Looking for a place to live isn’t easy, as many factors play into the decision. Probably the two things people take into account more than anything else are location and price. You might consider other factors, such as schools, health care quality, etc. One thing that people don’t always consider, and should, is the safety of the neighborhood that they will be living in. WalletHub.com compared the safest and most dangerous states to live in, not based on crime, but based on emergency preparedness, workplace safety, road safety, home and community stability, and financial security. It’s difficult to decide, when so many factors are contributing to the question of if a place is “safe.” WalletHub used 20 key metrics to analyze all 50 states (plus Washington DC).
Overall Rankings (Top 10 and Bottom 10)
- Massachusetts
- Vermont
- Minnesota
- New Hampshire
- Hawaii
- Utah
- Connecticut
- Rhode Island
- Virginia
- Maine….
- Kentucky
- Arkansas
- Arizona
- Louisiana
- Nevada
- New Mexico
- Tennessee
- Oklahoma
- South Carolina
- Mississippi
Breakdown of the Factors that Contributed to the Overall Rankings:
Financial Safety Rank – Highest: Minnesota Lowest: Nevada
Road Safety Rank – Highest: Massachusetts Lowest: Montana
Workplace Safety Rank – Highest: Rhode Island Lowest: North Dakota
Natural Disasters Rank – Highest: Rhode Island Lowest: Oklahoma
Home and Community Safety Rank – Highest: New York Lowest: Arkansas
Rankings by Region:
New England States Average Rank Overall: 5th
Mid-Atlantic States Average Rank Overall: 18th
Midwest States Average Rank Overall: 22nd
Southern States Average Rank Overall: 36th
Mountain States Average Rank Overall:32nd
Pacific States Average Rank Overall: 22nd
Other Factors to Consider:
Unemployment Rate – Lowest: North Dakota Highest: T- Washington DC, Mississippi, Nevada
Share of the Population with No Health Insurance – Lowest: Massachusetts Highest: Texas
Estimated Property Loss from Climate Disasters – Lowest: California Highest: Oklahoma
Fatal Occupational Injuries per Total Employees – Fewest: Connecticut Most: North Dakota
Fatalities per 100 Million Vehicle Miles of Travel – Fewest: Washington DC Most: Montana
Number of Law Enforcement Employees – Highest: Washington DC Lowest: New Mexico
Number of Assaults – Lowest: Maine Highest: Washington DC
Bullying Incidents Rate – Lowest: Washington DC Highest: T-Idaho, Montana
When trying to find your next home, safety should be high up on your priority list and should not be overlooked. The New England states seem to have a distinct advantage with these rankings, while the Southern region states on average rank the lowest. Moving is a big and complicated decision. Hopefully, it’s a little more simplified now.
Source: https://wallethub.com/edu/safest-states-to-live-in/4566/
