The 10 safest cities in America

When choosing a new place to live, there are few things as important as safety. Internationally, perceived safety has increased over the last decade, according to data from Gallup.

In 2023, 70% of people globally said that they felt safe walking alone at night – a 6% increase from 2013, but a 2% decrease from 2020. Experts caution, however, that safety from immediate violence is just one component of feeling secure in a city or neighborhood.

“When people think about safety in a city, their minds probably immediately go to things like the crime rate, auto fatality rate or risk of natural disasters,” said Chip Lupo, an analyst at the personal finance website WalletHub, in a statement. “The safest cities in America protect residents from these threats of bodily harm and property damage, but on top of that, they also help secure people’s financial safety.”

WalletHub recently compiled an analysis of the safest cities in the United States, based on their performance across three dimensions: home and community safety, natural disaster risk, and financial safety.

The analysis looked at the 150 most-populated cities in the country and determined their rankings within the dimensions based on 41 metrics, including assaults per capita, unemployment rate, and traffic fatalities.

WalletHub pulled data from several sources, including the Federal Bureau of Investigation, US Department of Housing and Urban Development, and the Pew Charitable Trusts.

Continue reading to learn more about the 10 safest cities in America.

10. Virginia Beach, Virginia

Virginia Beach is the tenth safest city in the United States. It received high marks for home and community safety.

9. Portland, Maine

Portland is the ninth safest city in the United States. It came in second place for financial safety.

8. Columbia, Maryland

Columbia is the eighth safest city in the United States. It came in first place for home and community safety.

7. Cedar Rapids, Iowa

Cedar Rapids is the seventh safest city in the United States. It received high marks for home and community safety.

6. Yonkers, New York

Yonkers is the sixth safest city in the United States. It came in third place for home and community safety.

5. Boise, Idaho

Boise is the fifth safest city in the United States. It received high marks for financial safety.

4. Burlington, Vermont

Burlington is the fourth safest city in the United States. It received high marks for its financial safety and low natural disaster risk.

3. Warwick, Rhode Island

Warwick is the third safest city in the United States. It received high marks for its home and community safety and low natural disaster risk.

2. Casper, Wyoming

Casper is the second safest city in the United States. It came in third place for financial safety.

1. South Burlington, VT

South Burlington is the safest city in the United States. It came in first place for financial safety, sixth place for low natural disaster risk, and ninth place for home and community safety.