Safest States In America: Vermont tops list, while Louisiana ranks last

11.2.23 – Study Finds – WASHINGTON

In the wake of increasing crime rates and severe weather incidents, Americans have been on the lookout for the safest havens within the country. WalletHub’s latest study reveals which states are the safest for residents, taking a comprehensive look at various factors that contribute to overall safety. The 2023 report places Vermont at the pinnacle of safety in the United States.

The Green Mountain State emerged as the safest with a total score of 68.27 out of 100. It notably took first place in workplace safety and ninth in emergency preparedness. Maine and New Hampshire were not far behind, boasting excellent scores in personal safety and road safety, respectively. On the flip side, Louisiana finds itself at the bottom of the list, a position it shares with other states like Mississippi and Arkansas that have been rated as less safe.

Here’s a snapshot of the top 10 safest states according to WalletHub’s analysis:

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(For the full list of rankings, please refer to the end of the article.)

The study also unearthed some striking contrasts:

Massachusetts vs. South Carolina: The former leads with the fewest fatalities per 100 million vehicle miles of travel, while the latter ranks lowest.
New Jersey and Wyoming tie for the most law-enforcement employees per capita, a stark contrast to Washington, which has the fewest.
Maine stands out with the fewest assaults per capita, in sharp contrast to New Mexico.
In financial safety, Massachusetts showcases the lowest share of the uninsured population, contrasting with Texas, which has the highest.
Nevada and Louisiana represent the extremes in total loss amount from climate disasters per capita.

Understanding the Metrics

Safety is a multifaceted issue, encompassing everything from personal and residential security to financial stability and natural disaster preparedness. WalletHub’s study did not shy away from complexity, instead embracing a broad spectrum of 52 key safety indicators. These were grouped into five distinct categories:

Personal & Residential Safety
Financial Safety
Road Safety
Workplace Safety
Emergency Preparedness

Methodology

Each state was compared across the five categories using the 52 metrics, which covered aspects like crime rates, insurance coverage, economic stability, and road safety. Each metric carried a different weight, signaling its importance in the overall score.

For instance, the number of mass shootings and the rate of murders and non-negligent manslaughter per capita were given double the weight compared to other metrics, reflecting the significant impact of violent crimes on the perception of safety.

Metrics like the presence of terrorist attacks and law enforcement employees per capita were included to provide a comprehensive view of safety beyond everyday crimes.

Economic factors were not overlooked, with elements such as the unemployment rate and the presence of rainy-day funds contributing to the financial safety score.

Safest States in the U.S.

Overall Rank*	State	Total Score	Personal & Residential Safety	Financial Safety	Road Safety	Workplace Safety	Emergency Preparedness
1	Vermont	68.27	4	2	10	1	9
2	Maine	65.85	3	7	8	20	2
3	New Hampshire	65.71	2	4	1	43	3
4	Utah	63.81	29	1	7	2	4
5	Massachusetts	62.93	5	10	2	24	10
6	Connecticut	60.00	1	38	17	26	16
7	Hawaii	59.87	17	13	22	12	12
8	Minnesota	59.83	18	3	4	9	23
9	Rhode Island	59.52	8	26	9	34	8
10	Wyoming	57.22	13	11	14	22	21
11	Iowa	57.01	6	18	3	6	47
12	Washington	56.86	37	6	29	5	6
13	Virginia	56.77	26	5	18	3	31
14	Arizona	56.26	32	19	45	7	7
15	Idaho	55.52	12	27	15	44	14
16	Indiana	54.77	11	39	25	11	29
17	Maryland	54.75	27	22	21	17	22
18	New Jersey	53.54	7	36	20	29	24
19	North Carolina	53.45	15	20	31	4	41
20	Delaware	53.20	14	29	26	37	11
21	Kentucky	53.11	10	40	32	21	30
22	Wisconsin	52.79	28	15	13	30	20
23	Oregon	52.68	49	21	23	8	15
24	Alaska	52.66	42	24	36	18	1
25	Michigan	51.31	39	25	38	14	17
26	New York	51.18	23	31	6	31	25
27	North Dakota	50.68	9	9	12	50	37
28	New Mexico	49.51	41	30	49	13	13
29	Pennsylvania	49.43	21	35	28	27	27
30	West Virginia	49.20	22	43	33	40	19
31	Nevada	49.18	46	47	43	16	5
32	Nebraska	48.70	16	17	5	35	42
33	Illinois	48.40	19	46	19	25	35
34	South Dakota	48.33	20	8	24	49	39
35	Ohio	47.87	33	44	11	33	26
36	California	46.36	48	34	47	19	18
37	Kansas	46.35	25	16	16	36	45
38	Georgia	44.58	30	48	37	23	38
39	South Carolina	44.56	44	28	44	15	34
40	Tennessee	44.25	47	42	39	10	36
41	Missouri	44.20	31	32	42	28	40
42	Montana	42.67	38	12	35	41	32
43	Colorado	42.22	50	14	30	45	28
44	Oklahoma	41.32	34	33	40	38	44
45	Alabama	40.97	36	45	27	39	43
46	Florida	39.97	35	23	46	45	46
47	Texas	37.12	40	37	41	32	48
48	Arkansas	36.17	45	41	48	48	33
49	Mississippi	34.86	24	50	50	47	50
50	Louisiana	32.99	43	49	34	42	49

Note: *No. 1 = SafestWith 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.

The findings of WalletHub’s study could influence decisions ranging from individual relocation plans to governmental policy-making. Experts suggest that states can learn from the data to bolster their weak points, whether that’s improving road safety, increasing law enforcement presence, or enhancing emergency preparedness systems.