What Are the Safest States in America 2026? Crime Rates Ranked
New Hampshire is the safest state in America in 2026 with a safety score of 93.5/100 and a violent crime rate of just 110 per 100,000 residents. Rankings combine FBI UCR violent crime (60%) and property crime (40%) rates per 100K across all 50 states.
The 10 safest states in 2026
Safety is personal. It's the thing that determines whether you feel comfortable walking your neighborhood at night, whether your kids can play outside unsupervised, whether you lock your doors or don't. We ranked all 50 states using FBI Uniform Crime Reporting data, scoring both violent crime and property crime per 100,000 residents.
New Hampshire is the safest state in America, with a safety score of 93.5/100 and a violent crime rate of just 110 per 100K. The national average is 350. Close behind: Maine (100) and Connecticut (136).
The safest states tend to be smaller, more rural, and wealthier — but that's not the whole story. Some populous states manage low crime rates despite size, and some small states have high crime. It comes down to economics, education, and community cohesion more than raw population numbers.
| Rank | State | Score | Crime Rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | New Hampshire | 93.5 | 110/100K |
| #2 | Maine | 89.6 | 100/100K |
| #3 | Connecticut | 84.2 | 136/100K |
| #4 | Rhode Island | 83.8 | 154/100K |
| #5 | Vermont | 83.3 | 208/100K |
| #6 | New Jersey | 83.0 | 195/100K |
| #7 | Idaho | 80.5 | 214/100K |
| #8 | Wyoming | 79.8 | 203/100K |
| #9 | Virginia | 78.5 | 201/100K |
| #10 | Kentucky | 73.7 | 218/100K |
#1: New Hampshire
New Hampshire is the safest state in America with a safety score of 93.5/100. The violent crime rate is 110 per 100,000 residents — 69% below the national average of 350. Property crime runs 918 per 100K (national average: 2044). Low crime here isn't luck — the state has a 2.8% unemployment rate, a median income of $97,880, and a graduation rate of 88%. Economic stability and education both correlate with lower crime.
New Hampshire also ranks well overall (#1, 87.8/100), proving that safety tends to come bundled with other quality-of-life advantages. Cost of living index: 105. Median home: $483,000.
#2: Maine
Maine scores 89.6/100 for safety with a violent crime rate of 100 per 100K and property crime at 1232 per 100K. Both figures sit well below national averages. The state combines low crime with a median income of $68,810 and 3.2% unemployment, reinforcing the link between economic health and public safety.
Maine also ranks well overall (#5, 77.3/100), proving that safety tends to come bundled with other quality-of-life advantages. Cost of living index: 97. Median home: $381,000.
#3: Connecticut
Connecticut scores 84.2/100 for safety with a violent crime rate of 136 per 100K and property crime at 1405 per 100K. Both figures sit well below national averages. The state combines low crime with a median income of $93,228 and 4.2% unemployment, reinforcing the link between economic health and public safety.
Connecticut also ranks well overall (#10, 73.5/100), proving that safety tends to come bundled with other quality-of-life advantages. Cost of living index: 104. Median home: $415,000.
#4: Rhode Island
Rhode Island comes in at #4 with a safety score of 83.8/100. Violent crime: 154 per 100K. Property crime: 1332 per 100K. The state's 1,095,962 residents benefit from a combination of low unemployment (4.3%) and a median income of $81,800.
Rhode Island also ranks well overall (#14, 69.8/100), proving that safety tends to come bundled with other quality-of-life advantages. Cost of living index: 101. Median home: $487,000.
#5: Vermont
Vermont comes in at #5 with a safety score of 83.3/100. Violent crime: 208 per 100K. Property crime: 1072 per 100K. The state's 647,464 residents benefit from a combination of low unemployment (2.7%) and a median income of $74,919.
Vermont also ranks well overall (#3, 79.6/100), proving that safety tends to come bundled with other quality-of-life advantages. Cost of living index: 97. Median home: $388,000.
#6: New Jersey
New Jersey comes in at #6 with a safety score of 83.0/100. Violent crime: 195 per 100K. Property crime: 1162 per 100K. The state's 9,290,841 residents benefit from a combination of low unemployment (4.8%) and a median income of $97,126.
New Jersey also ranks well overall (#19, 65.9/100), proving that safety tends to come bundled with other quality-of-life advantages. Cost of living index: 109. Median home: $521,000.
#7: Idaho
Idaho comes in at #7 with a safety score of 80.5/100. Violent crime: 214 per 100K. Property crime: 1233 per 100K. The state's 1,964,726 residents benefit from a combination of low unemployment (3.2%) and a median income of $68,930.
Idaho also ranks well overall (#13, 70.7/100), proving that safety tends to come bundled with other quality-of-life advantages. Cost of living index: 91. Median home: $485,000.
#8: Wyoming
At #8, Wyoming posts a safety score of 79.8/100 with a violent crime rate of 203 per 100K and property crime at 1336. A West state with 584,057 residents, it maintains a 3.5% unemployment rate.
Wyoming also ranks well overall (#16, 69.4/100), proving that safety tends to come bundled with other quality-of-life advantages. Cost of living index: 91. Median home: $484,000.
#9: Virginia
At #9, Virginia posts a safety score of 78.5/100 with a violent crime rate of 201 per 100K and property crime at 1439. A South state with 8,642,274 residents, it maintains a 2.9% unemployment rate.
Virginia also ranks well overall (#9, 74.9/100), proving that safety tends to come bundled with other quality-of-life advantages. Cost of living index: 101. Median home: $444,000.
#10: Kentucky
At #10, Kentucky posts a safety score of 73.7/100 with a violent crime rate of 218 per 100K and property crime at 1667. A South state with 4,526,154 residents, it maintains a 4.5% unemployment rate.
Interestingly, Kentucky ranks #45 overall (38.4/100) — safety is its standout category, while outdoor access (9.9) is the weakest spot. Cost of living index: 90. Median home: $263,000.
Violent crime vs. property crime
These two types of crime don't always track together. Some states with low violent crime have above-average property crime — car theft, burglary, and shoplifting that affect daily life even if they're less physically dangerous. The national average for property crime is 2044 per 100K.
Among the top 10 safest states (by violent crime), the average property crime rate is 1280 per 100K. Our safety score weights both metrics, so a state with very low violent crime but high property crime won't rank as well as one that's low across the board.
What actually makes a state safe
The data consistently shows three factors that predict low crime: economic opportunity (low unemployment, adequate wages), education (high graduation rates), and community cohesion (social associations per capita). The correlation between unemployment and violent crime is well-documented — among the top 10 safest states, average unemployment is 3.6%, versus 3.8% nationally.
Policing strategies, sentencing policies, and drug laws also play roles, but economic fundamentals matter more at the state level. States can't arrest their way to safety if the underlying conditions breed crime.
States with the highest crime rates
At the other end: New Mexico has the highest violent crime rate at 717 per 100K, followed by Alaska (724) and Arkansas (579). These rates are 105%, 107%, and 65% above the national average, respectively.
Crime rates vary dramatically within every state. Plenty of cities in high-crime states are perfectly safe, and low-crime states have their own troubled areas. State-level data gives you the big picture, but if you're evaluating a specific city, check its local data on our city pages.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q:What is the safest state in America?
New Hampshire ranks #1 for safety in 2026 with a violent crime rate of 110 per 100,000 residents — 69% below the national average of 350. The property crime rate is also low at 918 per 100K. New Hampshire's safety correlates with strong economic fundamentals: 2.8% unemployment, a median income of $97,880, and a 88% graduation rate. Research consistently shows that economic stability and education are the strongest predictors of low crime at the state level. The top 3 safest states — New Hampshire, Maine, and Connecticut — all share these characteristics.
Q:What is the most dangerous state?
New Mexico has the highest violent crime rate in 2026 at 717 per 100,000 residents, which is 105% above the national average. The property crime rate is 3427 per 100K. Alaska (724) and Arkansas (579) also rank near the bottom. However, crime rates vary dramatically within every state — plenty of cities and communities in high-crime states are perfectly safe. State-level data provides the big picture, but if you're evaluating a specific location, check city-level data on our city pages for a more accurate local perspective.
Q:Does population size affect crime rates?
No. Crime rates are measured per 100,000 residents, which normalizes for population differences. A state with 40 million people is measured on the same scale as a state with 600,000. Some of the largest states in the country have below-average crime rates, while some of the smallest have above-average rates. What matters far more than population size is a combination of economic factors (unemployment, income inequality, poverty rates), education levels (graduation rates, access to opportunity), demographics, policing strategies, and state sentencing policies. Among the 10 safest states, the average unemployment rate is 3.6%, reinforcing the strong correlation between economic opportunity and public safety.
Q:How do violent crime and property crime differ in these rankings?
Violent crime includes murder, assault, robbery, and rape — offenses involving force or threat of force against a person. Property crime covers burglary, larceny/theft, and motor vehicle theft — offenses targeting money or property without physical force. Our safety score includes both: violent crime weighted at 60% and property crime at 40%. These two types of crime don't always track together — some states with very low violent crime have above-average property crime, particularly car theft, package theft, and shoplifting. The national average for violent crime is 350 per 100K, and for property crime it's 2044 per 100K. Among the top 10 safest states, the average property crime rate is 1280 per 100K — well below average in both categories.
Q:What factors actually make a state safe?
Research and our data consistently identify three primary factors that predict low crime at the state level: economic opportunity (low unemployment, adequate wages, low poverty rates), education (high graduation rates, access to higher education), and community cohesion (strong social networks, civic organizations, stable housing). The correlation between unemployment and violent crime is well-documented — among the top 10 safest states, average unemployment is 3.6% versus 3.8% nationally. Policing strategies, sentencing policies, drug laws, and gun regulations also play roles, but economic fundamentals matter more at the state level. States cannot arrest their way to safety if the underlying conditions that produce crime remain unaddressed.