Safety is a top priority for many people who are looking for a new place to call home. For some, it’s the only thing that matters.
Recently, personal finance website WalletHub looked at a list of 182 U.S. cities and identified those that excel at providing various types of safety. Those cities included the 150 most populous in the nation as well as at least two of the most populated cities in each state.
The ratings were based on 41 key metrics that were applied to three types of safety:
- Home and community safety
- Natural-disaster risk
- Financial safety (including things such as the unemployment rate and the median credit score)
Based on that analysis, here are the all-around safest cities in America.
1. Warwick, Rhode Island
Total score for safety: 71.21 out of 100 points
Rank for:
- Home and community safety: No. 8 out of 182 cities
- Natural disaster risk: No. 9
- Financial safety: No. 44
Attention, shopaholics: Warwick is known as Rhode Island’s retail capital. You will find everything from antique shops to modern malls in the city.
2. Overland Park, Kansas
Total score for safety: 70.04 out of 100 points
Rank for:
- Home and community safety: No. 4 out of 182 cities
- Natural disaster risk: No. 118
- Financial safety: No. 16
Overland Park is a quintessentially family-friendly suburb, with good schools and numerous job opportunities. Natural history buffs also love the renowned Museum at Prairiefire.
3. Burlington, Vermont
Total score for safety: 68.79 out of 100 points
Rank for:
- Home and community safety: No. 33 out of 182 cities
- Natural disaster risk: No. 6
- Financial safety: No. 9
In July 1980, two blocks of downtown Burlington were permanently closed to traffic. Additional car-free blocks followed. Today, the carless Church Street Marketplace is considered one of Burlington’s jewels.
4. Juneau, Alaska
Total score for safety: 68.74 out of 100 points
Rank for:
- Home and community safety: No. 86 out of 182 cities
- Natural disaster risk: No. 1
- Financial safety: No. 57
Juneau is Alaska’s capital city and home to many homes that still remain from the gold-rush days of the 19th century. Eaglecrest Ski Area is one of the nation’s few municipally run downhill-ski areas.
5. Yonkers, New York
Total score for safety: 68.65 out of 100 points
Rank for:
- Home and community safety: No. 3 out of 182 cities
- Natural disaster risk: No. 29
- Financial safety: No. 118
If you visit Yonkers, check out Untermyer Gardens. The 43-acre attraction overlooks the Hudson River and features gardens with themes such as Walled Garden, Temple of Love and Rhododendron Walk.
6. Casper, Wyoming
Total score for safety: 68.42 out of 100 points
Rank for:
- Home and community safety: No. 51 out of 182 cities
- Natural disaster risk: No. 5
- Financial safety: No. 7
Casper is known for its Old West feel, but it’s also a great spot for anglers. The fly fishing on the North Platte River earns raves from experts. You are most likely to land brown and rainbow trout here.
7. South Burlington, Vermont
Total score for safety: 68.35 out of 100 points
Rank for:
- Home and community safety: No. 46 out of 182 cities
- Natural disaster risk: No. 6
- Financial safety: No. 3
Neighbor to Burlington, Vermont, the city of South Burlington is known as a family-friendly place that also offers plenty of things to do for those who love golf, swimming, skating and other outdoor activities.
8. Columbia, Maryland
Total score for safety: 68.02 out of 100 points
Rank for:
- Home and community safety: No. 2 out of 182 cities
- Natural disaster risk: No. 11
- Financial safety: No. 51
How nice is life in Columbia? In 2022, Money magazine ranked the city as the best place to live in Maryland, and No. 6 in the country. Among other things, Money cited the city’s “exceptional safety statistics.”
9. Lewiston, Maine
Total score for safety: 67.77 out of 100 points
Rank for:
- Home and community safety: No. 63 out of 182 cities
- Natural disaster risk: No. 4
- Financial safety: No. 2
Lewiston is home to the 450-acre Thorncrag Nature Sanctuary, which offers extensive hiking trails through forests and meadows. In the summer, you can fish for lake trout and bass at Lake Auburn, and you can take in winter at the Lost Valley Ski Area.
10. Salem, Oregon
Total score for safety: 66.93 out of 100 points
Rank for:
- Home and community safety: No. 52 out of 182 cities
- Natural disaster risk: No. 13
- Financial safety: No. 31
Salem is known as the “Cherry City,” a nod to a long history of cherry production in the area. It is also home to the state’s capitol building, complete with a golden pioneer statue at the top.
The rest of the top 25
Here are the cities that round out the top 25, along with their total score for safety:
- Nashua, New Hampshire: 66.72
- Boise, Idaho: 66.65
- Laredo, Texas: 66.43
- Santa Rosa, California: 66.43
- Virginia Beach, Virginia: 66.37
- Nampa, Idaho: 66.35
- Irvine, California: 66.05
- Chesapeake, Virginia: 66.03
- Cedar Rapids, Iowa: 66.00
- Bismarck, North Dakota: 65.95
- Honolulu, Hawaii: 65.82
- Portland, Maine: 65.75
- Chula Vista, California: 65.52
- Vancouver, Washington: 65.45
- Madison, Wisconsin: 65.25
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