Safest Cities in America

Source: Zeete / Wikimedia Commons

15. Edison Township, New Jersey
> Violent crimes per 100,000: 109.1
> 2017 murders: 0
> Poverty rate: N/A
> 2017 unemployment rate: N/A

Edison is a midsize city located in the New York metropolitan area along the shore of the Raritan River. According to the FBI, there were no murders reported in Edison in 2017, and just seven reported incidents of rape, 47 robberies, and 58 aggravated assaults. Adjusted for population, there were 109 violent crimes reported per 100,000 city residents, less than one-third of the national violent crime rate of 383 per 100,000 and nearly the least of any U.S. city.

The incidence of property crime — burglary, larceny, and motor vehicle theft — in Edison is also among the lowest of any city nationwide. There were 1,178 property crimes per 100,000 city residents in 2017, the sixth least of any city in the country.

Source: Robbieraeful / Wikimedia Commons

Amherst is the only town in New York state to rank among the safest in the country. There were no murders reported in the Buffalo suburb in 2017, and adjusted for population, there were just 102 violent crimes for every 100,000 people — a lower rate than in all but 13 other U.S. cities with at least 100,000 residents.

Property crimes like burglary and motor vehicle theft are also relatively rare in Amherst. The town’s property crime rate of 1,542 incidents per 100,000 residents is well below the national rate of 2,362 per 100,000.

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13. Frisco, Texas
> Violent crimes per 100,000: 101.8
> 2017 murders: 2
> Poverty rate: 3.8%
> 2017 unemployment rate: 3.3%

Frisco is one of several midsize suburban communities in the Dallas-Fort Worth metroplex to rank among the safest cities in America. There were just 102 violent crimes reported per 100,000 residents, far less than the national violent crime rate of 383 incidents per 100,000 Americans.

Violent crime is often less common in areas with greater access to economic opportunities, and wealthy cities with high educational attainment tend to be safer overall. In Frisco, 59.9% of adults have a bachelor’s degree, nearly twice the 30.3% national college attainment rate. Additionally, the typical household earns $117,642 a year, more than double the $55,322 national median income.

Source: Zeete / Wikimedia Commons

12. Woodbridge Township, New Jersey
> Violent crimes per 100,000: 101.8
> 2017 murders: 1
> Poverty rate: N/A
> 2017 unemployment rate: N/A

Woodbridge, New Jersey, is a New York City suburb just across the Arthur Kill strait from the southern end of Staten Island. There were just 102 violent crimes in Woodbridge for every 100,000 people in 2017, nearly the lowest violent crime rate in the state and one of the lowest in the country.

Woodbridge is patrolled by more police than most safe cities on this list. Still, the 234 law enforcement personnel for every 100,000 city residents is lower than the national ratio of 294 law enforcement personnel per 100,000 Americans.

Source: Ron_Thomas / Getty Images

11. Temecula, California
> Violent crimes per 100,000: 101.5
> 2017 murders: 1
> Poverty rate: 6.7%
> 2017 unemployment rate: 4.1%

The violent crime rate of 102 incidents per 100,000 people in the Southern California city of Temecula is among the lowest in the country. Like in many safe communities, the median household income in Temecula is high. The typical area household earns $83,840 a year, far more than the $55,322 the typical American household earns. Additionally, just 6.7% of Temecula residents live in poverty, well below the 15.1% national poverty rate.