The Safest (and Most Dangerous) States in the US

There’s good news on the crime front. In the last decade, violent crimes have dropped by 15 percent. In fact, the number of violent crimes declined by 4.4 percent between 2012 and 2013, according to the FBI.

24/7 Wall St. recently analyzed violent crime and property crime data from the FBI for 2013 to identify the country’s safest and most dangerous states. The analysis also looked at median household income, poverty rates and educational attainment rates.

24/7 Wall St. said residents of the country’s safest states are typically more highly educated. In addition, other socioeconomic indicators seem to be linked to crime rates.

A typical household earned more than the national median household income of $52,250 in six of the 10 [safest] states last year. Kentucky households were the exception among the safest states, with a median income of less than $44,000.

People living in the nation’s safest states were also far less likely than other Americans to live in poverty. The poverty rate in all but two of the 10 states was lower than the national rate of 15.8 percent last year.

Six of the 10 safest states in the U.S. had fewer than 200 violent crimes reported per 100,000 residents. America’s safest states are:

1. Vermont — violent crime rate of 114.9 incidents per 100,000 residents.
2. Maine — 121.6.
3. Virginia — 187.9.
4. Wyoming — 197.7.
5. Kentucky — 198.8.
6. New Hampshire — 199.6.
7. Idaho — 204.7.
8. Utah — 209.2.
9. Minnesota — 223.2.
10. Montana — 240.7.

Now, here are the five most dangerous states in the U.S.:

1. Alaska — 602.6 violent crimes per 100,000 residents.
2. New Mexico — 596.7.
3. Nevada — 591.2.
4. Tennessee — 579.7.
5. Louisiana — 510.4.

I’m happy, and not surprised, to see that Montana is listed among the top 10 safest states. It’s one of the reasons my husband and I chose to remain in our home state to raise a family. It’s not unusual (though arguably not smart) for people in my community to leave their cars and houses unlocked. People are trusting.

How does your state rate? Share your thoughts below or on our Facebook page.