If you’re looking for safety, as in lack of exposure to crime and criminals, look to the suburbs. While not necessarily a startling revelation, this finding is based on a comparison of the relative safety of cities with 25,000 or more people nationwide, based on the number of crimes reported and the population of each city, by NeighborhoodScout,which on Monday put out its annual Top 100 Safest U.S. Cities for 2018.
The Safest Cities list compares the safety of cities with 25,000 or more people nationwide, based on the number of crimes reported and the population of each city.
“We continue to see bedroom communities, which are within large metro areas and near major urban centers like Boston, Chicago, and New York, make the top of our list,” said Dr. Andrew Schiller, CEO and founder of Location, Inc. and NeighborhoodScout. “These safe communities within the urban/suburban fabric of America’s largest metropolitan areas often combine access to high-paying jobs in the urban center, decent schools, and a high quality of life. This access to opportunity increases home values, with the result often being lower crime.”
| NeighborhoodScout® Top 100 Safest Cities in the U.S. – 2018* | ||
| 2018 Rank | City, State | 2017 Rank |
| #100 | Shelton, CT | #90 |
| #80 | Wakefield, MA | N/A |
| #60 | Bella Vista, AR | #73 |
| #40 | Huntley, IL | #43 |
| #20 | Harrison, NY | #26 |
| #1 Safest City | Ridgefield, CT | #3 |
| See NeighborhoodScout’s complete list of 100 safest cities. | ||
| * Cities with 25,000 or more people nationwide |
For example, Ridgefield, CT is a low-crime, high-opportunity haven. The community’s proximity to New York, Stamford, Danbury and other business and financial hubs, via car or public transit, make Ridgefield appealing to professionals. Families also appreciate Ridgefield’s combination of top public schools, low crime rates, and owner-occupied single-family homes.
These location “must-haves” appear repeatedly among states with the largest number of cities making the list, including Massachusetts and Illinois. Residents of Harrison, NY, Huntley, IL, and list newcomer Wakefield, MA enjoy quiet pockets in metropolitan America, with close access to New York, Chicago, and Boston, respectively.
| States with the Highest Number of Cities on the NeighborhoodScout® Top 100 Safest Cities in the U.S. – 2018 List | ||
| 2018 Rank | State | # of Cities in on the List |
| #5 | New Jersey | 5 |
| #4 | Connecticut, Texas (tie) | 6, 6 |
| #3 | California | 10 |
| #2 | Illinois | 18 |
| #1 | Massachusetts | 19 |
While NeighborhoodScout’s list of the Top 100 Most Dangerous Cities in the U.S. comprises violent crimes, the Safest Cities list comprises both violent and property crimes. The reason for this distinction: The general public tends to equate a “dangerous” city with “violent” crime (armed robbery, aggravated assault, rape, homicide), while a “safe” city means safety from both property crime (burglary, larceny-theft, motor vehicle theft) and violence.
The Safest Cities list results are based on the number of crimes reported and the population of each city, divided by 1,000 to make crime rates comparable across all cities. By providing a rate for crime per 1,000 residents, NeighborhoodScout offers an accurate, normalized comparison of cities of different sizes.
NeighborhoodScout’s analysis of annual crime rates by city is the most comprehensive available because it factors in all reported crimes from all 18,000 local law enforcement agencies across the country. This is important because many cities are served by more than one agency (municipal police, county sheriff, transit police, etc.).
