According to the 2023 Safest States in America report by WalletHub, Vermont has been declared the safest state in the U.S. while Louisiana ranks as the most dangerous.
This is the third consecutive year Vermont has taken top honors in WalletHub’s Safest States rankings.
Overall, Vermont scored 68.27, about 2.5 points higher than Maine (65.85), which finished second in the 2023 rankings. New Hampshire, Utah and Massachusetts round out this year’s top five safest states.
The annual rankings look at 52 key metrics grouped into five major categories: personal and residential safety; financial safety; road safety; workplace safety; and emergency preparedness.
Each metric was graded on a 100-point scale, with a score of 100 representing the highest level of safety.
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Connecticut ranked highest in personal and residential safety on this year’s list, while Utah topped the rankings in financial safety, New Hampshire topped the list for road safety, Vermont led the way in workplace safety and Alaska earned top honors for its emergency preparedness.
“With every new headline about a mass shooting, terrorist attack, hate crime or natural disaster, many of us fear for our safety and that of our loved ones,” the WalletHub report says.
“Recent concerns like the COVID-19 pandemic may have cooled off, but they’ve been replaced with things like elevated homicide rates and severe weather.
“Americans have to worry about their financial safety as well, as the government continues to work on slowing down inflation,” the report says.
This Year’s Most Dangerous States
Louisiana ranked 50th on this year’s list at 32.99 overall, about two points lower than Mississippi (34.86). Arkansas, Texas and Florida are the other three states at the bottom of this year’s list. Arkansas also made an appearance in a separate ranking conducted by Fence Gnome looking at the most vulnerable cities for burglaries.
This year is the third straight year Louisiana has ranked at the bottom of this list.
Alabama escaped the indignity of being in this year’s bottom five, dropping Florida into the group. The other four states at the bottom of the list remained unchanged from 2022.
Colorado ranked lowest in personal and residential safety this year, while Mississippi had the lowest score for financial safety, road safety and emergency preparedness and North Dakota’s workplace safety ranking was this year’s worst.
While safety can encompass a wide variety of concepts in society, most CE pros are likely focusing on residential safety with most of their clients, with burglaries and home break-ins being top of mind concerns for many. Earlier in May, smart home company Vivint looked at the most prominent time for burglaries to occur, while popular security brand ADT analyzed where thieves like to strike the most.
Craig MacCormack is a veteran journalist who joined Security Sales & Integration in June 2023 as web editor. He covered AV, IT and security with SSI’s sister publication, Commercial Integrator, from January 2011 to June 2021.
Another version of this article originally appeared on our sister site Security Sales & Integration.
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FAQs
New Mexico, the most dangerous state, has more than six times the rate of violent crime per 1,000 people than New Hampshire, the least dangerous state. Southern states account for two of the five most dangerous U.S. states. States in New England account for four of the five safest U.S. states.
What is the least dangerous state in the United States? ›
The safest state in the U.S., according to the U.S. News methodology, is New Hampshire. With a violent crime rate of 126 per 100,000 and a property crime rate of 1,011 per 100,000, New Hampshire enjoys a high rate of public safety. At number two is Maine, followed by Idaho at number three.
What is the #1 crime state in America? ›
1. Alaska. The most dangerous state in the US is Alaska, having the highest combined violent and property crime rate out of any state. Out of a population of 736,081, Alaska's crime rate was 32.14 per 1,000 people in 2022, making it the state with the highest crime rate.
What state is ranked 50th in crime? ›
The Pelican State placed 50th in crime and corrections. It was 47th in education, 46th in health care and 49th in the natural environment. It was also 49th in the economy, 41st in fiscal stability, 49th in infrastructure and 44th in opportunity. In 2023, Louisiana was ranked in the 50th spot.
Which states have the highest property crime? ›
Number of property crimes reported in the U.S. 2022, by state. In 2022, there were 914,517 cases of property crimes reported in California - the highest in the country. Texas, Florida, New York, and Washington rounded out the top five states in the U.S. for property crimes in that year.
What state is safer to live in? ›
WalletHub released a 2023 report listing the safest states in the US. States were ranked based on 52 safety indicators, including work safety and emergency preparedness. Vermont scored the highest, followed by Maine.
What is the crime free state in the US? ›
New Hampshire stands out as the safest state in America, with only 20 homicides recorded in the state. This makes it one of the most secure and peaceful places to live in the country. New Hampshire has a relatively low crime rate, with a lower number of property crimes and violent crimes per capita than most states.
What city has the most crime in us? ›
St. Louis, Missouri, often ranks as the city with the highest crime rate in the U.S. based on violent crime rates, particularly for aggravated assaults and other violent offenses.
Is Arizona safe to live in? ›
The "safest" place to live in Arizona can depend on various factors, including personal preferences, lifestyle, and individual perceptions of safety. Cities like Gilbert, Oro Valley, and Scottsdale are examples of places in Arizona that have been recognized for their safety and high quality of life.
What are the most expensive states to live in? ›
According to several studies on cost of living, Hawaii is the most expensive U.S. state to live in. Prices are typically double in Hawaii compared to those on the mainland, and the continued rise in inflation is making costs ranging from housing to health care much more expensive.
Massachusetts ranked as the best state to raise a family, according to WalletHub. When it comes to the cost of living in Massachusetts, it's 50% higher than the national average. Housing is 124% higher than the national average, while utilities are 14% higher, according to Payscale.
What state has the most murders? ›
Murder rates in red states were 33% higher than in blue states in both 2021 and 2022. As in 2019 and 2020, Mississippi, Louisiana, and Alabama hold the first, second, and third highest murder rates in the country, respectively.
What state has the least murders? ›
New Hampshire, the state with the lowest rate, has a murder rate of 1.1 per 100,000 inhabitants, with states like Vermont (1.5) and Maine (1.7) tailing closely. There's a clear discrepancy in murder rates among states with large metropolis areas when compared to less densely populated regions.
What is the safest place in the United States? ›
WalletHub released a 2023 report listing the safest cities in the US. Cities were ranked based on 41 indicators of safety, including rates of crime and natural disasters. Nashua, New Hampshire, scored the highest, followed by Columbia, Maryland.
What American city has the lowest crime rate? ›
#1: Greenwich, Connecticut. Greenwich earns the title of safest city in the United States, based on 2022 data. Its violent and property crime rates are a fraction of the Connecticut state averages, which are already lower than the national average. Residents love the coastal location and proximity to New York City.
What is the lowest rated state? ›
U.S. & World News ranks Louisiana the worst state in the nation, as it has every year since 2017. Low performance across all metrics, especially crime and education concerns. Both crime and criminal justice are concerns in Louisiana.
