2021’s Safest Cities in America

Adam McCann, Financial WriterOct 5, 2021

Adam McCann, Financial Writer
Oct 5, 2021

People encounter hazards every day, some serious, others rare and innocuous. We fear certain kinds more than others, though, and COVID-19 is one of the biggest concerns in 2021. A recent Gallup poll found that only 38% of Americans feel “very” confident they can protect themselves from COVID-19 while they are out in public, a sharp drop from around 51% in May. While COVID-19 has continued to dominate the news this year, Americans still have other dangers to worry about, from mass shootings to riots to traffic accidents.

People can feel unsafe in other ways, too. Aside from the types of hazards that can cause bodily injury or other physical harm, taking out an unaffordable second mortgage, forgoing health insurance or even visiting unsecured websites are also ways people run into danger. One of the biggest worries for many people is the availability of affordable healthcare. In fact, half of all U.S. adults are worried a major health event could lead to bankruptcy.

No one can avoid all danger, however, and we take on a certain level of risk based on where we choose to live. Some cities are simply better at protecting their residents from harm. To determine where Americans can feel most secure — in more than one sense — WalletHub compared more than 180 cities across 44 key indicators of safety. Our data set ranges from COVID-19 deaths in the past week per capita and assaults per capita to the unemployment rate and road quality.

Table of Contents

Main Findings

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Safest Cities in the U.S.

Overall Rank	City	Total Score	Home & Community Safety	Natural-Disaster Risk	Financial Safety
1	Columbia, MD	87.83	1	63	41
2	South Burlington, VT	85.04	7	36	5
3	Nashua, NH	84.38	8	27	3
4	Yonkers, NY	84.04	2	39	102
5	Madison, WI	83.26	11	89	2
6	Portland, ME	82.98	15	11	21
7	Warwick, RI	82.36	13	22	55
8	Raleigh, NC	82.27	19	55	6
9	Burlington, VT	81.83	20	37	40
10	Winston-Salem, NC	81.07	38	40	34
11	Manchester, NH	80.97	42	30	11
12	Gilbert, AZ	80.78	32	14	43
13	Durham, NC	80.56	44	42	9
14	Salem, OR	80.46	40	70	18
15	Fremont, CA	80.43	4	157	15
16	Plano, TX	80.22	12	113	51
17	Buffalo, NY	80.10	48	5	33
18	Worcester, MA	80.07	41	17	45
19	Laredo, TX	80.05	23	24	140
20	Irvine, CA	79.98	3	150	87
21	Virginia Beach, VA	79.94	25	44	76
22	Lincoln, NE	79.76	34	105	16
23	Chandler, AZ	79.71	52	8	37
24	Scottsdale, AZ	79.38	50	53	30
25	Aurora, IL	79.05	9	91	152
26	Brownsville, TX	78.99	35	2	155
27	Rochester, NY	78.95	54	4	66
28	Fargo, ND	78.89	67	77	8
29	Charlotte, NC	78.23	62	57	26
30	Bismarck, ND	78.17	88	64	14
31	Sioux Falls, SD	78.09	61	103	4
32	Peoria, AZ	78.07	58	26	68
33	Bridgeport, CT	77.98	18	16	179
34	Las Cruces, NM	77.96	53	66	107
35	Mesa, AZ	77.92	56	18	67
36	Glendale, CA	77.81	5	151	124
37	Omaha, NE	77.80	43	107	49
38	Tempe, AZ	77.74	70	9	56
39	Providence, RI	77.59	60	10	95
40	Henderson, NV	77.54	26	95	141
41	Salt Lake City, UT	77.37	57	116	10
42	Lewiston, ME	77.35	83	12	100
43	Vancouver, WA	77.32	75	87	23
44	Cheyenne, WY	77.20	72	97	36
45	Pembroke Pines, FL	77.20	47	48	148
46	Chesapeake, VA	77.01	45	69	137
47	Boise, ID	76.86	91	71	17
48	Huntington Beach, CA	76.76	14	170	71
49	Santa Rosa, CA	76.71	22	153	75
50	Santa Clarita, CA	76.67	6	168	147
51	Grand Rapids, MI	76.66	85	7	91
52	Fort Wayne, IN	76.64	78	59	82
53	New Haven, CT	76.53	51	6	172
54	Boston, MA	76.49	97	35	13
55	San Jose, CA	76.48	31	169	20
56	Overland Park, KS	76.39	63	121	24
57	San Diego, CA	76.37	36	130	74
58	Chula Vista, CA	76.32	28	132	106
59	Cedar Rapids, IA	76.27	64	101	79
60	Garden Grove, CA	76.23	10	171	129
61	Oceanside, CA	76.02	17	144	108
62	Rancho Cucamonga, CA	75.95	21	159	78
63	Greensboro, NC	75.81	96	33	54
64	Santa Ana, CA	75.68	16	167	115
65	Casper, WY	75.66	110	20	58
66	Glendale, AZ	75.62	95	13	98
67	Missoula, MT	75.49	74	108	93
68	Oxnard, CA	75.29	33	148	105
69	Spokane, WA	75.18	114	19	35
70	Anaheim, CA	74.91	24	154	128
71	Newport News, VA	74.67	93	21	143
72	Grand Prairie, TX	74.53	65	112	117
73	Minneapolis, MN	74.52	77	131	46
74	Colorado Springs, CO	74.37	80	126	59
75	North Las Vegas, NV	74.29	49	99	170
76	Sacramento, CA	74.25	73	119	85
77	Jersey City, NJ	74.20	79	84	145
78	Cape Coral, FL	74.17	86	111	109
79	Pearl City, HI	74.11	46	N/A	1
80	Fontana, CA	74.10	29	163	138
81	Moreno Valley, CA	74.07	27	166	142
82	Portland, OR	73.98	119	86	12
83	Norfolk, VA	73.95	71	81	158
84	Ontario, CA	73.91	39	156	114
85	Corpus Christi, TX	73.83	122	3	90
86	Aurora, CO	73.63	68	133	99
87	Tampa, FL	73.56	103	92	64
88	Fayetteville, NC	73.53	105	51	119
89	Arlington, TX	73.51	66	122	132
90	Tallahassee, FL	73.47	112	28	120
91	Irving, TX	73.41	89	125	92
92	West Valley City, UT	73.38	30	N/A	38
93	Columbia, SC	73.38	98	83	131
94	El Paso, TX	73.34	101	74	122
95	Gulfport, MS	73.19	99	56	157
96	Juneau, AK	73.16	149	50	22
97	Newark, NJ	73.04	69	29	181
98	San Antonio, TX	73.01	109	73	94
99	New York, NY	72.96	124	34	73
100	Nampa, ID	72.91	132	49	65
101	Reno, NV	72.62	92	158	39
102	Augusta, GA	72.61	135	61	116
103	Nashville, TN	72.60	107	115	53
104	Des Moines, IA	72.34	90	143	83
105	St. Paul, MN	72.28	37	N/A	47
106	Columbus, GA	72.24	115	38	156
107	Fort Worth, TX	72.17	82	134	139
108	Hialeah, FL	72.01	59	128	171
109	Phoenix, AZ	71.89	131	25	89
110	Pittsburgh, PA	71.86	140	72	32
111	Austin, TX	71.65	134	98	29
112	San Francisco, CA	71.57	125	123	27
113	Modesto, CA	71.54	106	135	60
114	Chicago, IL	71.43	94	79	180
115	Louisville, KY	71.41	108	106	123
116	Toledo, OH	71.37	113	60	168
117	Long Beach, CA	71.36	76	152	130
118	Springfield, MO	71.35	120	127	50
119	Jacksonville, FL	71.29	136	62	84
120	Fresno, CA	71.19	111	117	117
121	Cincinnati, OH	71.08	126	76	125
122	Atlanta, GA	71.07	121	82	135
123	Riverside, CA	70.98	84	164	126
124	Richmond, VA	70.52	127	75	154
125	Akron, OH	70.41	118	68	173
126	Milwaukee, WI	70.40	130	52	146
127	Amarillo, TX	70.37	117	162	31
128	Billings, MT	70.35	160	58	44
129	Charleston, WV	70.26	163	45	25
130	Bakersfield, CA	70.18	102	146	111
131	Montgomery, AL	70.17	116	93	178
132	Fort Smith, AR	70.10	148	94	86
133	Seattle, WA	69.97	128	141	19
134	Wilmington, DE	69.89	141	23	153
135	Indianapolis, IN	69.85	123	124	103
136	Dover, DE	69.80	156	1	149
137	Rapid City, SD	69.74	155	129	7
138	Albuquerque, NM	69.48	138	88	113
139	Wichita, KS	69.31	100	172	97
140	Knoxville, TN	69.23	150	78	104
141	Miami, FL	69.08	104	118	175
142	Honolulu, HI	69.05	81	N/A	28
143	Mobile, AL	68.91	147	43	164
144	Lexington-Fayette, KY	68.79	55	N/A	110
145	Garland, TX	68.72	143	110	112
146	Tulsa, OK	68.02	145	120	88
147	Las Vegas, NV	67.70	137	96	163
148	Houston, TX	67.52	139	102	159
149	Shreveport, LA	67.45	146	100	161
150	Washington, DC	67.43	162	80	72
151	Huntsville, AL	67.36	153	142	52
152	Stockton, CA	67.36	133	140	136
153	Charleston, SC	67.14	142	165	61
154	Port St. Lucie, FL	67.13	87	N/A	81
155	Columbus, OH	67.08	163	46	121
156	Orlando, FL	66.64	174	32	57
157	Kansas City, MO	66.58	151	138	101
158	Tacoma, WA	66.29	154	145	77
159	Philadelphia, PA	66.23	169	15	133
160	Denver, CO	66.22	158	139	62
161	Tucson, AZ	66.19	167	65	127
162	Huntington, WV	66.18	175	47	70
163	New Orleans, LA	66.13	159	31	176
164	Baltimore, MD	65.26	161	67	174
165	Oakland, CA	64.78	157	155	96
166	Cleveland, OH	64.75	166	54	169
167	Dallas, TX	64.66	168	104	134
168	Los Angeles, CA	64.64	152	149	144
169	Little Rock, AR	64.35	144	147	167
170	Detroit, MI	63.55	173	41	177
171	Chattanooga, TN	63.13	178	109	80
172	Jackson, MS	63.07	165	137	166
173	Lubbock, TX	62.89	180	114	63
174	St. Petersburg, FL	62.64	129	N/A	42
175	Anchorage, AK	61.87	177	161	48
176	Birmingham, AL	61.33	172	136	165
177	Baton Rouge, LA	61.32	182	90	150
178	Memphis, TN	60.51	176	85	182
179	Oklahoma City, OK	58.54	170	173	69
180	San Bernardino, CA	58.02	179	160	162
181	Fort Lauderdale, FL	50.69	171	N/A	160
182	St. Louis, MO	47.64	181	N/A	151

Note: *No. 1 = Safest
With the exception of “Total Score,” all of the columns in the table above depict the relative rank of that city, where a rank of 1 represents the best conditions for that metric category.

artwork 2021 safest cities to live in

Ask the Experts

For the best ways to improve safety, we asked a panel of experts to weigh in with their thoughts on the following key questions:

What steps should local authorities take to help reduce the public costs associated with cleanups after major natural disasters? Should flood or other types of insurance be mandatory?
What measures can police departments take to increase public trust? How important is it to have a police force that is representative of the local community?
Has the vaccination rollout influenced the perception of safety in the past months?
What can local authorities do to ensure a safe reopening of businesses and prevent new surges in coronavirus cases?
What can consumers do to increase their financial literacy, considering sound financial decisions increase a person's financial safety?

Ask the Experts

: David McEntire
Professor, Emergency Services Department – Utah Valley University
Read More

: Katharine Kravetz
Faculty Emerita, School of Education – American University
Read More

: Brian Bossak
Ph.D., MPH – Associate Professor, Public Health; Faculty Fellow, Honors College; Senator, Faculty Senate; Department of Health & Human Performance – College of Charleston
Read More

: Christopher L. Atkinson
Assistant Professor, Administration and Law – University of West Florida
Read More

Methodology

In order to determine the safest cities in which to live, WalletHub compared 182 cities — including the 150 most populated U.S. cities, plus at least two of the most populated cities in each state — across three key dimensions: 1) Home & Community Safety, 2) Natural-Disaster Risk, and 3) Financial Safety.

We evaluated those dimensions using 44 relevant metrics, which are listed below with their corresponding weights. Each metric was graded on a 100-point scale, with a score of 100 representing the highest level of safety.

We then determined each city’s weighted average across all metrics to calculate its overall score and used the resulting scores to rank-order our sample. In determining our sample, we considered only the city proper in each case, excluding cities in the surrounding metro area.

Home & Community Safety - Total Points: 50

Average COVID-19 Deaths in the Past Week per Capita: Double Weight (~4.00 Points)
Average COVID-19 Cases in the Past Week per Capita: Double Weight (~4.00 Points)
Percentage of Residents Who Are Fully Vaccinated: Double Weight (~4.00 Points)
Presence of Terrorist Attacks: Triple Weight (~6.00 Points)
Note: This binary metric considers the presence or absence of terrorist attack or terrorist-related incident in the city between 2010 and 2020.
Number of Mass Shootings: Full Weight (~2.00 Points)
Murders & Non-Negligent Manslaughters per Capita: Triple Weight (~6.00 Points)
Forcible Rapes per Capita: Full Weight (~2.00 Points)
Assaults per Capita: Full Weight (~2.00 Points)
Thefts per Capita: Full Weight (~2.00 Points)
Sex Offenders per Capita: Full Weight (~2.00 Points)
Law-Enforcement Employees per Capita: Half Weight (~1.00 Points)
Active Firefighters per Capita: Half Weight (~1.00 Points)
EMTs & Paramedics per Capita: Half weight (~1.00 Points)
Note: “EMTs” refer to Emergency Medical Technicians.
Hate Crimes per Capita: Full Weight (~2.00 Points)
Share of Sheltered Homeless: Half Weight (~1.00 Points)
Perception of Safety (Safety walking alone during daylight/night): Full Weight (~2.00 Points)
Note: These data are based on perceptions of visitors of Numbeo website in the past 3 years. If the value is 0, it means it is perceived as very low, and if the value is 100, it means it is perceived as very high.
Drug Poisoning Deaths per Capita: Full Weight (~2.00 Points)
Traffic Fatalities per Capita: Full Weight (~2.00 Points)
Pedestrian Fatalities per Capita: Full Weight (~~2.00 Points)
Note: “Pedestrians” also includes pedacyclists.
Road Quality: Full Weight (~2.00 Points)

Natural-Disaster Risk - Total Points: 30

Earthquake Risk Level: Full Weight (~5.00 Points)
Flood Risk Level: Full Weight (~5.00 Points)
Hail Risk Level: Full Weight (~5.00 Points)
Hurricane Storm-Surge Risk Level: Full Weight (~5.00 Points)
Tornado Risk Level: Full Weight (~5.00 Points)
Wildfire Risk Level: Full Weight (~5.00 Points)

Financial Safety - Total Points: 20

Unemployment Rate: Double Weight (~2.11 Points)
Underemployment Rate: Full Weight (~1.05 Points)
Share of Uninsured Population: Full Weight (~1.05 Points)
Share of Uninsured Drivers: Full Weight (~1.05 Points)
Foreclosure Rate: Full Weight (~1.05 Points)
Median Credit Score: Full Weight (~1.05 Points)
Debt-to-Income Ratio: Full Weight (~1.05 Points)
Share of Owner Occupied Housing Units Spending at Least 35% of Their Household Income on Housing: : Full Weight (~1.05 Points)
Poverty Rate: Full Weight (~1.05 Points)
Fraud & Other Complaints per Capita: Full Weight (~1.05 Points)
Note: “Other” includes both financial and nonfinancial complaints.
Identity-Theft Complaints per Capita: Full Weight (~1.05 Points)
Share of Unbanked Households: Full Weight (~1.05 Points)
Job Security: Full Weight (~1.05 Points)
Note: This metric was calculated as follows: (Total Workers in May 2021 – Total Workers in May 2020) / Total Workers in May 2020.
Employment Growth: Full Weight (~1.05 Points)
Note: This metric was adjusted for the working-age population growth and compares figures between 2020 and 2021.
Share of Households with Emergency Savings: Full Weight (~1.05 Points)
Note: This metric measures the share of households that saved for unexpected expenses or emergencies in the past 12 months.
Retirement Plan Access & Participation Rate: Full Weight (~1.05 Points)
Note: “Retirement Plan” includes only employer-based plans.
Personal Bankruptcy Filings per Capita: Full Weight (~1.05 Points)
Share of Seriously Underwater Mortgages: Full Weight (~1.05 Points)
Note: This metric measures the proportion of seriously underwater mortgages, where the combined estimated balance of loans secured by those properties was at least 25 percent more than their estimated market value.

Sources: Data used to create this ranking were collected from the U.S. Census Bureau, Bureau of Labor Statistics, Federal Bureau of Investigation, TransUnion, Parents for Megan’s Law, U.S. Fire Administration, US Department of Housing and Urban Development, Wm. Robert Johnston, Federal Trade Commission, Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation, Chmura Economics & Analytics, Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts, National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, The Road Information Program, The Pew Charitable Trusts, County Health Rankings, Numbeo, Gun Violence Archive, ATTOM Data Solutions, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Insurance Information Institute and The New York Times.

Supporting Video Files:

Questions & Answers (18 questions)

Where does green bay WI rank?

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What about Athens Georgia?

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Is Corpus Christi a safe place to retire?

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What are the Crime rates in these citys

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Greetings - Sunnyvale CA topped your list 4 years in a row, yet is not listed for 2020 - what happened?!?!?

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how safe is Emeryville CA

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How safe is Ft Lauderdale

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Can you release the scoring for each metric for each city?

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Why these 182 and not others? The rating explanation is fine, but you don't seem to have explained the criteria for being rated at all.

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When a city has an NA for a category, what numerical score was assigned to NA to calculate it's overall ranking?

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