Safety Index Score

#1#50

1	Louisiana	51.4
2	Alaska	55.1
3	New Mexico	55.4
4	Tennessee	58.0
5	Nevada	58.2
6	Mississippi	58.3
7	South Carolina	59.1
8	Missouri	59.3
9	Delaware	59.4
10	Arkansas	60.4
11	Colorado	61.1
12	Alabama	61.4
13	Georgia	62.2
14	Arizona	63.3
15	Montana	64.2
16	Florida	65.3
17	Oklahoma	65.6
17	Oregon	65.6
19	North Carolina	66.3
20	Illinois	66.5
21	Pennsylvania	67.3
22	California	68.0
23	Texas	68.4
23	Kentucky	68.4
25	Ohio	68.5
26	Washington	68.9
26	Maryland	68.9
28	Michigan	69.3
29	Indiana	69.5
30	West Virginia	70.3
31	Kansas	71.0
32	Wyoming	71.9
33	South Dakota	72.4
34	Virginia	73.9
35	North Dakota	74.2
36	Utah	74.6
37	Hawaii	75.1
38	Wisconsin	75.5
39	New York	75.9
40	Vermont	76.4
41	Nebraska	77.1
42	Minnesota	77.3
42	Iowa	77.3
44	Idaho	77.5
45	Maine	77.9
45	Connecticut	77.9
47	Rhode Island	78.1
48	New Hampshire	78.8
49	New Jersey	79.4
50	Massachusetts	80.4

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Interactive Map
Introduction
Methodology

Introduction

The complex panorama of safety across the United States is increasingly inviting comprehensive study, as concerns arise over disparate quality of life indices in different states. As integral as safety is to any society's fabric, it serves as a crucial deciding factor for families seeking to relocate and shape their futures. In the light of the Global Peace Index ranking the U.S. as the 128th-safest country in the world out of 163, a deeper dive into safety metrics at the state level offers valuable insights.

Drawing from a diverse range of 53 indicators, we devised a 'Danger Index Score' to measure the safety, or lack thereof, in all 50 states. These cover Personal & Residential Safety, Financial Safety, Road Safety, Workplace Safety, and Emergency Preparedness, offering a comprehensive view of each state's safety status.

Massachusetts, with a score of 80.4, makes it the safest state in the United States, followed by New Jersey at 79.4. The third and fourth positions go to New Hampshire and Rhode Island, both of which are in New England, indicating a clustering of safety in this region.
Louisiana, with the lowest score at 51.4, is considered the most dangerous state. Alaska and New Mexico follow closely behind, with scores of 55.1 and 55.4 respectively.
There is a noteworthy split between states from the southern part of the United States and those from the northeast region: Southern states tend to have lower 'Danger Index Scores', thus implying a higher level of danger, while northeastern states - exemplified by Massachusetts, New Jersey, Rhode Island, and Vermont - are perceived as safer, with higher scores.

Most Dangerous States

Region ↕	Safety Index Score↕	Crime Determent Index↕	Violence Prevention Index↕	Safety & Social Equity Index↕	Transportation Safety Index↕	Welfare and Personal Security Index↕
Massachusetts	80.4	22.6	24.2	7.9	7.1	18.5
New Jersey	79.4	22.8	22.9	7.5	6.7	19.5
New Hampshire	78.8	24.6	21.8	7.5	5.5	19.5
Rhode Island	78.1	22.4	23.4	8.4	5.4	18.4
Maine	77.9	24.6	20.1	8.0	7.0	18.3
Connecticut	77.9	22.7	22.3	8.1	6.9	18.0
Idaho	77.5	22.3	18.5	7.6	6.1	23.0
Minnesota	77.3	22.2	20.0	8.3	6.7	20.2
Iowa	77.3	21.2	19.9	8.7	5.3	22.3
Nebraska	77.1	20.0	19.8	8.0	7.1	22.2
Vermont	76.4	23.3	19.9	7.1	6.3	19.8
New York	75.9	20.5	22.6	6.9	6.9	19.0
Wisconsin	75.5	20.8	18.7	8.2	7.1	20.8
Hawaii	75.1	18.9	24.4	7.6	4.8	19.3
Utah	74.6	19.4	20.1	8.4	7.0	19.8
North Dakota	74.2	20.3	18.8	7.4	6.2	21.5
Virginia	73.9	22.3	18.0	7.8	6.8	19.0
South Dakota	72.4	17.9	18.4	7.6	6.1	22.4
Wyoming	71.9	22.9	15.0	6.3	6.7	21.0
Kansas	71.0	18.1	17.5	7.9	7.1	20.4
West Virginia	70.3	20.4	16.6	7.8	6.6	18.8
Indiana	69.5	20.0	16.6	7.3	7.0	18.7
Michigan	69.3	18.7	17.6	7.3	7.0	18.6
Washington	68.9	19.4	20.1	6.4	7.0	16.0
Maryland	68.9	17.6	20.0	8.4	7.5	15.4
Ohio	68.5	20.9	17.1	7.0	6.1	17.5
Texas	68.4	18.8	18.1	6.7	7.0	17.9
Kentucky	68.4	19.8	15.2	7.5	6.6	19.3
California	68.0	16.3	20.8	6.9	7.1	17.0
Pennsylvania	67.3	19.3	17.8	7.5	6.2	16.5
Illinois	66.5	19.1	15.3	7.3	6.6	18.2
North Carolina	66.3	17.7	16.8	7.5	7.1	17.2
Oklahoma	65.6	16.9	15.8	7.9	6.2	18.7
Oregon	65.6	17.5	18.3	6.9	6.4	16.4
Florida	65.3	19.4	18.5	6.6	5.7	15.2
Montana	64.2	17.9	14.8	6.5	6.5	18.5
Arizona	63.3	15.9	17.8	6.9	6.2	16.5
Georgia	62.2	16.2	15.0	7.7	7.6	15.7
Alabama	61.4	16.8	11.3	8.2	7.2	18.1
Colorado	61.1	17.5	17.4	6.8	5.4	13.9
Arkansas	60.4	12.6	14.1	7.8	6.6	19.3
Delaware	59.4	16.1	15.8	7.6	7.3	12.6
Missouri	59.3	14.3	13.3	7.1	6.6	17.9
South Carolina	59.1	16.5	13.6	7.4	6.0	15.7
Mississippi	58.3	15.6	7.4	8.3	7.1	19.8
Nevada	58.2	15.2	16.8	7.3	6.6	12.4
Tennessee	58.0	12.6	13.7	7.3	7.7	16.6
New Mexico	55.4	12.3	13.8	6.6	6.2	16.6
Alaska	55.1	11.8	14.5	6.9	5.9	16.0
Louisiana	51.4	14.1	7.8	8.3	6.0	15.2

Methodology

To determine the safest states the 50 states were compared across five key categories:

Crime and Law Enforcement
Firearms and Violence
Welfare and Personal Security
Safety & Social Equity
Transportation Safety Each of these was defined via individual metrics that were representative of the category. There were a total of 32 metrics which are listed below. Each metric was graded on a 100-point scale, with a score of 100 being the max. Each metric had state scores distributed from 0 to 100. Finally, each state’s weighted average was determined across all metrics to calculate category scores. These were then summed to generate the final rank order of the states.