The nation’s safest cities have much in common: sustainable employment, top-of-the-line schools, and an overall higher quality of living. Those attributes are a direct result of low instances of crime; and crime rates, according to a recent report by NeighborhoodScout, illustrate the gap between not only the safest cities and the most dangerous, but also the most desirable and the least.
“The same trend continues to play out across the country, one that highlights a contrast between coveted bedroom communities and struggling inner and industrial-satellite cities,” says Dr. Andrew Schiller, CEO and founder of Location, Inc. and NeighborhoodScout. “These safe commuter towns, which exist between major cities like Boston, Chicago, and Dallas-Fort Worth, and smaller, high-crime satellite cities have residents who can afford access to opportunity. An easy commute to high-paying jobs in the city, combined with decent schools and quality of life in the suburbs, increases home values and lowers crime.”
The top 10 safest cities based on crime rate, according to the report:
- Oak Ridge, Tenn.
- Shoreview, Minn.
- Ridgefield, Conn.
- Franklin, Mass.
- Zionsville, Ind.
- Bergenfield, N.J.
- Lake in the Hills, Ill.
- Lexington, Mass.
- Bartlett, Ill.
- Reading, Mass.
The top 10 most dangerous based on crime rate:
- Wheeling, W.V.
- Florence, S.C.
- Fort Pierce, Fla.
- Battle Creek, Mich.
- Elizabeth, N.J.
- Merced, Calif.
- Cincinnati, Ohio
- Barnstable, Mass.
- Beaumont, Texas
- Knoxville, Tenn.
Violent crime is more common in the most dangerous cities, while a combination of violent and property crimes occurs in the safest cities; the term “dangerous,” according to the report’s authors, is generally equated with violent crime.
Source: Location, Inc.
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