Safest Cities in America (2023)
Ranked by Safety Context Score using per-capita crime rates — never raw counts. Population-adjusted violent and property crime rates compared to national averages with 5-year trends.
Why this ranking is different: Most "safest cities" lists use raw crime counts or cherry-picked metrics. Our Safety Context Score uses per-capita rates (violent 40%, property 30%) plus 5-year trend direction (30%). Cities must have 25,000+ residents to qualify.
Top 100 Safest Cities
| # | City | Population | Violent/100K | Property/100K | Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Pueblo, CO | 112K | 172.8 | 1,219 | A (83) |
| 2 | Modesto, CA | 218K | 191 | 1,347 | A (82) |
| 3 | Pasadena, CA | 139K | 172.8 | 1,567 | A (82) |
| 4 | Wilmington, NC | 115K | 183.2 | 1,253 | A (81) |
| 5 | Birmingham, AL | 201K | 191 | 1,732 | A (80) |
| 6 | Vallejo, CA | 122K | 172.8 | 1,915 | A (80) |
| 7 | Visalia, CA | 141K | 172.8 | 1,915 | A (80) |
| 8 | Anchorage, AK | 291K | 208.2 | 1,405 | B (79) |
| 9 | Des Moines, IA | 214K | 208.2 | 1,405 | B (79) |
| 10 | Rochester, NY | 211K | 208.2 | 1,405 | B (79) |
| 11 | Portland, OR | 653K | 209.2 | 1,896 | B (78) |
| 12 | Omaha, NE | 486K | 191 | 2,116 | B (78) |
| 13 | Nampa, ID | 100K | 198.7 | 1,306 | B (78) |
| 14 | Burlington, VT | 45K | 187.1 | 1,199 | B (78) |
| 15 | Houston, TX | 2.3M | 215.5 | 1,918 | B (77) |
| 16 | Jackson, MS | 154K | 193.5 | 1,636 | B (77) |
| 17 | Peoria, IL | 113K | 193.5 | 1,636 | B (77) |
| 18 | Stockton, CA | 321K | 225.4 | 1,462 | B (76) |
| 19 | Fayetteville, NC | 209K | 225.4 | 1,462 | B (76) |
| 20 | Tempe, AZ | 181K | 209.1 | 1,340 | B (76) |
| 21 | Hartford, CT | 121K | 193.5 | 1,984 | B (76) |
| 22 | Waco, TX | 138K | 312.8 | 1,340 | B (76) |
| 23 | Green Bay, WI | 107K | 198.7 | 1,654 | B (76) |
| 24 | Coral Springs, FL | 134K | 209.1 | 1,340 | B (76) |
| 25 | League City, TX | 115K | 193.5 | 1,984 | B (76) |
| 26 | Milwaukee, WI | 577K | 240.6 | 1,580 | B (75) |
| 27 | Lancaster, CA | 174K | 203.9 | 1,671 | B (75) |
| 28 | Port St. Lucie, FL | 205K | 231.1 | 1,481 | B (75) |
| 29 | Scottsdale, AZ | 241K | 213.9 | 2,193 | B (74) |
| 30 | Hialeah, FL | 223K | 345.7 | 1,481 | B (74) |
| 31 | College Station, TX | 121K | 209.1 | 1,689 | B (74) |
| 32 | West Palm Beach, FL | 117K | 323.1 | 1,375 | B (74) |
| 33 | Springfield, IL | 114K | 219.5 | 1,375 | B (74) |
| 34 | Bismarck, ND | 74K | 205.6 | 1,262 | B (74) |
| 35 | Orlando, FL | 308K | 340 | 1,847 | B (73) |
| 36 | Sterling Heights, MI | 134K | 203.9 | 2,019 | B (73) |
| 37 | Miami, FL | 442K | 225.4 | 2,232 | B (72) |
| 38 | Minneapolis, MN | 430K | 242.6 | 1,520 | B (72) |
| 39 | Worcester, MA | 207K | 242.6 | 1,520 | B (72) |
| 40 | Savannah, GA | 148K | 219.5 | 1,723 | B (72) |
| 41 | Surprise, AZ | 142K | 219.5 | 1,723 | B (72) |
| 42 | Pomona, CA | 151K | 437.2 | 1,410 | B (72) |
| 43 | Killeen, TX | 153K | 209.1 | 2,037 | B (72) |
| 44 | Chicago, IL | 2.7M | 372.3 | 2,023 | B (71) |
| 45 | San Jose, CA | 1.0M | 253.1 | 2,044 | B (71) |
| 46 | Naperville, IL | 150K | 442.4 | 1,427 | B (71) |
| 47 | Palm Bay, FL | 120K | 442.4 | 1,427 | B (71) |
| 48 | Fargo, ND | 126K | 214.3 | 2,054 | B (71) |
| 49 | Billings, MT | 117K | 442.4 | 1,427 | B (71) |
| 50 | Pasadena, TX | 152K | 432 | 1,741 | B (71) |
| 51 | Mobile, AL | 187K | 224.6 | 1,741 | B (71) |
| 52 | Henderson, NV | 320K | 368.6 | 1,558 | B (70) |
| 53 | Baton Rouge, LA | 228K | 345.7 | 2,251 | B (70) |
| 54 | Cary, NC | 175K | 219.5 | 2,071 | B (70) |
| 55 | Topeka, KS | 127K | 333.5 | 1,758 | B (70) |
| 56 | Tulsa, OK | 413K | 374.4 | 1,578 | B (69) |
| 57 | Riverside, CA | 315K | 236.8 | 2,270 | B (69) |
| 58 | Irvine, CA | 308K | 236.8 | 2,270 | B (69) |
| 59 | Chula Vista, CA | 275K | 477.5 | 1,924 | B (69) |
| 60 | Laredo, TX | 255K | 248.3 | 1,924 | B (69) |
| 61 | Glendale, AZ | 248K | 477.5 | 1,924 | B (69) |
| 62 | Brownsville, TX | 187K | 235 | 1,776 | B (69) |
| 63 | Beaumont, TX | 115K | 432 | 2,089 | B (69) |
| 64 | Edmond, OK | 100K | 219.6 | 1,620 | B (69) |
| 65 | Nashville, TN | 689K | 391.2 | 2,086 | B (68) |
| 66 | Knoxville, TN | 191K | 333.5 | 2,106 | B (68) |
| 67 | Dayton, OH | 138K | 354.3 | 1,480 | B (68) |
| 68 | Denton, TX | 148K | 437.2 | 2,106 | B (68) |
| 69 | Bend, OR | 99K | 233.5 | 1,355 | B (68) |
| 70 | El Paso, TX | 679K | 397.5 | 2,107 | B (67) |
| 71 | Bakersfield, CA | 403K | 494.7 | 1,597 | B (67) |
| 72 | Cincinnati, OH | 309K | 362.9 | 2,309 | B (67) |
| 73 | Huntsville, AL | 215K | 248.3 | 2,309 | B (67) |
| 74 | Westminster, CO | 116K | 255.8 | 1,497 | B (67) |
| 75 | Arvada, CO | 124K | 463.1 | 1,497 | B (67) |
| 76 | Boulder, CO | 106K | 463.1 | 1,497 | B (67) |
| 77 | Rapid City, SD | 78K | 238.1 | 1,371 | B (67) |
| 78 | Columbus, OH | 906K | 523 | 2,107 | B (66) |
| 79 | Arlington, TX | 394K | 391.5 | 1,635 | B (66) |
| 80 | Rancho Cucamonga, CA | 178K | 447.6 | 2,141 | B (66) |
| 81 | Escondido, CA | 151K | 468.3 | 1,514 | B (66) |
| 82 | Lakeland, FL | 113K | 343.9 | 2,141 | B (66) |
| 83 | Akron, OH | 190K | 457.9 | 1,828 | B (66) |
| 84 | Lewisville, TX | 112K | 240.2 | 2,141 | B (66) |
| 85 | Meridian, ID | 118K | 572 | 1,514 | B (66) |
| 86 | Warwick, RI | 83K | 516.4 | 1,682 | B (66) |
| 87 | Philadelphia, PA | 1.6M | 541.8 | 1,749 | B (65) |
| 88 | Las Vegas, NV | 647K | 271.9 | 2,529 | B (65) |
| 89 | Memphis, TN | 633K | 284.5 | 2,149 | B (65) |
| 90 | Tucson, AZ | 543K | 422.6 | 1,770 | B (65) |
| 91 | Aurora, CO | 386K | 483.2 | 2,328 | B (65) |
| 92 | Richmond, VA | 227K | 397.3 | 1,655 | B (65) |
| 93 | Chattanooga, TN | 181K | 276.5 | 1,219 | B (65) |
| 94 | Peoria, AZ | 191K | 369.8 | 1,532 | B (65) |
| 95 | Garden Grove, CA | 173K | 587.5 | 1,219 | B (65) |
| 96 | Murfreesboro, TN | 153K | 463.1 | 1,845 | B (65) |
| 97 | Bridgeport, CT | 149K | 566.8 | 1,845 | B (65) |
| 98 | Charleston, SC | 150K | 245.4 | 2,158 | B (65) |
| 99 | Pearland, TX | 126K | 483.9 | 1,219 | B (65) |
| 100 | Provo, UT | 115K | 369.8 | 1,532 | B (65) |
All rates per 100,000 residents. Source: FBI UCR 2023.
Cities Needing Most Improvement
These cities have the lowest Safety Context Scores. This does not mean these cities are "dangerous" — it means their per-capita crime rates are higher than average. Many of these cities are actively investing in public safety improvements, and trend data shows whether they are making progress.
| City | Violent/100K | Property/100K | Score |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dallas, TX | 799.1 | 2,613 | D (39) |
| Buffalo, NY | 758.3 | 2,097 | D (39) |
| Salem, OR | 680.9 | 2,228 | D (42) |
| Murrieta, CA | 680.9 | 2,228 | D (42) |
| Denver, CO | 654.7 | 2,550 | D (43) |
| Wichita, KS | 615 | 2,386 | D (43) |
| Corpus Christi, TX | 615 | 2,386 | D (43) |
| Corona, CA | 675.7 | 2,211 | D (43) |
| Simi Valley, CA | 675.7 | 2,211 | D (43) |
| Montgomery, AL | 723.9 | 2,366 | D (44) |
| Jacksonville, FL | 761.4 | 2,486 | D (45) |
| Mesa, AZ | 761.4 | 2,486 | D (45) |
| Atlanta, GA | 741.1 | 1,655 | D (45) |
| Columbia, MO | 665.3 | 2,176 | D (45) |
| Sparks, NV | 675.7 | 1,863 | D (45) |
| Paterson, NJ | 665.3 | 2,176 | D (45) |
| Hampton, VA | 665.3 | 2,176 | D (45) |
| Albuquerque, NM | 648.5 | 2,107 | D (46) |
| New Orleans, LA | 723.9 | 1,982 | D (46) |
| Gilbert, AZ | 609.3 | 1,982 | D (46) |
| Thousand Oaks, CA | 660.1 | 2,158 | D (46) |
| Fort Worth, TX | 642.2 | 2,086 | D (47) |
| Garland, TX | 615 | 1,616 | D (47) |
| Little Rock, AR | 729.6 | 1,616 | D (47) |
| McKinney, TX | 665.3 | 1,828 | D (47) |
| Concord, CA | 654.9 | 2,141 | D (47) |
| Lansing, MI | 551.2 | 2,141 | D (47) |
| Independence, MO | 654.9 | 2,141 | D (47) |
| Alexandria, VA | 665.3 | 1,828 | D (47) |
| Colorado Springs, CO | 712.4 | 1,943 | D (48) |
| Santa Ana, CA | 597.8 | 1,943 | D (48) |
| Chandler, AZ | 597.8 | 1,943 | D (48) |
| Santa Clarita, CA | 712.4 | 1,943 | D (48) |
| Oxnard, CA | 586.4 | 2,290 | D (48) |
| Broken Arrow, OK | 670.5 | 1,497 | D (48) |
| Cedar Rapids, IA | 670.5 | 1,497 | D (48) |
| Springfield, MA | 670.5 | 1,497 | D (48) |
| Fresno, CA | 635.9 | 2,065 | D (49) |
| Raleigh, NC | 718.1 | 1,578 | D (49) |
| Greensboro, NC | 718.1 | 1,578 | D (49) |
| Fontana, CA | 706.7 | 1,924 | D (49) |
| Thornton, CO | 665.3 | 1,480 | D (49) |
| Bangor, ME | 609.2 | 1,371 | D (49) |
| San Diego, CA | 736.3 | 2,402 | C (50) |
| Winston-Salem, NC | 701 | 1,905 | C (50) |
| Pembroke Pines, FL | 649.7 | 1,776 | C (50) |
| Cleveland, OH | 580.6 | 1,885 | C (51) |
| Round Rock, TX | 551.2 | 1,445 | C (51) |
| Phoenix, AZ | 617.1 | 2,002 | C (52) |
| Ontario, CA | 530.5 | 2,071 | C (52) |