this link.
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Nebraska NE
Population: 1,907,116 residents
Total Crime Rate (Per 100,000): 2554.28
Safest City: Seward
Most Dangerous City: Scottsbluff
To learn more about the safest and most dangerous cities in the state of Nebraska, follow this link.
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Maryland MD
Population: 6,016,447 residents
Total Crime Rate (Per 100,000): 2756.53
Safest City: Hampstead
Most Dangerous City: Ocean City
To learn more about the safest and most dangerous cities in the state of Maryland, follow this link.
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Ohio OH
Population: 11,614,373 residents
Total Crime Rate (Per 100,000): 2877.76
Safest City: Chester Township
Most Dangerous City: Moraine
To learn more about the safest and most dangerous cities in the state of Ohio, follow this link.
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Indiana IN
Population: 6,633,053 residents
Total Crime Rate (Per 100,000): 2994.16
Safest City: Zionsville
Most Dangerous City: Indianapolis
To learn more about the safest and most dangerous cities in the state of Indiana, follow this link.
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California CA
Population: 39,250,017 residents
Total Crime Rate (Per 100,000): 2998.38
Safest City: Imperial
Most Dangerous City: Emeryville
To learn more about the safest and most dangerous cities in the state of California, follow this link.
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Mississippi MS
Population: 2,988,726 residents
Total Crime Rate (Per 100,000): 3048.62
Safest City: Petal
Most Dangerous City: D'Iberville
To learn more about the safest and most dangerous cities in the state of Mississippi, follow this link.
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Montana MT
Population: 1,042,520 residents
Total Crime Rate (Per 100,000): 3051.84
Safest City: Lewistown
Most Dangerous City: Kalispell
To learn more about the safest and most dangerous cities in the state of Montana, follow this link.
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Kansas KS
Population: 2,907,289 residents
Total Crime Rate (Per 100,000): 3075.96
Safest City: Bel Aire
Most Dangerous City: Wichita
To learn more about the safest and most dangerous cities in the state of Kansas, follow this link.
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Colorado CO
Population: 5,540,545 residents
Total Crime Rate (Per 100,000): 3083.32
Safest City: Eaton
Most Dangerous City: Glendale
To learn more about the safest and most dangerous cities in the state of Colorado, follow this link.
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North Carolina NC
Population: 10,146,788 residents
Total Crime Rate (Per 100,000): 3109.69
Safest City: Pinehurst
Most Dangerous City: Lumberton
To learn more about the safest and most dangerous cities in the state of North Carolina, follow this link.
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Florida FL
Population: 20,612,439 residents
Total Crime Rate (Per 100,000): 3117.11
Safest City: Weston
Most Dangerous City: Florida City
To learn more about the safest and most dangerous cities in the state of Florida, follow this link.
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Texas TX
Population: 27,862,596 residents
Total Crime Rate (Per 100,000): 3194.21
Safest City: Kermit
Most Dangerous City: Humble
To learn more about the safest and most dangerous cities in the state of Texas, follow this link.
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Utah UT
Population: 3,051,217 residents
Total Crime Rate (Per 100,000): 3194.3
Safest City: Smithfield
Most Dangerous City: Salt Lake City
To learn more about the safest and most dangerous cities in the state of Utah, follow this link.
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Oregon OR
Population: 4,093,465 residents
Total Crime Rate (Per 100,000): 3228.93
Safest City: Junction City
Most Dangerous City: Seaside
To learn more about the safest and most dangerous cities in the state of Oregon, follow this link.
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Nevada NV
Population: 2,940,058 residents
Total Crime Rate (Per 100,000): 3264.66
Safest City: Boulder City
Most Dangerous City: Reno
To learn more about the safest and most dangerous cities in the state of Nevada, follow this link.
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Delaware DE
Population: 952,065 residents
Total Crime Rate (Per 100,000): 3274.78
Safest City: Newark
Most Dangerous City: Wilmington
To learn more about the safest and most dangerous cities in the state of Delaware, follow this link.
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Hawaii HI
Population: 1,428,557 residents
Total Crime Rate (Per 100,000): 3301.93
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Missouri MO
Population: 6,093,000 residents
Total Crime Rate (Per 100,000): 3318.45
Safest City: Greenwood
Most Dangerous City: Branson
To learn more about the safest and most dangerous cities in the state of Missouri, follow this link.
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Georgia GA
Population: 10,310,371 residents
Total Crime Rate (Per 100,000): 3402.01
Safest City: Johns Creek
Most Dangerous City: Union City
To learn more about the safest and most dangerous cities in the state of Georgia, follow this link.
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Oklahoma OK
Population: 3,923,561 residents
Total Crime Rate (Per 100,000): 3432.72
Safest City: Piedmont
Most Dangerous City: Tulsa
To learn more about the safest and most dangerous cities in the state of Oklahoma, follow this link.
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Arizona AZ
Population: 6,931,071 residents
Total Crime Rate (Per 100,000): 3448.46
Safest City: Florence
Most Dangerous City: Winslow
To learn more about the safest and most dangerous cities in the state of Arizona, follow this link.
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Alabama AL
Population: 4,863,300 residents
Total Crime Rate (Per 100,000): 3480.11
Safest City: Helena
Most Dangerous City: Bessemer
To learn more about the safest and most dangerous cities in the state of Alabama, follow this link.
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Tennessee TN
Population: 6,651,194 residents
Total Crime Rate (Per 100,000): 3487.07
Safest City: Signal Mountain
Most Dangerous City: Newport
To learn more about the safest and most dangerous cities in the state of Tennessee, follow this link.
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South Carolina SC
Population: 4,961,119 residents
Total Crime Rate (Per 100,000): 3745.61
Safest City: Bluffton
Most Dangerous City: Myrtle Beach
To learn more about the safest and most dangerous cities in the state of South Carolina, follow this link.
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Washington WA
Population: 7,288,000 residents
Total Crime Rate (Per 100,000): 3796.32
Safest City: Connell
Most Dangerous City: Tukwila
To learn more about the safest and most dangerous cities in the state of Washington, follow this link.
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Arkansas AR
Population: 2,988,248 residents
Total Crime Rate (Per 100,000): 3819.43
Safest City: Greenbrier
Most Dangerous City: Hot Springs
To learn more about the safest and most dangerous cities in the state of Arkansas, follow this link.
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Louisiana LA
Population: 4,681,666 residents
Total Crime Rate (Per 100,000): 3863.75
Safest City: Harahan
Most Dangerous City: Bastrop
To learn more about the safest and most dangerous cities in the state of Louisiana, follow this link.
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Alaska AK
Population: 741,894 residents
Total Crime Rate (Per 100,000): 4157.2
Safest City: Sitka
Most Dangerous City: Anchorage
To learn more about the safest and most dangerous cities in the state of Alaska, follow this link.
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New Mexico NM
Population: 2,081,015 residents
Total Crime Rate (Per 100,000): 4639.56
Safest City: Los Alamos
Most Dangerous City: Belen
To learn more about the safest and most dangerous cities in the state of New Mexico, follow this link.
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