What Are the Safest States in America 2026? Crime Rates Ranked
Maine is the safest state in America in 2026 with a safety score of 94.5/100 and a violent crime rate of just 93.2 per 100,000 residents. Rankings combine FBI estimated violent crime (60%) and property crime (40%) rates per 100K across all 50 states.
By America's Dashboard · 14 sections · Figures from the latest public releases
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 the FBI's official state crime estimates, scoring both violent crime and property crime per 100,000 residents. North Dakota and Florida use the FBI's prior-year estimate, because the FBI flags the latest year there as based on limited data.
Maine is the safest state in America, with a safety score of 94.5/100 and a violent crime rate of just 93.2 per 100K. The national average is 313. Close behind: New Hampshire (117.6) and Rhode Island (144.1).
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 | Maine | 94.5 | 93.2/100K |
| #2 | New Hampshire | 94.3 | 117.6/100K |
| #3 | Rhode Island | 90.8 | 144.1/100K |
| #4 | Connecticut | 90.1 | 109.6/100K |
| #5 | Idaho | 86.6 | 217.3/100K |
| #6 | Wyoming | 86.1 | 179.9/100K |
| #7 | New Jersey | 81.8 | 193.8/100K |
| #8 | Wisconsin | 81.6 | 240.3/100K |
| #9 | West Virginia | 80.9 | 241.7/100K |
| #10 | Kentucky | 80.2 | 212.1/100K |
#1: Maine
Maine is the safest state in America with a safety score of 94.5/100. The violent crime rate is 93.2 per 100,000 residents — 70% below the national average of 313. Property crime runs 939.1 per 100K (national average: 1475). Low crime here isn't luck — the state has a 3.4% unemployment rate, a median income of $76,442, and a graduation rate of 86.1%. Economic stability and education both correlate with lower crime.
Maine also ranks well overall (#9, 71.6/100), proving that safety tends to come bundled with other quality-of-life advantages. Cost of living index: 97.1. Typical home value: $415,552.
#2: New Hampshire
New Hampshire scores 94.3/100 for safety with a violent crime rate of 117.6 per 100K and property crime at 818.1 per 100K. Both figures sit well below national averages. The state combines low crime with a median income of $99,782 and 3.2% unemployment, reinforcing the link between economic health and public safety.
New Hampshire also ranks well overall (#1, 83.4/100), proving that safety tends to come bundled with other quality-of-life advantages. Cost of living index: 104.2. Typical home value: $516,306.
#3: Rhode Island
Rhode Island scores 90.8/100 for safety with a violent crime rate of 144.1 per 100K and property crime at 910.5 per 100K. Both figures sit well below national averages. The state combines low crime with a median income of $83,504 and 4.5% unemployment, reinforcing the link between economic health and public safety.
Rhode Island also ranks well overall (#19, 62.0/100), proving that safety tends to come bundled with other quality-of-life advantages. Cost of living index: 102.3. Typical home value: $511,233.
#4: Connecticut
Connecticut comes in at #4 with a safety score of 90.1/100. Violent crime: 109.6 per 100K. Property crime: 1146 per 100K. The state's 3,688,496 residents benefit from a combination of low unemployment (4%) and a median income of $96,049.
Connecticut also ranks well overall (#16, 66.9/100), proving that safety tends to come bundled with other quality-of-life advantages. Cost of living index: 103.6. Typical home value: $450,873.
#5: Idaho
Idaho comes in at #5 with a safety score of 86.6/100. Violent crime: 217.3 per 100K. Property crime: 605 per 100K. The state's 2,029,733 residents benefit from a combination of low unemployment (3.7%) and a median income of $81,166.
Idaho also ranks well overall (#4, 78.4/100), proving that safety tends to come bundled with other quality-of-life advantages. Cost of living index: 95.5. Typical home value: $478,744.
#6: Wyoming
Wyoming comes in at #6 with a safety score of 86.1/100. Violent crime: 179.9 per 100K. Property crime: 1038 per 100K. The state's 588,753 residents benefit from a combination of low unemployment (3.4%) and a median income of $75,532.
Wyoming also ranks well overall (#2, 79.9/100), proving that safety tends to come bundled with other quality-of-life advantages. Cost of living index: 92.7. Typical home value: $371,854.
#7: New Jersey
New Jersey comes in at #7 with a safety score of 81.8/100. Violent crime: 193.8 per 100K. Property crime: 1249.6 per 100K. The state's 9,548,215 residents benefit from a combination of low unemployment (5.2%) and a median income of $104,294.
New Jersey also ranks well overall (#28, 55.0/100), proving that safety tends to come bundled with other quality-of-life advantages. Cost of living index: 108.8. Typical home value: $580,353.
#8: Wisconsin
At #8, Wisconsin posts a safety score of 81.6/100 with a violent crime rate of 240.3 per 100K and property crime at 1016.7. A Midwest state with 5,972,787 residents, it maintains a 3.2% unemployment rate.
Wisconsin also ranks well overall (#11, 70.6/100), proving that safety tends to come bundled with other quality-of-life advantages. Cost of living index: 94.1. Typical home value: $339,699.
#9: West Virginia
At #9, West Virginia posts a safety score of 80.9/100 with a violent crime rate of 241.7 per 100K and property crime at 1053.3. A South state with 1,766,147 residents, it maintains a 4.2% unemployment rate.
Interestingly, West Virginia ranks #44 overall (42.8/100) — safety is its standout category, while outdoor access (16.7) is the weakest spot. Cost of living index: 89.5. Typical home value: $179,496.
#10: Kentucky
At #10, Kentucky posts a safety score of 80.2/100 with a violent crime rate of 212.1 per 100K and property crime at 1261.7. A South state with 4,606,864 residents, it maintains a 4.6% unemployment rate.
Interestingly, Kentucky ranks #41 overall (44.8/100) — safety is its standout category, while outdoor access (9.9) is the weakest spot. Cost of living index: 90.2. Typical home value: $232,577.
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 1475 per 100K.
Among the top 10 safest states (by safety score), the average property crime rate is 1004 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 3.9%, versus 3.9% 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: Alaska has the highest violent crime rate at 729.3 per 100K, followed by New Mexico (621.6) and Arkansas (531.8). These rates are 133%, 99%, and 70% 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
What is the safest state in America?
Maine ranks #1 for safety in 2026 with a violent crime rate of 93.2 per 100,000 residents — 70% below the national average of 313. The property crime rate is also low at 939.1 per 100K. Maine's safety correlates with strong economic fundamentals: 3.4% unemployment, a median income of $76,442, and a 86.1% 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 — Maine, New Hampshire, and Rhode Island — all share these characteristics.
What is the most dangerous state?
Alaska has the highest violent crime rate in 2026 at 729.3 per 100,000 residents, which is 133% above the national average. The property crime rate is 1892.8 per 100K. New Mexico (621.6) and Arkansas (531.8) 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.
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 3.9%, reinforcing the strong correlation between economic opportunity and public safety.
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 313 per 100K, and for property crime it's 1475 per 100K. Among the top 10 safest states, the average property crime rate is 1004 per 100K — well below average in both categories.
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 3.9% versus 3.9% 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.