WalletHub recently released a 2024 report of the safest US cities.
It ranked cities based on 41 safety indicators, including crime rates and natural disasters.
Vermont has two cities in the list's top five.
Out of 163 countries, the US ranked as the 132nd safest, according to a Global Peace Index 2024 report. Iceland was deemed the safest at number 1 and Yemen was the least safe at 163.
When ranking countries, the index considers everything from weapons imports and exports to homicide rates. Like all countries, though, some regions of the US are safer than others.
For a more granular look, WalletHub, a personal finance site, released a 2024 report listing the safest cities in the US based on 41 factors in three key areas: home and community safety, risk of natural disaster, and financial stability.
The report ranked 182 cities across the country. Mass shootings, murders and assaults, hate crimes, earthquake and fire risks, and unemployment rates all factored into each city's weighted average.
Here are the safest cities in the US, according to WalletHub's rankings.
20. Huntsville, AlabamaHuntsville, Alabama.
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Population of metro area: 225,564
Median household income: $73,319
Climate Vulnerability Index: 54th percentile (average vulnerability). This index shows areas of the US most likely to face climate change-related challenges.
Huntsville is a hub for aerospace and defense and attracts startups in these industries. While US News & World Report noted it has an above-average rate of violent crime, the paper also named it one of the best places to live.
While Honolulu has a low climate vulnerability percentile overall, sea level around Hawaii is projected to rise up to 1.5 feet by 2050, according to the University of Hawaii, likely affecting some areas of the city.
A popular destination for tourists, Honolulu was ranked the "Safest City to Travel to in the World" in 2024 by Berkshire Hathaway Travel Protection.
It has relatively low rates of violent crimes but an above-average rate of property crimes, according to FBI data.
In 2023, Vancouver's overall reported crimes dropped by over 9%, according to a report from the Washington Association of Sheriffs and Police Chiefs. In terms of natural disasters, the city is most vulnerable to earthquakes, extreme heat, and wildfires.
On average, Juneau had around 900 violent crimes and 1,200 property crimes each year between 2015 and 2023, according to FBI data. Heavy snow, extreme cold, and landslides are a few of the hazards the city's residents face.
Located in New Hampshire — the safest state in the US, according to US News & World Report — Nashua has low crime and unemployment rates and ranked well for home and community safety and financial safety in WalletHub's 2024 list.
Located near Montanta's border with Idaho, Missoula has attracted wealthy newcomers to the area in recent years, raising home prices. Meanwhile, it's scrambling to build more housing to address a spike in homelessness.
A recent report found that homes in this growing city have become slightly more affordable. Situated near the Elizabeth River, which flows into Chesapeake Bay, the city experiences flash flooding and hurricanes.
After seeing an uptick in crime in 2022, Fargo's rates dropped in 2023 and 2024, Captain Bill Ahlfeldt of the Fargo Police Department told WDAY Radio in September 2024. The city is vulnerable to some natural disasters but has a number of infrastructure projects aimed at reducing the risk of catastrophic flooding.
Home to several universities, Irvine is just a few miles from Disneyland. Its crime rates were among the lowest of all the cities on this list, based on FBI data. For most of this century, the city has had the lowest violent crime rate in the US for cities of 250,000 or more people.
10. Virginia Beach, VirginiaVirginia Beach, Virginia.
Stephen M. Katz/Virginian-Pilot/Tribune News Service via Getty Images
To protect against future hurricanes and rising sea levels, Virginia Beach voters approved a $568 million bond referendum to fund infrastructure projects focused on addressing these risks, PBS reported in 2021. US News and World Report named it the second-best place to retire in the US in 2024.
Maine's biggest city, Portland, is known for its incredible seafood. It has a lower violent crime rate than the national average, per FBI data. In 2024, the city installed flexible poles and added blue paint to some intersections to make them safer for pedestrians and cyclists, The Forecaster reported.
Designed to be a self-sustaining city, Columbia is a planned community and Maryland's second-largest city. In 2024, WalletHub ranked it the top city for women in terms of health and safety and financial well-being.
Iowa's second-largest city experienced a devastating flood in 2008, which caused billions of dollars in damage. Since then, Cedar Rapids has a Community Climate Action Plan aimed at reducing similar events in the future.
As for crime, in 2023, the city's crime rates had dropped compared to the previous year, KCRG reported in January 2024.
Crime rates in Boise, Idaho, have dropped since the early 1990s, per the city's statistics. The Idaho Statemen described the city as car-dependent, though its downtown is walkable. In 2023 Boise had its most traffic fatalities in a decade.
This scenic city is Vermont's largest. A mix of low risk from natural disasters and high financial safety secured Burlington's fourth-ranking spot on WalletHub's list.
It's not completely invulnerable to climate change, though. Warming temperatures are bringing more rain and flooding to the area.
Warwick is the state's third-largest city and has low rates of residents without health insurance, according to WalletHub.
In fact, based on a number of factors, including access, cost, and health outcomes, the nonprofit Commonwealth Fund ranked the state of Rhode Island as having one of the top health systems in the country.
WalletHub cited Casper's low pedestrian fatality rates and comparatively lower risks for earthquakes and tornadoes among the reasons it landed number two on its list. However, the city has dealt with flash floods and nearby wildfires in the past, according to Wyoming Public Media.
1. South Burlington, VermontSouth Burlington, Vermont.
South Burlington jumped from the US's third safest city in 2023 to the top spot in 2024. Most of the city's drivers are insured, and it has a low pedestrian fatality rate. It has good financial security, including a very low unemployment rate. Overall, the area has a relatively low risk of natural disasters, securing the highest safety ranking of the cities on the list.
