What is the safest state for crime?

Asked by: Ms. Cecilia Feest PhD  |  Last update: May 1, 2026
Score: 4.7/5 (37 votes)

While rankings vary slightly by source and metrics used, Maine, New Hampshire, and Vermont consistently rank as states with the lowest overall crime rates, often appearing at the top for low violent and property offenses, with Maine frequently leading in violent crime metrics. These Northeastern states often score high due to low assault rates, low homicide rates, and strong safety factors like emergency preparedness and economic stability, notes World Population Review, USAFacts, and WalletHub.

What is the safest state in the US for crime?

The following states rank as the top 10 safest states in America:

  1. New Hampshire. New Hampshire is the safest state in the entire United States. ...
  2. Maine. ...
  3. Idaho. ...
  4. Rhode Island. ...
  5. Connecticut. ...
  6. New Jersey. ...
  7. Kentucky. ...
  8. Massachusetts.

What state is #1 in crime in the USA?

Alaska often ranks #1 for violent crime rates per capita, followed closely by New Mexico, while some analyses also point to Louisiana for high murder rates or overall danger, though rankings vary slightly depending on whether violent crime, property crime, or general safety metrics are used, with data from 2024 and 2025 consistently showing Alaska and New Mexico leading in violent offenses. 

What state is #1 in safety?

While rankings vary slightly by source, Vermont, New Hampshire, and Massachusetts consistently rank as the top safest states in the U.S. for 2025-2026, often praised for low crime, strong financial security, safe roads, and good emergency preparedness, with Vermont often taking the #1 overall spot in recent studies. 

What state has the least amount of murders?

Mississippi has the highest homicide rate, while New Hampshire has the lowest. A table showing the age-adjusted homicide death rate and total homicides by state, for 2023. Mississippi has the highest homicide rate; New Hampshire has the lowest.

Top 10 Safest States in America Revealed by Crime Expert

44 related questions found

Which state is no. 1 in crime?

Alaska often ranks #1 for violent crime rates per capita, followed closely by New Mexico, while some analyses also point to Louisiana for high murder rates or overall danger, though rankings vary slightly depending on whether violent crime, property crime, or general safety metrics are used, with data from 2024 and 2025 consistently showing Alaska and New Mexico leading in violent offenses. 

What's the most peaceful state in the USA?

While rankings vary by source and year, Maine, New Hampshire, and Vermont consistently rank as the most peaceful states, often topping lists due to low crime rates (violent and property), strong community safety, and overall lower levels of conflict, with the Northeast generally being the most peaceful region in the U.S. New Hampshire is often cited as the safest overall by some metrics like low violent/property crime, while Maine excels in multiple peace indicators.
 

What is not the safest state to live in?

Based on recent analyses, Louisiana is frequently cited as the least safe state due to high murder rates and overall poor safety scores, with Mississippi, Texas, Florida, and Arkansas also ranking low in overall safety. Other states with high violent crime rates often include Alaska, New Mexico, Tennessee, and Arkansas, though rankings vary slightly depending on the specific metrics used (e.g., crime, financial security, natural disasters). 

What are the top 5 most murderous states?

Based on 2023 data, the U.S. states with the highest murder rates (per 100,000 people) consistently include Louisiana, New Mexico, Mississippi, Alabama, and Tennessee, with the District of Columbia often topping the list if included; these Southern and Western states experience higher per-person homicide rates, often linked to poverty and urban areas. 

Which US state is best to live in?

There's no single "best" state, as it depends on priorities (economy, lifestyle, cost), but Massachusetts, Utah, and Idaho consistently rank high across various studies for overall quality of life, economy, and stability, while states like Texas, Florida, and South Carolina attract movers for growth and affordability, and Hawaii excels in healthcare,. 

What state is the toughest on crime?

  • New Hampshire. #1 in Crime & Corrections. #2 in Best States Overall. ...
  • Maine. #2 in Crime & Corrections. ...
  • Hawaii. #3 in Crime & Corrections. ...
  • Vermont. #4 in Crime & Corrections. ...
  • Massachusetts. #5 in Crime & Corrections. ...
  • Rhode Island. #6 in Crime & Corrections. ...
  • Utah. #7 in Crime & Corrections. ...
  • Connecticut. #8 in Crime & Corrections.

What's the worst city for crime in the US?

Memphis, Tennessee, frequently ranks as the most violent city in the U.S. based on violent crime rates per capita, followed closely by cities like Oakland, Detroit, and Baltimore, though rankings vary slightly by report and year, with data from late 2024 and early 2025 showing Memphis with over 2,500 violent crimes per 100,000 residents. Other cities consistently cited for high violent crime include New Orleans, St. Louis, and Houston, often due to factors like poverty and social service strain. 

Where is the least crime in the US?

The U.S. state with the lowest overall crime rate is often cited as Maine, followed closely by New Hampshire, both consistently ranking at the top for low violent and property crime, while cities like Irvine, CA, Gilbert, AZ, and San Jose, CA, are frequently noted for low crime rates in their respective size categories.
 

Which state is the friendliest?

WCCO CBS reported, "The study found that Minnesota is the friendliest state." This edged out Texas and other notoriously friendly-seeming states in that region (depending on who you ask).

What is the #1 safest country?

  • Switzerland. #1 in Safe. #1 in Best Countries Overall. ...
  • Norway. #2 in Safe. #11 in Best Countries Overall. ...
  • Sweden. #3 in Safe. #6 in Best Countries Overall. ...
  • Austria. #4 in Safe. #21 in Best Countries Overall. ...
  • Denmark. #5 in Safe. #10 in Best Countries Overall. ...
  • Canada. #6 in Safe. ...
  • Finland. #7 in Safe. ...
  • New Zealand. #8 in Safe.

Is Florida a safe state?

Florida's violent crime rate is 2.90 per 1,000 residents, and the property crime rate is 15.16 per 1,000. The safest cities significantly beat these state averages.

Who commits the most violent crimes?

Among known risk factors for being convicted of a violent crime, male sex is the most prominent; men commit about 90 % of violent crimes [1, 3]. Substance abuse carries an increased risk for violent crime, both among offenders [11] and in general population samples [12–14].

What city has the most murders in the US?

While figures vary by source and year, Jackson, Mississippi, often leads as the city with the highest murder rate for cities over 50,000, with rates around 77-79 per 100,000 people in recent data (2024), significantly above the national average. Other cities consistently topping lists for high murder rates (per capita) include St. Louis, Missouri, Baltimore, Maryland, New Orleans, Louisiana, and Detroit, Michigan, though their rankings shift year to year. 

What is the unsafest state to live in?

There's no single "most dangerous" state, as it depends on the criteria, but Louisiana and New Mexico consistently rank high due to high violent crime rates (homicides, assaults). Other states like Mississippi, Tennessee, Arkansas, and Alaska also frequently appear on lists for high violent crime, while factors like road safety (Mississippi, Louisiana) and economic insecurity (Louisiana, Mississippi) add to overall risk scores. 

What is the toughest state to live in?

There's no single "hardest" state, but studies frequently rank New Mexico, Louisiana, and Arkansas as the toughest due to high poverty, poor education, and crime rates, while Tennessee and Alabama are flagged for quality-of-life issues like crime or lack of inclusivity, and Alaska presents extreme costs and remoteness, making the "hardest" state subjective and dependent on what challenges one finds most difficult. 

Which state in the USA is not safe?

Texas ranked 48th, making it the 3rd least safe state between Florida and Mississippi. This was the second time WalletHub gave the Lone Star State this ranking. Louisiana was ranked the least safe, while Vermont was named the safest.

What is the freest state in the USA?

For the 24th time, New Hampshire is the freest state among all U.S. states, having scored 8.34 out of 10 in this year's report, which measures government spending, taxation, regulations and labor market restrictions using data from 2023, the most recent year of available comparable data.

What is the #1 crime state in America?

Alaska often ranks #1 for violent crime rates per capita, followed closely by New Mexico, while some analyses also point to Louisiana for high murder rates or overall danger, though rankings vary slightly depending on whether violent crime, property crime, or general safety metrics are used, with data from 2024 and 2025 consistently showing Alaska and New Mexico leading in violent offenses.