Comparisons cannot be made between years based on ... Washington, DC also had the highest violent crime rate, at 1,000 crimes per 100,000 residents. This was 19% higher than Alaska, the state with the next-highest violent crime rate. Maine had the lowest violent crime rate, at 109 per 100,000 residents.
So which states dish out the harshest prison sentences for various crimes? For drug-related offenses, Iowa ranked the highest with a mean of 9.3 years of jail time (Tennessee, South Carolina, Minnesota, and Hawaii made up the rest of the top five).
Some of the reasons that New England stands out include its low crime rates, including the fewest murders and manslaughters per capita (New Hampshire's is lowest) and the fewest thefts (Massachusetts wins this category). At the other end of the spectrum, Louisiana was dubbed the most dangerous state.
Texas recorded the largest number of homicides in 2021, at 2,064 for the year. North Carolina had the second-highest number of murders, with 928 for the year.
The efficiency of a state's corrections system shows how a state handles crime and public safety. Hawaii ranks first in the nation for corrections. New Hampshire places second in this subcategory, followed by Vermont, Utah and Maine. Learn more about the Best States for corrections below.
The United States is a large and varied country, with some states far safer than others. When it comes to homicides, the 10 safest states in America are New Hampshire, Vermont, Wyoming, Maine, Rhode Island, North Dakota, South Dakota, Hawaii, Idaho, and Alaska.
The most dangerous city in the US is Memphis, Tennessee. With a population of 628,127, Memphis has a crime rate that is 237% higher than the national average. Memphis has 7,913 crimes per 100,000 people, with an exceptionally high violent crime rate.
The most dangerous countries to visit in 2023 are Afghanistan, Central African Republic, Iraq, Libya, Mali, Somalia, South Sudan, Syria, Ukraine and Yemen according to the latest Travel Risk Map, an interactive tool produced by security specialists at International SOS.
Memphis unseated Anchorage, AK, which topped our list for the past two years. Here's why it ranks first: In Memphis, TN (our most dangerous metro), your risk of being a victim of a property crime is 1 in 27. Your risk of being a victim of violent crime is 1 in 74.
The safest state in the USA is Vermont. It has the lowest violent crime rate in America, with only 1.46 per 1,000 people out of a population of 647,064. In 2022, there were only 15 murders, 64 robberies, and 790 assaults in Vermont. Residents have a 1 in 595 chance of becoming victims of a violent crime.
This subcategory evaluates both the violent crime rate and the property crime rate in each state, as measured by the FBI in 2019. A higher state ranking indicates a lower crime rate for these metrics. Maine ranks first in the nation for public safety.
The safest town in the U.S. is Yorktown Town, New York, a suburb of New York City. Yorktown also has the lowest violent crime rate per capita among small cities and towns. Yorktown was previously the ninth safest small city. Small cities and towns are safer than big cities.
1. Iceland. For more than a decade, this small population country has been consistently taking the top spot on the Global Peace Index. If you wonder where is the safest place to live in the world, Iceland is likely the best candidate.
Iceland. Iceland is the safest country in the world according to the latest Global Peace Index data. The index is compiled by looking at a variety of factors, including the number of homicides, the level of violent crime, and the availability of small arms.