The White House behind police crime scene tape
The White House behind police crime scene tape (© Orhan Çam - stock.adobe.com)
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Safest Cities in America: Washington, Los Angeles, St. Louis fall to bottom of 2023 list

October 10, 2023
by Chris Melore

WASHINGTON — America’s biggest and most famous cities have a safety problem. From crime to financial problems and the threat of natural disasters, a new poll finds many of the nation’s most populated metropolitan areas rank at the bottom of the list when it comes to public safety.

Researchers from WalletHub compared 182 cities, including the 150 most populated U.S. cities, plus at least two of the most populated cities in each state. The team focused on three key dimensions: Home and community safety, the risk of natural disasters, and financial safety.

Using 41 different metrics in those three fields, the team created a 100-point scale, with a score of 100 representing the safest city possible. Overall, Nashua, New Hampshire ranks as the safest city in America in 2023. With a total score of 86, the small city of roughly 91,000 people finished in the top 10 in both home and community safety and financial safety.

Rounding out the top five safest cities are Columbia, Maryland (2nd), South Burlington, Vermont (3rd), Gilbert, Arizona (4th), and Warwick, Rhode Island (5th). Columbia also ranks as the safest city in the country when it comes to home and community safety, while South Burlington ranks as the top location for financial safety.

If you’re looking to protect yourself from natural disasters, Dover, Delaware is the place to be — although the city of roughly 39,000 people ranks in the middle of the pack for total security, finishing 81st overall.

Scroll down to see the full list of the safest 182 U.S. cities

School Safety zone by Ambernectar 13 is licensed under CC BY-ND 2.0.

Big cities are falling fast

At the opposite end of the spectrum, many of America’s most recognizable cities now rank as the least safe places to live. Finishing last, St. Louis, Missouri ranks near the bottom in both home and community safety and financial safety. The city of nearly 300,000 people did not even receive a gradable score for natural disaster risks.

Despite being the home of the president, Congress, and countless government officials, Washington, D.C. finished in the bottom 10 (173rd), making it one of the country’s least safe cities in 2023. The nation’s capital had the third-worst score for both home and community safety.

Meanwhile, Los Angeles, California finished one spot worse than Washington (174th), scoring 149th or worse in all three survey categories. Other major cities with a safety problem include New York City (137th), Chicago (140th), Houston (151st), San Francisco (153rd), Seattle (158th), Atlanta (164th), and Philadelphia (171st).

Along with traffic deaths, assaults, hate crimes, rising unemployment, and the threat of extreme weather, experts say there is another growing problem in America’s most crowded cities.

“Ultimately, one of the biggest threats to public safety is our country’s ongoing mental health crisis. The well-being of the public is not only threatened by increasing mental health emergencies but also by our current inability to collectively face this threat and develop solutions,” contends Natalie Simpson, Ph.D., a professor from the University at Buffalo, in a statement.

Safest Cities in the U.S.

Overall Rank*  City Total Score  Home & Community Safety  Natural-Disaster Risk  Financial Safety 
1 Nashua, NH 86.00 8 27 8
2 Columbia, MD 85.97 1 63 85
3 South Burlington, VT 85.18 21 36 1
4 Gilbert, AZ 84.24 10 14 56
5 Warwick, RI 84.03 9 22 68
6 Portland, ME 83.99 32 11 2
7 Casper, WY 83.92 27 20 11
8 Yonkers, NY 83.76 4 39 122
9 Burlington, VT 83.70 28 37 10
10 Scottsdale, AZ 83.63 17 53 28
11 Laredo, TX 82.98 19 24 80
12 Virginia Beach, VA 82.95 11 44 63
13 Lewiston, ME 82.43 45 12 20
14 Chandler, AZ 82.35 29 8 54
15 Bismarck, ND 82.09 47 64 6
16 Cape Coral, FL 81.67 6 111 132
17 Brownsville, TX 81.45 34 2 116
18 Raleigh, NC 81.41 42 55 34
19 Chesapeake, VA 81.31 20 69 97
20 Boise, ID 81.30 38 71 27
21 Worcester, MA 81.21 35 17 57
22 Madison, WI 81.13 44 89 13
23 Cedar Rapids, IA 81.13 26 101 46
24 Manchester, NH 80.70 58 30 9
25 Aurora, IL 80.63 12 91 134
26 Winston-Salem, NC 80.63 51 40 82
27 Nampa, ID 80.62 39 49 67
28 Peoria, AZ 80.45 40 26 94
29 Pearl City, HI 80.41 5 N/A 3
30 Pembroke Pines, FL 80.33 15 48 163
31 Fargo, ND 80.18 52 77 25
32 Mesa, AZ 79.96 50 18 70
33 Irvine, CA 79.86 2 150 126
34 Cheyenne, WY 79.83 62 97 4
35 Henderson, NV 79.82 13 95 151
36 Grand Prairie, TX 79.62 22 112 104
37 Juneau, AK 79.44 86 50 21
38 Tempe, AZ 79.36 70 9 45
39 Grand Rapids, MI 79.03 73 7 41
40 Sioux Falls, SD 79.00 56 103 24
41 Missoula, MT 78.91 59 108 15
42 Durham, NC 78.89 74 42 31
43 Vancouver, WA 78.82 67 87 30
44 Fort Wayne, IN 78.80 61 59 75
45 Charlotte, NC 78.75 65 57 42
46 Providence, RI 78.59 54 10 123
47 Glendale, CA 78.51 7 151 138
48 Lincoln, NE 78.46 64 105 19
49 Fremont, CA 78.42 25 157 33
50 Salem, OR 78.39 83 70 35
51 Rancho Cucamonga, CA 78.08 18 159 74
52 Las Cruces, NM 77.81 66 66 111
53 Omaha, NE 77.73 60 107 39
54 Chula Vista, CA 77.67 37 132 77
55 Bridgeport, CT 77.59 57 16 159
56 Irving, TX 77.40 41 125 98
56 Augusta, GA 77.40 69 61 153
58 Tallahassee, FL 77.39 71 28 139
59 Santa Clarita, CA 77.37 3 168 171
60 Newport News, VA 77.19 78 21 113
61 Santa Rosa, CA 77.15 36 153 55
62 Rochester, NY 77.13 91 4 62
63 Spokane, WA 76.97 108 19 32
64 Hialeah, FL 76.87 14 128 176
65 Oxnard, CA 76.75 33 148 109
66 North Las Vegas, NV 76.73 24 99 179
67 Oceanside, CA 76.72 43 144 73
68 Tampa, FL 76.54 75 92 84
69 San Diego, CA 76.51 53 130 72
70 Huntington Beach, CA 76.35 30 170 90
71 Port St. Lucie, FL 76.21 16 N/A 92
72 Fontana, CA 75.97 31 163 119
73 Glendale, AZ 75.83 102 13 95
74 Norfolk, VA 75.67 82 81 125
75 Salt Lake City, UT 75.62 107 116 5
76 Plano, TX 75.31 95 113 43
77 Moreno Valley, CA 75.24 23 166 152
78 Greensboro, NC 75.20 113 33 79
79 San Antonio, TX 75.19 98 73 87
80 Amarillo, TX 75.05 63 162 47
81 Dover, DE 74.97 111 1 144
82 Overland Park, KS 74.81 109 121 22
83 Ontario, CA 74.76 46 156 133
84 Mobile, AL 74.75 97 43 148
85 Arlington, TX 74.50 79 122 105
86 Gulfport, MS 74.47 92 56 157
87 Montgomery, AL 74.43 80 93 174
88 West Valley City, UT 74.38 48 N/A 26
89 Huntsville, AL 74.38 77 142 76
90 Des Moines, IA 74.27 76 143 71
91 Jacksonville, FL 74.22 106 62 142
92 Rapid City, SD 74.08 112 129 17
93 Colorado Springs, CO 73.97 88 126 86
94 Honolulu, HI 73.84 49 N/A 23
95 Lubbock, TX 73.74 114 114 58
96 Columbus, GA 73.69 96 38 177
97 Minneapolis, MN 73.51 116 131 12
98 Garden Grove, CA 73.39 55 171 131
99 Charleston, WV 73.32 139 45 18
100 Billings, MT 73.28 137 58 37
101 Boston, MA 73.25 138 35 14
102 Columbia, SC 73.13 105 83 156
103 Sacramento, CA 73.02 100 119 103
104 Santa Ana, CA 73.02 68 167 118
105 Anaheim, CA 72.82 72 154 124
106 Reno, NV 72.74 93 158 49
107 Fayetteville, NC 72.62 121 51 162
108 Anchorage, AK 72.47 103 161 36
109 Fort Worth, TX 72.39 90 134 130
110 Jersey City, NJ 72.34 118 84 147
111 Tucson, AZ 72.33 127 65 89
112 Fort Smith, AR 72.25 132 94 64
113 Newark, NJ 72.23 101 29 180
114 Huntington, WV 72.23 133 47 102
115 Modesto, CA 72.17 120 135 60
116 Nashville, TN 72.10 122 115 96
117 San Jose, CA 72.09 94 169 53
118 Garland, TX 72.09 119 110 121
119 Springfield, MO 72.05 123 127 61
120 New Haven, CT 72.03 136 6 146
121 Aurora, CO 72.03 104 133 112
122 Fresno, CA 72.02 117 117 127
123 Louisville, KY 71.95 124 106 101
124 Knoxville, TN 71.83 130 78 91
125 El Paso, TX 71.61 128 74 120
126 Wichita, KS 71.55 99 172 50
127 Phoenix, AZ 71.43 142 25 83
128 Riverside, CA 71.23 87 164 128
129 Miami, FL 71.14 89 118 178
130 Toledo, OH 71.13 135 60 141
131 Akron, OH 71.08 129 68 145
132 Tulsa, OK 70.89 125 120 100
133 Pittsburgh, PA 70.86 144 72 59
134 Corpus Christi, TX 70.48 154 3 48
135 St. Paul, MN 70.46 81 N/A 29
136 Bakersfield, CA 70.30 115 146 135
137 New York, NY 70.07 145 34 129
138 Buffalo, NY 70.03 155 5 51
139 Austin, TX 70.01 147 98 40
140 Chicago, IL 69.98 126 79 172
141 Long Beach, CA 69.76 110 152 143
142 Cincinnati, OH 69.66 146 76 108
143 Lexington-Fayette, KY 69.30 85 N/A 52
144 Milwaukee, WI 69.21 148 52 107
145 Indianapolis, IN 68.93 134 124 136
146 St. Petersburg, FL 68.74 84 N/A 66
147 Albuquerque, NM 68.65 151 88 81
148 Portland, OR 68.51 159 86 16
149 Stockton, CA 68.32 131 140 137
150 Shreveport, LA 68.02 141 100 167
151 Houston, TX 67.82 140 102 160
152 Wilmington, DE 67.64 152 23 169
153 San Francisco, CA 66.89 157 123 44
154 Little Rock, AR 66.57 143 147 117
155 Las Vegas, NV 66.32 150 96 170
156 Kansas City, MO 66.24 153 138 65
157 Richmond, VA 65.65 163 75 110
158 Seattle, WA 65.63 160 141 7
159 Charleston, SC 65.34 149 165 88
160 Orlando, FL 65.15 166 32 140
161 Tacoma, WA 64.67 161 145 38
162 Columbus, OH 64.63 171 46 93
163 Baltimore, MD 63.94 164 67 165
164 Atlanta, GA 63.82 165 82 150
165 Dallas, TX 63.07 168 104 115
166 Birmingham, AL 63.04 158 136 161
167 Jackson, MS 61.86 162 137 173
168 Cleveland, OH 61.86 173 54 168
169 Denver, CO 61.72 172 139 69
170 New Orleans, LA 61.68 174 31 175
171 Philadelphia, PA 61.13 176 15 164
172 Chattanooga, TN 60.95 177 109 99
173 Washington, DC 60.58 180 80 106
174 Los Angeles, CA 60.31 167 149 149
175 Oklahoma City, OK 60.28 156 173 77
176 Memphis, TN 59.73 170 85 182
177 Oakland, CA 59.13 175 155 114
178 Detroit, MI 58.18 179 41 181
179 Baton Rouge, LA 56.72 182 90 158
180 San Bernardino, CA 55.14 181 160 154
181 Fort Lauderdale, FL 48.16 169 N/A 166
182 St. Louis, MO 44.88 178 N/A 155

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.

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About the Author

Chris Melore

Chris Melore has been a writer, researcher, editor, and producer in the New York-area since 2006. He won a local Emmy award for his work in sports television in 2011.

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Comments

  3. Seems it is due to the percentage of white people living in those cities. High percentage equals low crime; and the reverse is true. Wonder why?

  6. You’re list is flawed. Naples Florida, one of the safest cities in America is not mentioned.
    Also Long Island, NY is not on the list. Long Island would rank near the top of safest cities, low natural disasters and high financial security. Also, there are 3 million people living on Long Island. That’s more than 16 states.

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