The 10 Safest Cities in the US — and the 10 Least Safe

DOUBLE CHECK WE EMAILED THE BOTTOM 10

American cities face a range of safety concerns, and the risks can vary significantly depending on location.

In some cities, natural disasters such as hurricanes, tornadoes, and floods pose the greatest threats to locals. In others, safety concerns may instead center on financial security or the overall safety of homes and communities.

WalletHub compared a total of 182 cities — the 150 largest cities in the US, plus at least two of the most populous cities in every state — to determine the safest and least-safe cities in the US.

WalletHub examined 41 safety indicators across three categories: home and community safety, natural-disaster risk, and financial safety.

To evaluate home and community safety, WalletHub looked at factors including crime rates, traffic and pedestrian fatalities, and the number of emergency responders per capita.

The natural-disaster risk ranking was determined by cities’ risk-index scores for natural disasters such as earthquakes, tornadoes, and wildfires.

The financial safety ranking considered factors such as poverty and unemployment rates, as well as identity theft complaints per capita.

To conduct its analysis, WalletHub looked at data from sources including the US Census Bureau, the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the Federal Emergency Management Agency, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation.

Here are the top 10 safest and least-safe cities in the US.

1. Juneau, Alaska

View of street in downtown Juneau, Alaska, on spring day; mountains in background — Juneau, Alaska.

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Out of the 182 cities WalletHub examined, Juneau was ranked the safest city in the US. It ranked 46th in home and community safety, fourth in financial safety, and first in natural-disaster risk.

Juneau featured the lowest murder rate and lowest pedestrian fatality rate, and there have been no recorded terrorist attacks or terrorist-related incidents in the past decade. The risk of natural disasters in Juneau is particularly low, with the second-lowest risk of flooding and tornadoes.

Financially, Juneau has the 21st-lowest percentage of residents below the poverty line.

2. Warwick, Rhode Island

Warwick is a city in Kent County, Rhode Island, the third largest city in the state — Warwick, Rhode Island.

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As the second-safest city in the US, Warwick’s home and community safety was ranked ninth, its natural-disaster risk was ranked fifth, and its financial safety was ranked 46th.

Warwick had the fourth-lowest number of aggravated assaults per capita and the sixth-lowest number of thefts per capita.

3. Overland Park, Kansas

Overland Park rounded out the top three safest cities in the US, with its home and community safety ranking fourth and its financial safety ranking seventh.

The Kansas City suburb placed 138th in WalletHub’s natural-disaster-risk category. The greater Kansas City area had received 88 tornado warnings by June 2026, ABC affiliate KMBC reported.

However, Overland Park had the 19th-lowest pedestrian fatality rate and the 15th-lowest traffic fatality rate among the 182 cities WalletHub analyzed. It also had the 14th-lowest unemployment rate in the country and the third-lowest share of residents who are living in poverty.

4. Burlington, Vermont

Drone shot of the shore of Lake Champlain in Burlington, Vermont at sunset, including the ferry terminal, commercial docks, and downtown streets shaded by trees that are beginning to to turn red, yellow and orange. The Green Mountains can be seen in the distance. Authorization was obtained from the FAA for this operation in restricted airspace. — Burlington, Vermont.

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Burlington is relatively safe from natural disasters, with its natural-disaster risk ranked third overall. Its financial safety was ranked 24th, and its home and community safety was ranked 43rd.

5. South Burlington, Vermont

view of fall foliage and Adirondack Mountains in New York from Overlook Park in South Burlington, Vermont — South Burlington, Vermont.

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South Burlington, Vermont, tied with Burlington for third place in natural-disaster risk. The two cities are only miles apart.

South Burlington’s financial safety ranked higher, in sixth place. Its home and community safety ranked lower than Burlington’s, at 51st.

6. Virginia Beach, Virginia

WalletHub ranked Virginia Beach 22nd in home and community safety, 10th in natural-disaster risk, and 55th in financial safety.

7. Cedar Rapids, Iowa

In Cedar Rapids, the city’s home and community safety ranked 10th, its natural-disaster risk ranked 23rd, and its financial safety ranked 42nd.

8. Casper, Wyoming

Casper’s financial safety ranking placed it in the top 10, in ninth place. Its natural-disaster risk ranked 19th, and its home and community safety ranked 32nd.

9. Boise, Idaho

Boise was ranked No. 33rd in home and community safety, 41st in natural-disaster risk, and fifth in financial safety.

10. Yonkers, New York

WalletHub’s ranking named Yonkers as the 10th-safest city in the US. Out of 182 cities, it ranked third in home and community safety, 59th in natural-disaster risk, and 108th in financial safety.

Keep reading for the bottom 10 cities, which are ranked the least safe in the US.

173. St. Louis, Missouri

A photo of a city skyline with a river in the foreground. — St. Louis, Missouri.

: Visions of America/Education Images/Universal Images Group via Getty Images

Out of the 182 cities WalletHub examined, St. Louis ranked 177th in home and community safety and 146th in financial safety.

The Missouri city ranked relatively well in its natural-disaster risk ranking, however, coming in at 34th.

174. Cleveland, Ohio

Cleveland skyline — Cleveland, Ohio.

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Cleveland ranked well in WalletHub’s natural-disaster risk rating, coming in at 74th.

In the financial safety category, the city ranked 153rd. The lowest category it was ranked in was the home and community category, ranking 175th.

175. Houston, Texas

A city skyline. — Houston, Texas.

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Houston’s financial safety ranking placed the city 163rd. Its natural-disaster risk ranked 170th, and its home and community safety ranked 171st.

176. Jacksonville, Florida

Jacksonville was ranked 170th in home and community safety, 177th in natural-disaster risk, and 166th in financial safety.

177. Detroit, Michigan

WalletHub ranked Detroit 173rd in home and community safety and 67th in natural-disaster risk.

It was ranked the least safe city in the US for financial safety, coming in at 182nd.

178. Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

In Philadelphia, the city’s home and community safety ranked 176th, its natural-disaster risk ranked 137th, and its financial safety ranked 159th.

179. Memphis, Tennessee

WalletHub ranked Memphis as the second-worst city for financial safety, coming in at 181st, behind Detroit.

The city ranked 179th in home and community safety, and jumped to 60th in the natural-disaster risk category.

180. Baltimore, Maryland

Baltimore was ranked 180th in home and community safety. It ranked 174th in financial safety, and performed better in the natural-disaster risk category, placing 106th.

181. Baton Rouge, Louisiana

Ranked the second-least-safe city in the US, Baton Rouge came in 181st for home and community safety, 130th for natural-disaster risk, and 144th for financial safety.

182. New Orleans, Louisiana

Out of the 182 cities WalletHub examined, New Orleans is considered the least safe city in the US, largely due to its home and community safety, where it ranked the least safe, and its financial safety, where it ranked 172nd.

As a hurricane-prone city, New Orleans ranked better in the natural-disaster risk category, however, coming in at 104th.

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