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For the first time in four years, violent crime in the U.S. increased in 2020. A steep rise in murders fueled this overall uptick in violent crime, as homicides surged 22% from a year earlier, according to FBI crime data. Unfortunately, that trend continued in 2022, as major cities recorded an additional 5% increase in homicides, a report from the Council on Criminal Justice found. The rise in violent crime underscores the importance of finding a safe place to call home. Keeping this in mind, SmartAsset set out to identify and rank the safest cities in America. We examined data from 200 of the largest cities across the following five metrics: violent crime, property crime, vehicular mortality rate, drug poisoning mortality rate and the percentage of the population engaging in excessive drinking. We also discuss of the top 35 safest cities, the ones that are most affordable. For details on our data sources and how we put all the information together to create our final rankings, read the Data & Methodology section below. For an earlier SmartAsset study on the safest cities in America, read the 2021 version here. Key Findings
Top Five Safest Cities1. Frisco, TX With just over 200,000 residents, Frisco is the safest city in America according to our metrics. Located approximately 30 miles north of Dallas, Frisco has the fifth-lowest violent crime rate across our study, with 86 violent crimes reported per 100,000 residents. The city also has the sixth-lowest property crime rate (972 crimes per 100,000 residents) and sixth-lowest drug poisoning mortality rate (7.3 deaths per 100,000 residents). 2. McKinney, TX McKinney, located about 15 miles northeast of Frisco, is home to the fourth-lowest property crime rate in our study, as 936 crimes were reported per 100,000 residents in 2020. This city of just under 200,000 people is also tied for the sixth-lowest drug poisoning mortality rate (7.3 deaths per 100,000 residents) and 18th-lowest for violent crime rate (134 crimes per 100,000 residents). 3. Santa Clarita, CA With 907 property crimes reported per 100,000 residents, Santa Clarita has the third-lowest property rate in our study. This suburb of Los Angeles also has the 16th-lowest violent crime rate (131 per 100,00 residents) and 20th-lowest drug poisoning mortality rate (10.5 per 100,000 residents) of the 200 cities included in our analysis. 4. Sunnyvale, CA Sunnyvale, home to more than 150,000 residents, has a drug poisoning mortality rate of 9.4 deaths per 100,000 residents, 13th-lowest for this metric. Meanwhile, 16.9% of the population in this Silicon Valley city engage in excessive drinking, the 18th-lowest across our study. 5. Glendale, CA Located in Los Angeles County, Glendale is ranked among the five safest cities in America in large part due to the eighth-lowest violent crime rate across our study (103 per 100,000 residents). The city of approximately 200,000 people is also tied for the 20th-lowest drug poisoning mortality rate across our study with 10.5 deaths per 100,000 residents. Most Affordable Safe CitiesOf the top 35 safest cities in the U.S., shown above, we determined which ones are most affordable. Specifically, we ranked those 35 cities according to a home affordability metric: median annual housing costs as a percentage of median household income. The top five cities where housing costs make up the lowest percentage of income are discussed below. 1. Cary, NC While Cary ranks seventh overall for safety, it’s also No. 1 for affordability among the 200 cities we included in our analysis. Median annual housing costs ($17,304) in this suburb of Raleigh are just 16.28% of the median household income ($106,304). 2. Rochester, MN Located in the southeastern corner of Minnesota, Rochester is the second-most affordable safe city in the U.S. Median annual housing costs in Rochester are just 17.53% of the median household income ($74,527). Meanwhile, this city of about 119,000 people ranks 33rd overall for safety. 3. Laredo, TX Located on the Texas-Mexico border, Laredo is not only the 13th-safest city in the country, but it ranks third for affordability among the 200 cities in our study. That’s because median annual housing costs are just $11,172 per year or 19.44% of the median household income ($57,468). 4. Frisco, TX Not only is Frisco the safest city in the U.S., according to our metrics, it’s also among the most affordable. While median annual housing costs in Frisco are $23,328, the median household income is nearly $117,000 per year. As a result housing costs are less than 20% of the median annual household income. 5. Plano, TX While Plano ranks ninth overall for safety, it’s the fifth-most affordable of the 200 cities in our study. That’s because median annual housing costs ($18,684) are 20.02% of the median annual household income ($93,321). Data and MethodologyTo find the safest cities, SmartAsset compared 200 of the largest U.S. cities across the following metrics:
The vehicular mortality rate, drug poisoning mortality rate and percentage of the population engaging in excessive drinking are all measured at the county level. Both violent and property crime rates are at the city level. To find our final rankings, we first ranked each city in each metric. Then, we found the average ranking for every city, giving each metric an equal weight. From there, we ranked the cities based on their average ranking, giving an index score of 100 to the top-ranking city and an index score of 0 to the bottom-ranking city. Tips for Managing Housing Costs
Questions about our study? Contact . Photo credit: ©iStock.com/SDI Productions Patrick Villanova, CEPF® Patrick Villanova is a writer for SmartAsset, covering a variety of personal finance topics, including retirement and investing. Before joining SmartAsset, Patrick worked as an editor at The Jersey Journal. His work has also appeared on NJ.com and in The Star-Ledger. Patrick is a graduate of the University of New Hampshire, where he studied English and developed his love of writing. In his free time, he enjoys hiking, trying out new recipes in the kitchen and watching his beloved New York sports teams. A New Jersey native, he currently lives in Jersey City. Categories
What is the safest city to live in the US?Safest Cities in the U.S.. What city has the lowest crime rate in the US?With only 3 violent crimes and 62 property crimes reported in 2013, Glen Cove earns the title of Safest City in America. This Indianapolis suburb embodies many ideals of the quintessential Midwestern community, right down to the brick-paved Main Street.
Which US state is the safest to live in?Safest States in the U.S.. What US state has the lowest crime rate?Maine. Maine has the lowest crime rate 108.6, and the incidence Count was 1466. Maine residents aren't as concerned about their overall safety compared to the rest of the nation. Maine had no mass shooting incidences, compared to one the year before.
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