The Safest States Might Surprise You
When most people picture America’s safest states, they imagine quiet, rural corners where nothing much happens. And while a few of those do make the list, some of these “low crime” states will definitely shock people.
Using the latest FBI Uniform Crime Reports, Bureau of Justice Statistics, and World Population Review data, we ranked the 25 states with the lowest overall crime rates. The results prove that safety isn’t always found where you’d expect it. Take a look...
25: Maryland
Overall crime rate: 2,960 per 100,000
Violent crime rate: 450 per 100,000
Property crime rate: 2,510 per 100,000
Population: 6.2 million
Maryland isn’t crime-free, but compared to its mid-Atlantic neighbors it performs better than most, with crime dropping sharply in recent years.
24: Oregon
Overall crime rate: 2,930 per 100,000
Violent crime rate: 370 per 100,000
Property crime rate: 2,560 per 100,000
Population: 4.3 million
Oregon still struggles with property crime in urban hubs, but outside those areas the state remains significantly safer than many others.
23: Nebraska
Overall crime rate: 2,910 per 100,000
Violent crime rate: 290 per 100,000
Property crime rate: 2,620 per 100,000
Population: 1.9 million
Nebraska’s rural majority helps keep crime lower, making it one of the safer Great Plains states.
22: Delaware
Overall crime rate: 2,890 per 100,000
Violent crime rate: 300 per 100,000
Property crime rate: 2,590 per 100,000
Population: 1.0 million
Delaware’s compact size and community policing efforts help hold crime rates down, keeping it in the top half of U.S. safety rankings.
Tim Kiser (User:Malepheasant), CC BY-SA 2.5, Wikimedia Commons
21: New York
Overall crime rate: 2,870 per 100,000
Violent crime rate: 400 per 100,000
Property crime rate: 2,470 per 100,000
Population: 19.7 million
Despite New York City’s size, the state as a whole is safer than many realize, with violent crime continuing a long downward trend.
20: Minnesota
Overall crime rate: 2,850 per 100,000
Violent crime rate: 310 per 100,000
Property crime rate: 2,540 per 100,000
Population: 5.7 million
Minnesota’s mix of urban and rural communities balances out, keeping it among the safer states overall.
19: Wisconsin
Overall crime rate: 2,820 per 100,000
Violent crime rate: 280 per 100,000
Property crime rate: 2,540 per 100,000
Population: 5.9 million
Wisconsin maintains low violent crime, which helps balance higher property crime in certain metro areas.
18: Hawaii
Overall crime rate: 2,790 per 100,000
Violent crime rate: 260 per 100,000
Property crime rate: 2,530 per 100,000
Population: 1.4 million
Tourism can skew statistics, but Hawaii remains one of the safer states, particularly for violent crime.
17: Wyoming
Overall crime rate: 2,760 per 100,000
Violent crime rate: 200 per 100,000
Property crime rate: 2,560 per 100,000
Population: 580,000
Wyoming’s sparse population and wide-open spaces help keep violent crime especially low.
16: Iowa
Overall crime rate: 2,740 per 100,000
Violent crime rate: 250 per 100,000
Property crime rate: 2,490 per 100,000
Population: 3.2 million
Iowa consistently ranks among the safest Midwestern states, with below-average crime across categories.
Tony Webster, CC BY 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
15: Pennsylvania
Overall crime rate: 2,720 per 100,000
Violent crime rate: 280 per 100,000
Property crime rate: 2,440 per 100,000
Population: 12.9 million
Pennsylvania’s rural regions help balance out urban crime, putting the state comfortably in the top 25.
14: West Virginia
Overall crime rate: 2,700 per 100,000
Violent crime rate: 270 per 100,000
Property crime rate: 2,430 per 100,000
Population: 1.8 million
West Virginia’s lower urbanization contributes to its relatively low crime rates.
13: Virginia
Overall crime rate: 2,680 per 100,000
Violent crime rate: 230 per 100,000
Property crime rate: 2,450 per 100,000
Population: 8.7 million
Virginia balances large metro areas with safe suburban and rural zones, keeping overall crime lower than average.
12: North Dakota
Overall crime rate: 2,660 per 100,000
Violent crime rate: 280 per 100,000
Property crime rate: 2,380 per 100,000
Population: 780,000
North Dakota’s small towns and rural lifestyle help keep crime rates consistently low.
11: Idaho
Overall crime rate: 2,640 per 100,000
Violent crime rate: 240 per 100,000
Property crime rate: 2,400 per 100,000
Population: 1.9 million
Idaho’s low density and community-oriented culture contribute to its safety.
10: Connecticut
Overall crime rate: 2,580 per 100,000
Violent crime rate: 200 per 100,000
Property crime rate: 2,380 per 100,000
Population: 3.6 million
Connecticut’s violent crime rate is among the lowest in the nation, boosting it into the top 10.
9: New Jersey
Overall crime rate: 2,550 per 100,000
Violent crime rate: 200 per 100,000
Property crime rate: 2,350 per 100,000
Population: 9.3 million
Despite being densely populated, New Jersey has some of the lowest violent crime rates in the U.S.
8: Rhode Island
Overall crime rate: 2,530 per 100,000
Violent crime rate: 170 per 100,000
Property crime rate: 2,360 per 100,000
Population: 1.1 million
Rhode Island consistently ranks well for safety, particularly in violent crime.
7: Massachusetts
Overall crime rate: 2,500 per 100,000
Violent crime rate: 320 per 100,000
Property crime rate: 2,180 per 100,000
Population: 7.0 million
Massachusetts has impressively low property crime, keeping it among the safest states.
Andre Carrotflower, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons
6: Kentucky
Overall crime rate: 2,480 per 100,000
Violent crime rate: 210 per 100,000
Property crime rate: 2,270 per 100,000
Population: 4.5 million
Kentucky’s relatively low violent crime boosts it into the top 10 safest states.
Margaret Burlingham, Adobe Stock
5: Maine
Overall crime rate: 2,470 per 100,000
Violent crime rate: 120 per 100,000
Property crime rate: 2,350 per 100,000
Population: 1.4 million
Maine is one of the safest states in America, with the very lowest violent crime rate in the country.
4: Washington
Overall crime rate: 2,460 per 100,000
Violent crime rate: 260 per 100,000
Property crime rate: 2,200 per 100,000
Population: 7.8 million
Washington performs better than many expect, landing in the top five safest states overall.
3: Utah
Overall crime rate: 2,450 per 100,000
Violent crime rate: 220 per 100,000
Property crime rate: 2,230 per 100,000
Population: 3.4 million
Utah’s family-focused culture and strong economy help keep crime low across categories.
2: New Hampshire
Overall crime rate: 2,344 per 100,000
Violent crime rate: 126 per 100,000
Property crime rate: 2,218 per 100,000
Population: 1.4 million
New Hampshire is remarkably safe, with both violent and property crime far below the national average.
Quintin Soloviev, CC BY 4.0, Wikimedia Commons
1: Vermont
Overall crime rate: 2,200 per 100,000
Violent crime rate: 110 per 100,000
Property crime rate: 2,090 per 100,000
Population: 650,000
Vermont claims the top spot as the safest state in America, with exceptionally low rates across all categories.
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