Discover the 12 Safest States in America for Families

When you and your family are looking for a place to raise children, there are a lot of factors to take into consideration. It can seem like a daunting task to select the right state for your kids. The United States of America is an extremely diverse state when it comes to school quality, geography, and of course, safety.

Even analyzing safety can be difficult. There are a lot of potential statistics that you can look at to determine what is the safest community for you and your children. One of the best ways to synthesize safety information is by looking at the World Population Review Safety Score. This measure is made up of a long list of variables, including DUIs, assaults per capita, road quality, poverty rate, and more. The statistic even includes how safe individuals in the state feel.

The Safety Score’s synthesis of statistics results in one number between 0 and 100. Each metric is ranked from 0 to 100, and then the scores are averaged to produce the ultimate safety score. Before deciding where your family should occupy, be sure to look into specific statistics. However, approach the Safety Score as your baseline and you’ll be starting off on the right foot.

Here’s a list of the twelve safest states in the United States, including their Safety Scores, violent crime rates, and other important information about the state.

10. Maryland

Maryland takes the tenth spot for the safest state in America to raise a family. The state’s overall Safety Score is 57.32. It has solid rankings in both personal and workplace safety, but its violent crime rate is slightly below the average in the United States. 398.5 violent crimes occur per 100,000 people in Maryland.

9. Washington

Jumping over to the West Coast, we have the ninth-safest state in America for raising a family: Washington. Washington State has a Safety Score of 59.88, and there are a lot of factors in Washington’s favor. The state has a great workplace safety score, and it also has one of the highest life expectancies in America. It has a somewhat average violent crime rating of 375.6 violent crimes per 100,000 individuals.

8. Rhode Island

The eighth-safest state in America is Rhode Island, with a Safety Score of 60.19. This itsy-bitsy state has stellar rankings in a few categories, including missing persons, human trafficking, and road safety. Rhode Island is a safe place to grow up for a long list of reasons, and it has one of the lowest violent crime scores in the country. 172 violent crimes per 100,000 are reported, ranking Rhode Island as the state with the fourth-lowest violent crimes.

7. Massachusetts

Massachusetts, along with many other New England states, ranks in the top for the safest states in America. With a Safety Score of 61.83, Massachusetts takes the sixth-place spot. The state has the best road safety score in the US, and also boasts strong financial and personal safety. However, the state has astonishingly low workplace safety. If you’re working in a dangerous field, take that safety into account!

6. Connecticut

With a Safety Score of 62.12, Connecticut takes the sixth-place spot for the safest state in America. There are a few variables that Connecticut ranks strongly in, including personal safety, gun violence, and rates of missing persons. Additionally, Connecticut’s violent crime rate is among the best in the nation, with 150 violent crimes per 100,000 residents.

5. Utah

The fifth-safest state in the United States is Utah, which has a Safety Score of 62.54. Some of Utah’s strengths include emergency preparedness and road safety. The state has the lowest percentage of drunk driving fatalities in the United States. Violent crimes in Utah are low, with a rate of 241.8 per 100,000. Overall, Utah boasts a high quality of life, which is another important statistic when you’re deciding where to raise a family.

4. Minnesota

Minnesota is the fourth-safest state in America to raise a family. This state boasts a Safety Score of 64.02. Minnesota has great workplace safety and fantastic road safety. Violent crimes in Minnesota are a bit higher than some of the states on this list, at 280.6 per 100,000 individuals.

3. New Hampshire

The charming state of New Hampshire takes the third-place spot for the safest state to raise a family in America with a Safety Score of 65.35. New Hampshire holds the second-place spot when it comes to violent crime rate, with 125.6 violent crimes per 100,000 individuals. In particular, New Hampshire has very low assaults and exceptional financial safety rankings.

2. Maine

The stunning state of Maine takes the second-place spot for the safest states in America with a Safety Score of 66.24. Maine boasts the lowest violent crime rate in the country, with only 103.3 violent crimes per 100,000 individuals. Maine also has strong statistics when it comes to road safety and emergency preparedness.

1. Vermont

Finally, the safest state in America is the state of Vermont. Vermont boasts an exceptional safety score of 69.49. Vermont excels in both personal and road safety and has a long list of statistics to support why it’s a great state to raise a family in. It is also in the top ten states for violent crime, with a rate of 234/100,000. Vermont also has a reputation for being green and is presently ranked as the most environmentally friendly state in the US. Between safety, adventure, and environmental consciousness, Vermont is a great place to live.

Summary of the Safest States in the United States

While it’s difficult to take into mind all the variables that make up a safe place to raise a family, the Safety Score and violent crime rate provide a strong baseline for understanding overall safety. The states are ranked by Safety Score, with violent crime statistics included for each item on the list.

Here’s a summary of each state in the Top Ten Safest States in the United States.