What the 10 safest US cities reveal—and which places rank least safe

How WalletHub assessed safety

WalletHub compared 182 cities: the 150 largest in the US, along with at least two of the most populous cities in each state. Its analysis grouped measures into home and community safety, financial safety, and natural-disaster risk.

Measures included crime, traffic and pedestrian fatalities, emergency responders per capita, poverty, unemployment, and identity theft complaints. WalletHub drew on sources including the US Census Bureau, the Bureau of Labor Statistics, FEMA, and the FBI.

The top overall rankings

Juneau ranked first overall. It placed 46th for home and community safety, fourth for financial safety, and first for natural-disaster risk; its share of residents below the poverty line was the 21st-lowest.

Warwick ranked second, with category placements of ninth for home and community safety, fifth for natural-disaster risk, and 46th for financial safety. Overland Park rounded out the top three, ranking fourth for home and community safety and seventh for financial safety.

Other cities among the safest

Overland Park had the 19th-lowest pedestrian fatality rate and 15th-lowest traffic fatality rate among the cities studied. It also had the 14th-lowest unemployment rate and the third-lowest share of residents living in poverty.

Burlington ranked third for natural-disaster risk, 24th for financial safety, and 43rd for home and community safety. South Burlington, Vermont, tied Burlington for third in natural-disaster risk.

Selected city and lower rankings

Virginia Beach ranked 22nd in home and community safety, 10th in natural-disaster risk, and 55th in financial safety. Cedar Rapids placed 10th, 23rd, and 42nd in those categories, respectively; Casper ranked ninth in financial safety, 19th for natural-disaster risk, and 32nd for home and community safety.