Safest States in America (2026)

Each new headline about a mass shooting, terrorist attack, hate crime, or natural disaster reminds us how fragile safety can feel—for ourselves and for our loved ones. Beyond physical threats, Americans also face financial risks, with inflation remaining a pressing concern despite government efforts to bring it under control.

Of course, safety levels vary across the country. To identify the safest states in America, WalletHub analyzed all 50 states using 52 key indicators of safety, grouped into five categories. These measures range from assaults per capita to the financial losses from climate disasters per resident, as well as economic factors like unemployment.

Top 5 Safest States in 2025

1. Vermont
2. Massachusetts
3. New Hampshire
4. Maine
5. Utah

“The safest states in America protect their residents from harm in a multitude of different ways, from keeping crime rates low and maintaining safe roadways to having strong economies and job markets that prevent people from falling into dangerous financial situations. They have high levels of occupational safety and disaster preparedness, too. In addition, states are made safer by efforts that individual residents take, such as forming a neighborhood watch or working in firefighting and EMT jobs at high rates.”

Chip Lupo, WalletHub Analyst

Main Findings

Safest States in the U.S.

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

Fatalities per 100 Million Vehicle Miles of Travel

Fewest

• 1. Massachusetts
• 2. Minnesota
• 3. New Jersey
• 4. Utah
• 5. Wisconsin

Most

• 46. West Virginia
• 47. Kentucky
• 48. South Carolina
• 49. Arizona
• 50. Mississippi

Best State vs. Worst State: 3x Difference

Massachusetts vs. Mississippi

Law-Enforcement Employees per Capita

Most

• T-1. New Jersey
• T-1. Wyoming
• T-1. Louisiana
• 4. New York
• 5. Tennessee

Fewest

• 46. Hawaii
• 47. West Virginia
• 48. Vermont
• 49. Maine
• 50. Washington

Best State vs. Worst State: 3x Difference

New Jersey vs. Washington

Assaults per Capita

Fewest

• 1. Maine
• 2. New Hampshire
• 3. Connecticut
• 4. Rhode Island
• 5. Wyoming

Most

• 46. Louisiana
• 47. Arkansas
• 48. Tennessee
• T-49. Alaska
• T-49. New Mexico

Best State vs. Worst State: 11x Difference

Maine vs. New Mexico

Bullying Incidence Rate

Lowest

• 1. Delaware
• 2. Hawaii
• 3. Rhode Island
• 4. Virginia
• 5. Massachusetts

Highest

• 43. Iowa
• 44. Wyoming
• 45. New Hampshire
• 46. West Virginia
• 47. Alaska

Unemployment Rate

Lowest

• T-1. South Dakota
• T-1. Vermont
• T-1. North Dakota
• T-1. New Hampshire
• T-1. Nebraska

Highest

• 46. Michigan
• 47. Illinois
• 48. Kentucky
• 49. California
• 50. Nevada

Best State vs. Worst State: 3x Difference

South Dakota vs. Nevada

Share of Uninsured Population

Lowest

• 1. Massachusetts
• 2. Hawaii
• 3. Vermont
• 4. Rhode Island
• 5. Minnesota

Highest

• T-45. Mississippi
• T-45. Wyoming
• 47. Florida
• 48. Georgia
• 49. Oklahoma
• 50. Texas

Best State vs. Worst State: 7x Difference

Massachusetts vs. Texas

% of Adults with Rainy-Day Funds

Highest

• T-1. Maryland
• T-1. Massachusetts
• T-1. New Jersey
• T-4. Hawaii
• T-4. Minnesota
• T-4. Pennsylvania

Lowest

• T-46. Kentucky
• T-46. Wyoming
• T-48. Mississippi
• T-48. New Mexico
• 50. West Virginia

Best State vs. Worst State: 2x Difference

Maryland vs. West Virginia

Total Loss Amount from Climate Disasters per Capita

Lowest

• 1. Nevada
• 2. Utah
• 3. Washington
• 4. Arizona
• 5. Michigan

Highest

• T-45. Iowa
• T-45. Florida
• T-45. South Dakota
• T-45. Mississippi
• T-45. North Dakota
• T-45. Louisiana

Best State vs. Worst State: 74x Difference

Nevada vs. Louisiana

Fatal Occupational Injuries per Total Workers

Fewest

• 1. Rhode Island
• 2. New Jersey
• 3. Connecticut
• 4. Maryland
• T-5. California
• T-5. Delaware

Most

• 46. Montana
• 47. Alaska
• 48. Arkansas
• T-49. West Virginia
• T-49. Wyoming

Best State vs. Worst State: 13x Difference

Rhode Island vs. Wyoming

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In-Depth Look at the Safest States

Vermont

Vermont is the safest state, and it’s especially good when it comes to neighborhood safety. Nearly 75% of parents in Vermont believe they live in safe neighborhoods, the fourth-highest percentage in the country. In addition, the state has the seventh-most neighborhood watch groups per capita, which can help alert law enforcement of crimes or suspicious activity. Vermont has the 15th-fewest aggravated assaults, 17th-fewest murders and nonnegligent manslaughters, and 24th-fewest thefts per capita, too.

Vermont excels when it comes to financial safety. It has one of the lowest unemployment rates in the country, at 2.3%, along with one of the best job growth rates. A strong economy has helped residents of the Green Mountain State keep up with their payments – as a result, the state has the lowest share of seriously underwater mortgages and the second-fewest non-business bankruptcies per capita. Vermont residents also are largely safe from having their data stolen, as the state has the second-fewest identity theft complaints per capita.

To top things off, Vermont has safe roads, with the second-best road quality in the U.S. It also has the 11th-fewest traffic fatalities per 100 million miles traveled and the sixth-fewest pedestrian fatalities per capita. This safety is due in part to good driving behavior. For example, Vermont has the lowest percentage of people who have used a phone while driving, the fifth-lowest prevalence of harsh braking.

Massachusetts

Massachusetts is the second-safest state, and it really shines when it comes to financial safety. Workers also benefit from the third-best job security rate in the country and the fourth-best annual growth rate for new jobs. Massachusetts has the 11th-smallest percentage of people without a bank account and the sixth-fewest non-business bankruptcy filings per capita, as well. On top of all these factors that demonstrate financial stability, Massachusetts adds an additional layer of safety by having the second-highest share of children aged 6-17 years whose parents definitely agree that their children are safe at school.

In addition, Massachusetts is a state that has low levels of crime. It has the fourth-fewest thefts, and fourth-fewest murders and manslaughters per capita. It also has had the eighth-fewest mass shootings between June 2023 and June 2025. The state has relatively few sexual crimes and drug arrests, too.

There are a few other ways that Massachusetts demonstrates safety. Many Massachusetts residents work in professions that keep people safe. For example, it has the 24th-most EMTs per capita and a very low vulnerability to natural disasters.

New Hampshire

New Hampshire is the third-safest state, in large part because it has very little violence. For example, New Hampshire had the fewest mass shootings between June 2023 and June 2025. The state also has the fewest murders and nonnegligent manslaughters per capita, and the second-fewest aggravated assaults per capita. On top of that, the state is also very safe from nonviolent crime, with the second-fewest thefts per capita.

Nearly 79% of people in New Hampshire feel that they live in safe neighborhoods, the highest percentage in the country. Nearly 72% feel that their children go to safe schools, the seventh-highest percentage. Part of this can naturally be attributed to low rates of violence, but there are other factors at play as well, such as the fact that New Hampshire has the most neighborhood watch groups per capita.

Finally, New Hampshire residents enjoy financial safety. The state has a 2.6% unemployment rate, one of the lowest in the country, along with the lowest poverty rate. This has helped residents largely stay current on their bills and has helped them achieve the second-best average credit score in the country, at 749. That’s well into the excellent credit range!

Ask the Experts

No place is completely immune to danger of any form. Some areas simply deal with safety issues better than others. For additional insight and advice, we asked a panel of experts to share their thoughts on the following key questions:

1. There are many different potential threats to one’s safety: crime, weather, pollution, dangerous workplaces. In choosing a place to live, how should people weigh the risks?
2. What actions can the current administration undertake to reduce crime and improve public safety?
3. What can state and local policymakers do to reduce crime in their communities?
4. Are the police and health care labor force shortages affecting safety in the United States?
5. What tips do you have for consumers looking to improve their financial safety?

Ask the Experts

John McDonald
Ph.D. – Professor Emeritus, Economics, College of Liberal Arts and Sciences - University of Illinois at Chicago
Read More

Mark Ciampa
Ph.D. – Professor, Analytics & Information Systems; Program Director, Graduate Cybersecurity Analytics, Gordon Ford College of Business - Western Kentucky University
Read More

Douglas Babcock
C.E.M., C.P.P., A.C.C. – Counterparts Coaching and Consulting
Read More

Jake Wegmann
Associate Professor, School of Architecture - The University of Texas at Austin
Read More

Kheir Al-Kodmany
Ph.D. – Professor, Urban Planning and Policy, College of Urban Planning and Public Affairs - University of Illinois, Chicago
Read More

Kenneth Christopher
D.P.A., Professor and Program Director, B.S. and M.S., Homeland Security and Emergency Management, College of Law and Public Service - National University
Read More

More Experts

Methodology

In order to determine the safest states in which to live, WalletHub compared the 50 states across five key dimensions: 1) Personal & Residential Safety, 2) Financial Safety, 3) Road Safety, 4) Workplace Safety, and 5) Emergency Preparedness.

We evaluated those dimensions using 52 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 state’s weighted average across all metrics to calculate its overall score and used the resulting scores to rank-order our sample.

Personal & Residential Safety - Total Points: 40

• Presence of Terrorist Attacks: Full Weight (~1.78 Points)
  Note: This binary metric considers the presence or absence of a terrorist incident or attack in a city between 2015 and 2025.
• Number of Mass Shootings: Full Weight (~1.78 Points)
• Murders & Non-Negligent Manslaughters per Capita: Double Weight (~3.56 Points)
• Forcible Rapes per Capita: Double Weight (~3.56 Points)
• Assaults per Capita: Double Weight (~3.56 Points)
• Thefts per Capita: Full Weight (~1.78 Points)
• Sex Offenders per Capita: Double Weight (~3.56 Points)
• Drug Abuses per Capita: Half Weight (~0.89 Points)
• Overdose Deaths per Capita: Half Weight (~0.89 Points)
• Law-Enforcement Employees per Capita: Full Weight (~1.78 Points)
• Active Firefighters per Capita: Full Weight (~1.78 Points)
• Emergency Medical Technicians and Paramedics per Capita: Full Weight (~1.78 Points)
• Suicide Rate: Full Weight (~1.78 Points)
• Bullying Incidence Rate: Full Weight (~1.78 Points)
• Share of Elder-Abuse, Gross-Neglect and Exploitation Complaints: Full Weight (~1.78 Points)
• Hate-Crime Incidents per Capita: Full Weight (~1.78 Points)
• Hate Groups per Capita: Full Weight (~1.78 Points)
• Neighborhood Watch Groups per Capita: Half Weight (~0.89 Points)
• Share of Families with Children Aged 0 to 17 Who Feel They Live in Safe Neighborhoods: Full Weight (~1.78 Points)
• Share of Families with Children Aged 6 to 17 Who Go to Safe Schools: Full Weight (~1.78 Points)

Financial Safety - Total Points: 15

• Share of Uninsured Population: Full Weight (~0.75 Points)
• Unemployment Rate: Double Weight (~1.50 Points)
• Underemployment Rate: Full Weight (~0.75 Points)
• Foreclosure Rate: Full Weight (~0.75 Points)
• Median Credit Score: Full Weight (~0.75 Points)
• Debt per Income: Full Weight (~0.75 Points)
• Poverty Rate: Full Weight (~0.75 Points)
• Share of Adults with Rainy-Day Funds: Full Weight (~0.75 Points)
• Fraud & Other Complaints per Capita: Full Weight (~0.75 Points)
  Note: “Other” includes both financial and nonfinancial complaints.
• Identity-Theft Complaints per Capita: Full Weight (~0.75 Points)
• Share of Unbanked Households: Full Weight (~0.75 Points)
• Job Security: Full Weight (~0.75 Points)
  Note: This metric was calculated as follows: (Total Workers in 2024 – Total Workers in 2023) / Total Workers in 2023.
• New Unemployment Claims per Total Civilian Labor Force: Full Weight (~0.75 Points)
  Note: “New Unemployment Claims” refers to the number of people making an initial claim for unemployment insurance benefits.
• Employment Growth (2024 vs. 2023): Full Weight (~0.75 Points)
  Note: This metric was adjusted for the working-age population growth.
• Share of Households with Emergency Fund: Full Weight (~0.75 Points)
  Note: This metric refers to the share of households who saved for unexpected expenses or emergencies in the past 12 months.
• Share of People Not Saving Money for Children’s College: Full Weight (~0.75 Points)
• Share of Households Unable to Pay Energy Bill in Past 12 Months: Full Weight (~0.75 Points)
• Personal Bankruptcy Filings per Capita: Full Weight (~0.75 Points)
• Share of Homes Seriously Underwater (with negative equity): Full Weight (~0.75 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.

Road Safety - Total Points: 15

• Traffic Indiscipline: Full Weight (~1.67 Points)
  Note: This is a composite metric that measures incidents due to poor behavior: phone use, speeding, aggressive acceleration, harsh braking, and poor turning.
• Fatalities per 100 Million Vehicle Miles of Travel: Double Weight (~3.33 Points)
• DUIs per Capita: Full Weight (~1.67 Points)
• Pedestrian & Pedalcyclist Fatality Rate per Capita: Double Weight (~3.33 Points)
• Share of Uninsured Drivers: Full Weight (~1.67 Points)
• Road Quality: Full Weight (~1.67 Points)
• Driving Laws Rating: Full Weight (~1.67 Points)
  Note: This metric is based on the Advocates for Highway and Auto Safety’s Roadmap Report of State Highway Safety Law. Scoring is based on the ratings in the six issue areas: Occupant Protection, Child Passenger Safety, Teen Driving: GDL Programs, Impaired Driving, Distracted Driving, Automated Enforcement to Curb Speed; States are only given credit if the state law meets the optimal safety provisions.

Workplace Safety - Total Points: 15

• Fatal Occupational Injuries per 100,000 Full-Time Workers: Full Weight (~3.00 Points)
• Injuries & Illnesses per 10,000 Full-Time Workers: Full Weight (~3.00 Points)
• Median Days Lost Due to Occupational Injuries & Illnesses: Full Weight (~3.00 Points)
• Presence of Occupational Safety & Health Act Plans: Double Weight (~6.00 Points)
  Note: According to the U.S. Department of Labor, “Under the Occupational Safety and Health Act, employers are responsible for providing a safe and healthful workplace. OSHA's mission is to assure safe and healthful workplaces by setting and enforcing standards, and by providing training, outreach, education and assistance.”

Emergency Preparedness - Total Points: 15

• Number of Climate Disasters Causing $1 Billion+ in Damages in Past Decades: Full Weight (~7.50 Points)
  Note: “Past Decades” refers to the period between 1980 and 2024.
• Loss Amount from Climate Disasters Causing $1 Billion+ in Damages per Capita: Full Weight (~7.50 Points)
  Note: This metric refers to the period between 1980 and 2024.

 
Sources: Data used to create this ranking were collected as of September 8, 2025 from the U.S. Census Bureau, Bureau of Labor Statistics, Federal Bureau of Investigation, TransUnion, U.S. Fire Administration, Administration for Community Living - AGing Integrated Database, Federal Trade Commission, Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation, U.S. Department of Labor - Employment and Training Administration, Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts, National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, ATTOM a property data provider – Percentage of Seriously Underwater Mortgages Report, The Road Information Program, Advocates for Highway and Auto Safety, U.S. Department of Labor - Occupational Safety and Health Administration, National Centers for Environmental Information, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, The Crime Victims Center, Child and Adolescent Health Measurement Initiative, Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, FINRA Investor Education Foundation, Wm. Robert Johnston, Gun Violence Archive, Southern Poverty Law Center, National Sheriffs’ Association, EverQuote, Federal Highway Administration, ATTOM a property data provider – Foreclosure Rate Report and Insurance Information Institute Inc.

Supporting Video Files:

• YouTube - National (for web embedding)
• YouTube - Vermont (for web embedding)
• Raw video files (for editing into clips)