Revealed: the safest states in the U.S. (2024)

FAQs

Which state in the USA is safest? ›

While murders surged during COVID-19, there was a 6.1% year-over-year decline in murders and non-negligent manslaughter in 2022. 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.

1. New Jersey. New Jersey shines bright as America's safest state in 2024, with unparalleled low crime rates in various categories, leading with the nation's lowest assault offense rate at 430, closely followed by an impressively low homicide rate of 3.6 per 100,000.

WalletHub released its 2024 ranking of the best US states to live in. The study considered metrics like affordability, economy, and safety. Massachusetts was ranked the No. 1 state to live in.

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.

The article explores the 10 most dangerous cities in the United States for the year 2024 based on data analysis of violent crime rates, including homicide, robbery, and assault. Detroit, Michigan, tops the list with a staggering violent crime rate, followed by cities like Memphis, Tennessee, and Baltimore, Maryland.

The five states with the lowest murder rates are New Hampshire (1.8), Rhode island (2.0), Utah (2.2), Massachusetts (2.5) and Maine (2.6). The low homicide deaths in these regions can be attributed to a number of factors, both socioeconomic and political.

If we look at the FBI's Crime in the United States Table 5 for 2019, which was the latest year I could find, we find California at 441.2 violent crimes and 2,331.2 property crimes, both per 100,000 inhabitants. For Texas we find 418.9 violent crimes and 2,390.7 property crimes, both per 100,000 inhabitants.

What state has the highest property crime rate? ›

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.

In fact, only three states ranked worse for safety. Texas landed at No. 47 on the list, with only Arkansas, Mississippi and Louisiana ranked lower. The top five safest states, according to the study, are Vermont, Maine, New Hampshire, Utah and Massachusetts.

WalletHub found that Hawaii was the happiest state in the United States thanks to its "residents reporting the highest levels of life satisfaction in the nation and the lowest depression rate." Additionally, Hawaii was known to have great physical health and the longest life expectancy in the U.S., per WalletHub.

The best U.S. city for quality of life is Ann Arbor, Mich.

More than 90% of the city's residents live less than a 10-minute from a public park, according to the U.S. News and World report. A 2023 SmartAsset study report says Ann Arbor saw its Gen Z population — those ages 18 to 24 — grow the fastest in 2022.

According to our research, Hawaii is the healthiest state in the US. It ranks best overall for having low disease risk factors and healthy lifestyle habits.

If all the states in the U.S. had the same level of peacefulness as the most peaceful state (Maine), the total economic effect would be over 274 billion dollars. – The level of direct violence has decreased dramatically in the last 20 years.

Mid-Rank in Violent Crime Rates: Occupying the 25th position in the U.S., Florida's violent crime rate is 3.8 per 1,000. The violent crime rate is below the national average, reflecting a complex interplay of law enforcement efficiency, demographic factors, and societal issues.

What state has the least car accidents? Massachusetts has the fewest fatal accidents, making it the best state to drive in. There were five or fewer traffic deaths this year per 100,000 people in these top three states, but alcohol was involved in nearly one-third of all fatal car accidents in America.

The report also found that California had an average rate of 4.2 violent crimes, 25.3 property crimes, 1.7 violent crimes and 12.8 property crimes per 1,000 people. The report also found that California's average property and violent crime rates were higher than national averages.