Many years ago when I first moved to Boise I was blown away at how many people would leave their cars running while they went inside the convenience store at gas stations out here. One time I stopped a guy and said " Hey you left your car running" he looked at me and said " You must not be from around here". At that moment I realized this was going to be different. Fast forward ten years and a ton of California, Arizona and Texas transplants and our little corner of the world has changed. I was in shock to find out that one of my friends still doesn't lock her front door... as in never... as in there might as well not be a lock on the front door. That particular conversation got my curiosity going and I decided to do some research and fins out exactly  how safe Boise and Nampa really are. WalletHub.com to the rescue, according to a recent study Boise is the 18th safest city in America while Nampa is ranked the 50th. Check out the full list below as well as the methodology. This might make you think twice about locking your doors or leaving your car running.

Safest Cities in the U.S.

Overall Rank
(1 = Safest)
 
CityTotal Score ‘Home & Community Safety’ ‘Natural-Disaster Risk’ ‘Financial Safety’ 
1Columbia, MD84.524637
2South Burlington, VT83.9963621
3Plano, TX81.20311330
4Nashua, NH80.80102767
5Lewiston, ME80.59191232
6Burlington, VT80.55173729
7Salem, OR80.03117057
8Virginia Beach, VA79.6894463
9Raleigh, NC79.55215513
10Gilbert, AZ79.00291416
11Portland, ME78.92281134
12Warwick, RI78.791422104
13Chesapeake, VA78.27156972
14Vancouver, WA78.09228738
15Fremont, CA78.00515727
16Bismarck, ND77.9254642
17Chandler, AZ77.6440810
18Boise, ID77.0158711
19Irvine, CA76.671150120
20Scottsdale, AZ76.62455318
21Juneau, AK76.48695022
22Worcester, MA76.45321784
23Manchester, NH76.26413062
24Yonkers, NY76.252039138
25Peoria, AZ76.19532628
26Winston-Salem, NC76.17604059
27Pearl City, HI76.002N/A12
28Durham, NC75.98484224
29Rochester, NY75.66374103
30Madison, WI75.62528911
31Mesa, AZ75.25571840
32Oceanside, CA75.121214487
33Cheyenne, WY75.12639715
34Buffalo, NY75.0746590
35Chula Vista, CA74.951813295
36Lincoln, NE74.63641053
37Fargo, ND74.4687778
38Newport News, VA74.444221110
38Cedar Rapids, IA74.445010149
40Tempe, AZ74.3378939
41Greensboro, NC74.30613368
42San Diego, CA74.292613079
43Brownsville, TX74.21712100
44Cape Coral, FL74.1827111135
45Casper, WY74.05922060
46Dover, DE74.05741118
47Huntington Beach, CA73.978170108
48Missoula, MT73.865510873
49Laredo, TX73.82842469
50Nampa, ID73.661074914
51Sioux Falls, SD73.48821034
52Santa Rosa, CA73.212415392
53Charlotte, NC73.19775745
54Grand Prairie, TX73.084311296
55Spokane, WA72.98981933
56San Jose, CA72.943516926
57Glendale, AZ72.791021355
58Santa Clarita, CA72.767168165
59Grand Rapids, MI72.6585785
60Fort Wayne, IN72.64765989
61Norfolk, VA72.623981147
62Aurora, IL72.573891143
63Rancho Cucamonga, CA72.462515993
64Henderson, NV72.274995121
65Huntington, WV72.22884783
66Irving, TX71.995612586
67Bridgeport, CT71.986516163
68Garden Grove, CA71.8413171154
69Sacramento, CA71.765111991
70Glendale, CA71.7616151161
71Oxnard, CA71.6334148116
72Omaha, NE71.419310717
73New Haven, CT71.40866144
74Fayetteville, NC71.228351139
75Overland Park, KS71.101051216
76Salt Lake City, UT71.061031169
77Anaheim, CA71.0523154155
78Colorado Springs, CO70.977912636
79Portland, OR70.65968671
80Arlington, TX70.5867122101
81Des Moines, IA70.397314336
82Tampa, FL70.337092142
83Richmond, VA70.308975126
84Moreno Valley, CA70.2733166137
85Tallahassee, FL70.2310828115
86Corpus Christi, TX70.17126376
87Billings, MT70.091435823
88Gulfport, MS70.099056167
89Santa Ana, CA70.0731167152
90Las Cruces, NM69.8811466132
91Toledo, OH69.889160148
92Huntsville, AL69.808014252
93Pembroke Pines, FL69.777248173
94San Antonio, TX69.749973114
95Fort Worth, TX69.6968134107
96Columbus, GA69.669738158
97Providence, RI69.6511210122
98Ontario, CA69.4644156128
99Austin, TX69.441169843
100Fort Smith, AR69.031339458
101Reno, NV68.968115851
102Rapid City, SD68.8013012919
103Fontana, CA68.7947163136
104Phoenix, AZ68.791392565
105Akron, OH68.6810168164
106Minneapolis, MN68.5510613150
107Pittsburgh, PA68.391237282
108Augusta, GA68.3815361125
109Aurora, CO68.369513380
110Fresno, CA68.25104117113
111Knoxville, TN68.2412278102
112Riverside, CA68.2162164117
113North Las Vegas, NV68.099499149
114Mobile, AL68.0812143156
115Tulsa, OK67.8212012053
116Seattle, WA67.751241415
117Charleston, WV67.671524570
118Boston, MA67.641443574
119Honolulu, HI67.6330N/A78
120Jacksonville, FL67.6013462106
121Louisville, KY67.4912510675
122Nashville, TN67.3912811566
123San Francisco, CA67.2713612325
124Amarillo, TX67.2711016247
125Columbia, SC67.1613583109
126Long Beach, CA66.9566152162
127Houston, TX66.88115102140
128Modesto, CA66.7311913577
129New York, NY66.6614134130
130Atlanta, GA66.5311182169
131Jersey City, NJ66.2712984151
132Port St. Lucie, FL66.0636N/A99
133Cincinnati, OH65.9413876141
134Montgomery, AL65.8813193172
135Wilmington, DE65.8515123145
136Hialeah, FL65.7975128181
137Garland, TX65.7114511094
138Springfield, MO65.5814912731
139Tacoma, WA65.2813714561
140Charleston, SC65.2413216548
141Bakersfield, CA65.11118146111
142St. Paul, MN65.0759N/A44
143Albuquerque, NM64.9114688133
144El Paso, TX64.511567498
145Chicago, IL64.5114079168
146Tucson, AZ64.461626554
147Columbus, OH64.141584697
148Indianapolis, IN63.83147124105
149Wichita, KS63.7912717288
150Newark, NJ63.6814229178
151Milwaukee, WI63.4015552157
152Kansas City, MO63.3415013881
153Miami, FL63.06113118182
154Stockton, CA62.73148140123
155Baltimore, MD62.2816367134
156Shreveport, LA62.17154100170
157Lubbock, TX61.9216811441
158West Valley City, UT61.53109N/A20
159Orlando, FL61.4116632146
160Washington, DC61.141728056
161Dallas, TX61.11165104119
162Cleveland, OH60.6615754176
163Las Vegas, NV59.9416796150
164New Orleans, LA59.5216931171
165Denver, CO59.4317013964
166Philadelphia, PA59.0017815129
167Lexington-Fayette, KY58.98117N/A35
168Oakland, CA58.88160155131
169Little Rock, AR58.42159147159
170St. Petersburg, FL57.89100N/A127
171Anchorage, AK57.8217316142
172Los Angeles, CA57.61161149166
173Chattanooga, TN57.51177109124
174Oklahoma City, OK56.1216417346
175Memphis, TN56.1117485177
176Baton Rouge, LA55.6718290112
177Jackson, MS55.59171137175
178Detroit, MI55.1118141174
179Birmingham, AL53.71175136180
180San Bernardino, CA53.14180160153
181St. Louis, MO40.60179N/A160
182Fort Lauderdale, FL38.96176N/A179

Safest vs. Least Safe

  • Irvine, California, has the fewest aggravated assault incidents (per 100,000 residents), 23.58, which is 60.5 times fewer than in Detroit, the city with the most at 1,426.82.
  • Port St. Lucie, Florida, has the fewest thefts (per 1,000 residents), 8.74, which is 9.1 times fewer than in Springfield, Missouri, the city with the most at 79.81.
  • Washington has the most law-enforcement employees (per 100,000 residents), 641, which is 5.8 times more than in Irvine, California, the city with the fewest at 111.
  • St. Paul, Minnesota, has among the fewest pedestrian fatalities (per 100,000 residents), 0.32, which is 24 times fewer than in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, the city with the most at 7.67.

Here is the method to the madness:

To determine where Americans can feel most protected against life’s hazards, including nonphysical forms of danger, WalletHub compared more than 180 U.S. cities across 42 key metrics. The data set ranges from COVID-19 cases in the past seven days per 100,000 residents and assaults per capita to the unemployment rate and road quality.

 

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