With every new headline about a mass shooting, terrorist attack, hate crime or natural disaster, many of us fear for our safety and that of our loved ones. In 2020, though, by far the biggest safety concern on Americans’ minds is the coronavirus pandemic, which has killed around 100,000 Americans and infected nearly 1.7 million as of late-May. To put that in perspective, last year 38,000 people died in car crashes and there were around 15,200 gun-related deaths (non-suicide). Though tragedy can strike in any state, especially during this pandemic, some states are more vulnerable to danger than others.
June is National Safety Month. With the U.S. devastated by the coronavirus pandemic this year, the personal-finance website WalletHub released its report on 2020’s Safest States in America.
In order to determine the most secure states, WalletHub compared the 50 states across 53 key metrics. The data set ranges from the state’s coronavirus support to assaults per capita and the unemployment rate.
Safest States in America | Least Safe States in America |
1. Maine | 41. South Carolina |
2. Vermont | 42. Georgia |
3. Minnesota | 43. Alabama |
4. Utah | 44. Missouri |
5. Wyoming | 45. Oklahoma |
6. Iowa | 46. Texas |
7. Massachusetts | 47. Arkansas |
8. New Hampshire | 48. Florida |
9. Connecticut | 49. Louisiana |
10. Rhode Island | 50. Mississippi |
Where’s North Carolina in all this? North Carolina, the 10th largest state by population, ranks squarely in the middle at 26th for safety in this study.
Key Stats
- South Dakota has the fewest murders and non-negligent manslaughters per 100,000 residents, 1.36, which is 8.4 times fewer than in Louisiana, the most at 11.37.
- New Hampshire has the fewest thefts per 1,000 residents, 12.75, which is 2.8 times fewer than in New Mexico, the most at 35.55.
- New Jersey has the most law-enforcement employees per 100,000 residents, 473, which is 2.2 times more than in Washington, the fewest at 211.
- Delaware has the lowest share of high school students who were bullied online, 10.10 percent, which is 2.1 times lower than in Louisiana, the highest at 21.20 percent.
In order to determine the safest states in America, WalletHub compared the 50 states across 53 key safety indicators grouped into five different categories. Our data set ranges from the state’s coronavirus support to assaults per capita and the unemployment rate. Read on for our findings, expert insight from a panel of researchers and a full description of our methodology.
Safest States in the U.S.
Overall Rank (1 = Safest) | State | Total Score | ‘Personal & Residential Safety’ Rank | ‘Financial Safety’ Rank | ‘Road Safety’ Rank | ‘Workplace Safety’ Rank | ‘Emergency Preparedness’ Rank |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Maine | 66.02 | 1 | 20 | 1 | 22 | 1 |
2 | Vermont | 65.48 | 2 | 7 | 10 | 14 | 9 |
3 | Minnesota | 62.42 | 11 | 4 | 3 | 1 | 21 |
4 | Utah | 61.71 | 21 | 13 | 7 | 4 | 6 |
5 | Wyoming | 59.21 | 6 | 15 | 16 | 20 | 22 |
6 | Iowa | 59.21 | 3 | 3 | 4 | 10 | 44 |
7 | Massachusetts | 58.84 | 10 | 1 | 2 | 30 | 10 |
8 | New Hampshire | 58.82 | 7 | 10 | 22 | 43 | 4 |
9 | Connecticut | 58.81 | 4 | 17 | 23 | 24 | 16 |
10 | Rhode Island | 58.15 | 8 | 26 | 6 | 39 | 11 |
11 | Washington | 57.53 | 34 | 9 | 20 | 12 | 8 |
12 | Oregon | 56.99 | 26 | 21 | 18 | 9 | 13 |
13 | Hawaii | 55.89 | 22 | 8 | 43 | 21 | 5 |
14 | New Jersey | 53.71 | 9 | 23 | 28 | 23 | 24 |
15 | Virginia | 53.29 | 29 | 14 | 21 | 2 | 31 |
16 | Maryland | 52.32 | 30 | 22 | 19 | 15 | 23 |
17 | Indiana | 52.20 | 19 | 33 | 24 | 11 | 29 |
18 | North Dakota | 51.83 | 5 | 2 | 5 | 50 | 37 |
19 | Wisconsin | 51.71 | 20 | 19 | 15 | 34 | 18 |
20 | Idaho | 51.20 | 24 | 16 | 11 | 47 | 17 |
21 | Delaware | 50.83 | 13 | 37 | 17 | 40 | 14 |
22 | Michigan | 50.83 | 45 | 28 | 26 | 13 | 15 |
23 | New York | 50.40 | 12 | 24 | 8 | 32 | 28 |
24 | Kentucky | 50.37 | 15 | 43 | 35 | 16 | 30 |
25 | Arizona | 50.33 | 42 | 32 | 48 | 7 | 7 |
26 | North Carolina | 49.88 | 16 | 25 | 39 | 6 | 43 |
27 | Nevada | 49.78 | 48 | 40 | 45 | 3 | 3 |
28 | New Mexico | 49.64 | 38 | 45 | 49 | 5 | 12 |
29 | Alaska | 48.52 | 50 | 30 | 37 | 18 | 2 |
30 | Nebraska | 47.60 | 14 | 6 | 13 | 38 | 40 |
31 | California | 47.37 | 46 | 27 | 42 | 17 | 19 |
32 | West Virginia | 46.88 | 18 | 34 | 31 | 45 | 20 |
33 | Pennsylvania | 46.45 | 23 | 31 | 29 | 31 | 27 |
34 | Illinois | 45.92 | 33 | 41 | 9 | 25 | 34 |
35 | Ohio | 45.29 | 36 | 46 | 14 | 26 | 26 |
36 | Colorado | 44.45 | 39 | 5 | 40 | 42 | 25 |
37 | Kansas | 44.41 | 28 | 18 | 12 | 27 | 47 |
38 | Montana | 44.07 | 31 | 12 | 27 | 41 | 33 |
39 | Tennessee | 43.70 | 47 | 38 | 33 | 8 | 36 |
40 | South Dakota | 43.33 | 27 | 11 | 25 | 49 | 39 |
41 | South Carolina | 41.46 | 44 | 39 | 46 | 19 | 38 |
42 | Georgia | 40.91 | 25 | 50 | 44 | 28 | 35 |
43 | Alabama | 40.22 | 32 | 35 | 36 | 33 | 46 |
44 | Missouri | 40.12 | 37 | 29 | 38 | 29 | 41 |
45 | Oklahoma | 37.45 | 35 | 47 | 32 | 46 | 45 |
46 | Texas | 36.61 | 40 | 36 | 30 | 37 | 48 |
47 | Arkansas | 36.14 | 49 | 42 | 41 | 35 | 32 |
48 | Florida | 34.63 | 41 | 44 | 47 | 44 | 42 |
49 | Louisiana | 32.53 | 43 | 49 | 34 | 36 | 49 |
50 | Mississippi | 32.00 | 17 | 48 | 50 | 48 | 50 |