The Safest Cities in America Might Surprise You
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Adobe Stock
Although cities tend to have more crime than rural areas, you don’t need to move to the country to keep your family safe. Some cities have property crime and violent crime rates that are much lower than the national average.
Without further ado, here are the ten safest metropolitan areas in America.
Wait, what? New York is rife with crime… isn’t it? NYC is actually the safest major metro.
With a population of around 8.5 million, the Big Apple still maintains a relatively low property crime rate compared to the national average.
Lincoln, Nebraska, might not be the first place you think of when it comes to hip metro areas. However, it’s a thriving small city with a great music scene, robust food culture, and plenty of history. Oh, and low crime rates compared to the national average.
Located near enough to Phoenix for commuters, Scottsdale is a small city in its own right. This Arizona locale has a strong tourist trade thanks to its many spas and golf courses–and tourists typically mean lower crime rates.
There’s a lot more to Anaheim than Disneyland. This California city ranks on our list of the safest metro areas because of its City of Kindness initiative.
Texas scores well on safety overall, but you can’t do better than Plano if you’re looking for a safe small city. Part of the Dallas-Fort Worth metro area, Plano is a great choice for families.
Want to live in Chicago but discouraged by the high crime rate? Why not look into the much safer suburb of Naperville? It has the lowest number of violent crimes and property crimes per 100,000 people in the Chicago area.
One of the reasons Irvine, California, is so safe is that it has a lower unemployment rate than most cities. That means there are fewer people tempted to turn to crime. In fact, Irvine has the lowest violent crime rate in the country.
Crime in Lexington, Kentucky, is on the move–downwards. Both violent crime and property crime fell by double digits in 2018. The city’s police department has been working hard to reduce those numbers even further.
Who wouldn’t want to live in Hawaii? Honolulu boasts one of the lowest overall crime rates for a major city. Property crime here is even lower than our #1 pick.
If you’re looking for a safe metro area to raise a family, then Virginia Beach might be your new home. Despite a few major, news-making crimes in the last five years, this coastal city is still the safest major metro area in the nation.