26 Cities With the Highest Safety Rankings in America
With mass shootings in the news almost every day, safety worries are on many Americans’ minds more than ever. WalletHub conducted a study to determine the statistically safest cities in the nation. Do you live in one of them?
Show Me the Numbers
A 2023 report by WalletHub compared 182 U.S. cities across 41 safety metrics in three categories: home and community safety, natural disaster risk, and financial safety. Each metric was graded on a 100-point scale, with 100 representing the top score.
Each city’s average score was aggregated and ranked to determine the safest cities in the United States.
1: Nashua, New Hampshire
Nashua is the safest city in America. It has an extensive network of hiking trails and a resident symphony orchestra, making Nashua a holiday haven for nature and culture lovers. With a safety score of 86.0 out of 100, travelers can feel very safe exploring it.
2: Columbia, Maryland
Centrally located between Baltimore and Washington, D.C., Columbia’s charming tree-lined streets, unique villages, and gorgeous natural surroundings make it an ideal vacation destination any time of year. Not only did this Maryland town secure a WalletHub safety score of 85.97 out of 100, but it also snagged the top spot in the home and community safety category.
3: South Burlington, Vermont
Boasting a safety score of 85.18 out of 100, South Burlington’s small-town feel is just the tip of the charming iceberg. Bike rides along the lake, fresh farm food, and historical museums are a few of the delights travelers can expect to enjoy.
4: Gilbert, Arizona
With year-round sunshine and a safety score of 84.24 out of 100, Gilbert is a safe American city to call home. Impressive scores in both the home and community safety and natural disaster risk categories mean peace of mind for locals and travelers alike arriving to hike and bike or play a round of golf.
5: Warwick, Rhode Island
Warwick has 39 miles of scenic coastline to explore, making it an ideal small city for travelers looking to escape the bustle of city life. Its total safety score is 84.03, with it ranking in ninth place out of 182 cities for the home and community safety category.
6: Portland, Maine
Lobster lovers can rejoice knowing that Portland, Maine earned an impressive safety score of 83.99 out of 100. The trendy seaside town scored well in all three categories, providing peace of mind to travelers-to-be searching for a blend of history, hiking trails, and heavenly seafood.
7: Casper, Wyoming
Casper packs a punch for both history and safety. Its National Historic Trails Interpretive Center will take you back to the pioneer days in the 1800s, and Fort Casper is a reconstructed military post. The central Wyoming city has a safety score of 83.92.
8: Yonkers, New York
Boasting a safety score of 83.76, Yonkers slides in just behind Casper for safety. With gorgeous green spaces and a scenic riverside location just two miles from Manhattan, Yonkers is well worth a visit or a city to put on your “move to someday” bucket list.
9: Burlington, Vermont
No, you’re not seeing double. Burlington and South Burlington are two separate but nearby cities. Small-town charm is epitomized in Burlington with a safety score to match. Coming in at number nine on WalletHub’s list, the tiny town on the shores of Lake Champlain earned 83.70 out of 100.
10: Scottsdale, Arizona
Scottsdale rounds out the ten safest U.S. cities with a total score of 83.63. Its desert landscape is a change of scenery for many American travelers, and residents can easily access Phoenix from there.
11: Laredo, Texas
Sitting on the US-Mexico border, Laredo earns eleventh place on WalletHub’s list with a safety score of 82.98. The south Texas town is a prime destination for families, as it’s home to the Imaginarium of South Texas and the Laredo Safari and Adventure Park.
12: Virginia Beach, Virginia
Beach lovers will be happy to see Virginia Beach on this list. It welcomes over 13 million visitors per year. And given Virginia Beach’s excellent WalletHub safety rating of 82.95, tourists will likely continue flocking there.
13: Lewiston, Maine
Maine’s second most populous city earned a safety score of 82.43 out of 100, in great part due to a low crime rate and economic growth. Lewiston’s tree-lined hiking trails and a slew of annual festivals make it a great place for locals and travelers alike to be.
14: Chandler, Arizona
It appears there’s something about safety and cities near Phoenix, for Chandler also makes this list. Chandler has a safety rating of 82.35, with it excelling in the natural disaster risk category, ranking eighth place in the nation.
15: Bismarck, North Dakota
A beloved zoo and impressive state museum help make Bismarck an ideal vacation destination for families. It also doesn’t hurt that North Dakota’s capital earned a safety score of 80.51 out of 100.
16: Cape Coral, Florida
Cape Coral is a tropical lover’s paradise, abounding with manatees, canals, and kayaking routes through the Matlacha Pass Aquatic Preserve. Its safety score is a respectable 81.67.
17: Brownsville, Texas
Don’t let its seventeenth-place ranking on this list fool you; Brownsville ranks second-best in the country for natural disaster risk. It sits on the southern tip of Texas, sharing borders with both Mexico and the Gulf of Mexico. Brownsville’s safety rating is 81.45 out of 100.
18: Raleigh, North Carolina
North Carolina’s capital claims a noteworthy spot on WalletHub’s list, scoring 81.41 out of 100. Impressive museums and a vibrant food scene make Raleigh a delightful destination any time of the year.
19: Chesapeake, Virginia
Chesapeake is the second-most populous city in Virginia. With a WalletHub safety score of 81.31, it’s easy to see why. Its mix of urban and rural areas makes it a job for nature lovers and cultural buffs alike to enjoy.
20: Boise, Idaho
Boise is another state capital on this list, and it clocks in with a safety rating of 81.3 out of 100. The City of Trees has stunning trails and parks along the Boise River Greenbelt, and much of the architecture in downtown Boise is worth keeping your camera out for.
21: Worcester, Massachusetts
Head to the central Massachusetts of Worcester, and you’ll be greeted with many family-friendly activities. Perhaps most comforting of all for parents is the fact that Worcester scores high in WalletHub’s study, with a safety rating of 81.21.
22: Madison, Wisconsin
From classic architecture to quirky attractions like the National Mustard Museum, Madison hits the mark for an off-the-beaten-path vacation destination. And with a safety score of 80.92 out of 100, Wisconsin’s capital is as inviting as it is unique.
23: Cedar Rapids, Iowa
Beautiful Cedar Rapids offers several museums, including the Cedar Rapids Museum of Art and the National Czech and Slovak Museum and Library. Live music and theater performances are abundant, as is a sense of safety while experiencing it all, given the city’s 81.13 safety rating.
24: Manchester, New Hampshire
Manchester’s safety score is 80.7 in WalletHub’s study. It’s a city lining the Merrimack River, and popular attractions include the Currier Museum of Art and Weston Observatory. Manchester scored an 80.7 for safety in WalletHub’s study.
25: Aurora, Illinois
Aurora is among the top 25 safest cities in the U.S., which might leave some Americans surprised, given that it’s within the Chicago metropolitan area. With a safety score of 80.63, residents in Aurora enjoy some of the safest city living of all Americans.
26: Winston-Salem, North Carolina
Southern heritage meets big-city energy in Winston-Salem. The city has grown rapidly in recent years, and its safety score of 81.03 out of 100 means that more Americans will likely be drawn to moving there.
Where to Travel
According to WalletHub’s findings, the Northeast is the safest region for travelers, with cities in Maine, Vermont, and Rhode Island all earning spots in the top ten. Statistically speaking, these cities are safer than other popular U.S. destinations, like St. Louis (42.81), Ft. Lauderdale (48.78), and Los Angeles (60.75).
What About My City?
WalletHub didn’t include every city in America in their data. Instead, they compared the most populous U.S. cities plus at least two of the most populated cities in each state to rank the safest cities in the U.S.
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