The personal finance firm compared 50 states using 52 key safety indicators grouped into categories including: personal and residential safety; financial safety; road safety; workplace safety; and emergency preparedness. The data set ranged from assaults per capita, to the total loss from natural disasters, to the unemployment rate.
“The safest states in America protect their residents from harm in a multitude of different ways, from keeping crime rates low and maintaining safe roadways to having strong economies and job markets that prevent people from falling into dangerous financial situations,” said Chip Lupo, WalletHub analyst. “They have high levels of occupational safety and disaster preparedness, too.”
Vermont ranked first for financial safety, second for workplace safety, and sixth for personal and residential safety. Almost 77 percent of people in Vermont believe they live in safe neighborhoods, the second-highest percentage in the country. The state also has the seventh most neighborhood watch groups per capita, which can help alert law enforcement of any crime or suspicious activity.
In terms of violent crimes, Vermont has the seventh fewest murders and manslaughters and the 13th fewest aggravated assaults. “Vermont also has the second fewest identity theft complaints per capita,” added Lupo.
Another perk is that Vermont has one of the lowest unemployment rates in the country, at 2.1 percent, along with one of the best job-growth rates. “To top things off, Vermont has safe roads, with the seventh best road quality in the U.S., and also the seventh fewest pedestrian fatalities per capita,” said Lupo.
The three additional New England states listed among the Top 5 safest in the nation also share high marks in the personal and residential safety, financial safety, and road safety categories.
Rating number one in personal and residential safety, New Hampshire had the fewest mass shootings between June 2022 and June 2024. It also had the second fewest murders and manslaughters per capita, as well as the fewest aggravated assaults per capita. More than 78 percent of New Hampshire residents feel they live in safe neighborhoods—representing the highest in the United States. In terms of financial safety, the state enjoys a 2.9 percent unemployment rate, which is one of the lowest in the nation, along with the lowest poverty rate.
Rated the third safest state, Maine’s unemployment dips below New Hampshire’s to 2.7 percent. The northern most U.S. state also offers low crime levels, including the second fewest aggravated assaults and third fewest thefts. Massachusetts also showed top ratings for personal and residential safety, as well as financial and road safety.
Hawaii, Connecticut, Minnesota, Rhode Island, and Wyoming completed the Top 10 safest locations in the country.
Conversely, Louisiana, Mississippi, Texas, Arkansas, and Florida ranked in the bottom percentages for safe states.
“When choosing a place to live, one needs to avoid crime hot spots, which are micro-geographic areas where crime is most prominent,” said Chidike Okeem, associate professor, Department of Criminal Justice and Criminology, Western New England University, in Springfield, Massachusetts. “Even though a city may have a reputation of being high crime, one does not need to steer clear of an entire city to remain safe.”
James O’Keefe, associate professor of St. John’s University in New York, agrees that there are many other factors that can potentially make a location seem unsafe.
“For example, while Florida, Tennessee, and North Carolina have traditionally been very desirable locations to relocate and live in, the possibility of hurricanes, floods, landslides and other extreme weather conditions are now major factors,” he said. “Additionally, once a potential house or apartment is identified, I also recommend a conversation with a local police officer. No one knows the true character of a neighborhood better.”
Utah was the only Western state to be named to the Top 5 list, with workplace safety garnering the top spot in the country. Adam Kirkham, president of the Utah Association of Realtors, told The Epoch Times that he’s not surprised to see his state receive such a high ranking. “We’ve experienced a high level of migration from other areas of the country, including the Northeast, Chicago and California,” he said.
Kirkham noted that homeowners and renters coming to Utah are seeking more affordable housing, shorter commute times, greater access to outdoor recreation, and a better life balance. “Even Salt Lake City is not as dense as other American cities, and you can find a number of ski resorts as well as lakes just 30 minutes from the airport,” he said.
Politics may also be playing a role in coaxing people to relocate to the state. “Both our state and local governments place a lot of importance on police involvement, and I think there’s generally more of respect for police here. We didn’t experience any of those ‘defund the police’ riots like other major cities did,” he said.
The state’s median sales price of a single-family home is $515,000—a bit higher than the nation median of $422,100. “Unfortunately, there are some first-time homebuyers who are being priced out and that’s a concern of ours, but there are also lots of new developments offering condos for entry level buyers,” Kirkham said.
