Safety is always a big concern (or at least, it should be) when deciding to move to a new home, neighborhood, or state. But there are so many things that fall under the umbrella of “Safety” that it can be difficult to assess the safety of one area or state as compared to another.
WalletHub, however, has created a list ranking the 50 states plus the District of Columbia based on 25 key safety metrics in an effort to rank each state in the country from the safest to the least safe.
Each state's overall rank is made up of individual rankings in smaller categories such as Home & Community safety Rank, Financial Safety Rank, and Road Safety Rank. Each of these smaller ranks, in turn, are comprised of smaller data sets and ranges such as number of assaults per capita and estimated losses from climate disasters. When everything is added up, a total, overarching score is given to the state and each state is then ranked based on those scores.
With a total score of 66.78 (the higher the better), Vermont took the title of the safest overall state in the country. In the smaller categories that the score is based on, Vermont ranked best in Home and Community Safety where it was also the number one state. Its lowest score was in the Workplace Safety category where it was 16th overall.
Massachusetts came in second with a total score of 63.86. It ranked first in ‘Road Safety’ (highest) and 23rd in ‘Workplace Safety’ (lowest). New Hampshire, Rhode Island, and Maine round out the top five.
Meanwhile, the three states listed as the least safe are Mississippi, Oklahoma, and Alaska.
For the complete list, click the link below.
