Beyond MoCo

Nearby Columbia, MD Rated 2nd Safest City in The U.S., Washington D.C. in Bottom 10 According to Study

By MCS Staff

With the U.S. experiencing over 500 mass shootings and over 25,000 motor vehicle deaths so far this year, the personal-finance website WalletHub today released its report on 2023’s Safest Cities in America, with nearby cities like Columbia (Howard County) and Washington D.C. making appearances on each side of the list.

To determine where Americans can feel most protected against life’s hazards, including nonphysical forms of danger, WalletHub compared more than 180 U.S. cities across 41 key metrics (WalletHub compared 182 cities — including the 150 most populated U.S. cities, plus at least two of the most populated cities in each state — across three key dimensions: 1) Home & Community Safety, 2) Natural-Disaster Risk, and 3) Financial Safety). The data set ranges from traffic fatalities per capita and assaults per capita to the unemployment rate and the percentage of the population that is uninsured.

Safest Cities in America Least Safe Cities in America
1. Nashua, NH 173. Washington, DC
2. Columbia, MD 174. Los Angeles, CA
3. South Burlington, VT 175. Oklahoma City, OK
4. Gilbert, AZ 176. Memphis, TN
5. Warwick, RI 177. Oakland, CA
6. Portland, ME 178. Detroit, MI
7. Casper, WY 179. Baton Rouge, LA
8. Yonkers, NY 180. San Bernardino, CA
9. Burlington, VT 181. Fort Lauderdale, FL
10. Scottsdale, AZ 182. St. Louis, MO

Safest vs. Least Safe

  • Irvine, California, has the fewest aggravated assault incidents (per 100,000 residents), 22.22, which is 86.3 times fewer than in Memphis, Tennessee, the city with the most at 1,917.08.
  • Port St. Lucie, Florida, has the fewest thefts (per 1,000 residents), 8.26, which is 9.2 times fewer than in Salt Lake City, the city with the most at 75.93.
  • Washington has the most law-enforcement employees (per 100,000 residents), 624, which is 6.8 times more than in Chula Vista, California, the city with the fewest at 92.
  • Plano, Texas and Lincoln, Nebraska, have among the fewest pedestrian fatalities (per 100,000 residents), 0.35, which is 25.4 times fewer than in Albuquerque, New Mexico, the city with the most at 8.89.

To read the full report and your city’s rank, please visit:
https://wallethub.com/edu/safest-cities-in-america/41926