As home to wild college towns, booming metropolises, and quiet retirement communities, it’s not surprising that there’s a lot of fluctuation in the crime rates of Florida’s cities, yet the Sunshine State’s safest cities are indeed among the safest in the nation, earning remarkable Safety Index scores for their combination of scant crime and effective policing.

Florida’s safest city is Sweetwater, a community of over 20,000 in Miami-Dade County often known as “Little Managua” for its high concentration of Nicaraguan Americans. Sweetwater earned its high Safety Index score due its low violent crime rate, which is well below the national average, and a very high law enforcement employees to residents ratio of 5.81 per 1K.

The #2 spot goes to Naples, a very affluent beach community of just over 22K. Naples logged just 23 violent crimes in 2017 for a rate of just over 1 incident per 1,000, and its property crime rate is similarly low. 

We head back to Miami-Dade County for #3 Key Biscayne, a peaceful island town which recorded a mere 2 violent crimes in all of 2017. However, the city is often at risk during hurricane season due to its position in the Atlantic Ocean and low elevation.

At number four, Coral Gables is the largest of the three Miami-Dade County cities in Florida’s top five safest, with a population topping 51K. Nevertheless, the city logged an impressively low violent crime rate for a community its size that is less than half of the national rate.

Filling out the list is #5 Satellite Beach, another idyllic South Florida beach community which accomplished the feat of logging under 10 violent crimes and 100 property crimes in 2017.

Delaware’s modest size and proportionately small communities means that only six of the state’s settlements met the population parameter of 10,000 residents or greater that we set in our search for the United State’s safest cities. 

Of those, Wilmington–by far the state’s largest city with a population topping 70,000–faired the poorest, earning the lowest score in our Safety Index. Let’s take a look at Delaware’s other large communities to see how they stack up.

Newark wins the title of Delaware’s safest city with a Safety Index score well above the others on the list. The city’s violent crime rate of 2.85 per 1,000 is over five times lower than Wilmington’s and below the national average.

The second place, Middletown, logged violent and property crime rates slightly below the national average, and compares favorably to Wilmington and other larger Delaware communities. 

Smyrna, a town in New Castle and Kent Counties, lands at the #3 spot. The community’s violent crime rate, at 5.43 per 1K, is above the national average, as is its property crime rate. 

Subsequent Delaware cities do not fare well: #4 Dover, the state capital, and #5 Milford posted crime rates significantly above the national averages in both violent and property crime. 

For the good of Delaware residents, let’s hope these communities can effectively address their crime issues in the near future.

Peaceful Connecticut is home to some of the safest communities in the United States, with a whopping 13 of the state’s cities scoring above a 0.7 in our Safety Index, a score based on  a city’s violent and property crime rates, as well the ratio of law enforcement officers to residents. For comparison, just two California cities scored a 0.7 or over, while no Colorado cities managed the feat, despite the state’s reputation for safe communities. Let’s take a closer look at Connecticut’s safest cities, to see how they earned their high marks. 

New Haven County’s Orange is Connecticut’s safest community. The affluent town of nearly 14,000 logged a scant 7 violent crimes in 2017 and has an excellent ratio of 4 law enforcement officers per 1,000 working to keep residents safe.

The large city of Greenwich is Connecticut’s #2 safest city. With a violent crime rate of 0.34 per 1K and a property crime of 7.53 per 1K, Greenwich logged some of the lowest crime rates in the country for a community its size.

Third is New Canaan’s safety record is equally impressive: the city of 20,364 recorded a mere 2 violent crimes in 2017, rendering crime almost a non-factor in the community. 

Fourth on the list is Monroe, a bedroom community similar in size to New Canaan. Like many Connecticut communities, Monroe provides a peaceful respite from the large cities where many of its residents work, with a cozy small time atmosphere and streets virtually devoid of crime.

Closing out this rundown of Connecticut’s five safest cities is Brookfield, a city of over 17,000 which logged only 3 violent crimes in 2017.

Despite an uptick in Denver crime in recent years, Colorado is a very safe state to live in overall, as its violent and property crime rates are lower than the national averages. Let’s look at Colorado’s safest cities in 2019.

Firestone, a small town of 13,426 in Weld County, is Colorado’s safest community, owing to a low violent crime rate of 0.67 incidents per 1,000 inhabitants and a property crime rate of 8.87 per 1,000. Like many Colorado communities, the population of Firestone rapidly expanded in the first decade of the 21st century, but in this city’s case, the population growth did not lead to a higher rate of crime.

Second place goes to Louisville of Boulder County frequently comes up in the discussion of the best communities to live in in the United States, with one of the key reasons being its very low crime rate. The city’s property crime rate of 4 per 1,000 is well below many cities’ violent crime rates.

Third in the ranking of Colorado’s safest cities is Frederick, a small Weld County community near Firestone with similarly low crime rates and a reputation as a safe, family-friendly town.

Placing fourth is Golden, the county seat of Jefferson County and home to the famous Coors Brewery.  At 28.64 per 1,000, Golden’s property crime rate is a bit higher than some of the others on the list but its low rate of violent crime and high ratio of law enforcement employees to residents make it a safe place to live.

Rounding out Colorado’s top 5 safest cities is Broomfield, which is larger than other high-charting communities with a population topping 68K, yet still managed a violent crime rate of just 1.23 per 1,000.

Owing to its huge size and great diversity, California is home to some of the nation’s more dangerous communities as well as some of its safest. However, those that score highest on our Safety Index, scattered about the state, are some of the most desirable communities to live in in the entire country: naturally beautiful, prosperous, and with very low crime. Let’s take a look at what makes California’s five safest cities so safe.

Hillsborough is the safest city in California. A small, affluent city of 11.5K in the San Francisco Bay area, Hillsborough notched a very high 0.89 score in our Safety Index due to a very low violent crime rate of 0.69 per 1,000 inhabitants and an even more impressive 6.07 property crimes per 1,000 residents.

Second place goes to Palos Verdes Estates, a wealthy city in Los Angeles County planned by the famous landscape architect Frederick Law Olemsted Jr., boasts a similarly impressive Safety Index score of 0.84 bolstered by a remarkable 0.22 violent crimes per 1,000 residents.

Third in the ranking is Beverly Hills, the posh LA County city made famous by the television show, Beverly Hills 90210, and its various offshoots and reboots. Beverly Hills boasts a low violent crime rate, yet a somewhat high property crime rate of 52.30 per 1,000, perhaps due its famous populace drawing in a negative element that increases the frequency of home invasion. However, the city benefits from a high law enforcement to resident ratio, meaning that police response time is very quick.

At number four, Coronado is the southernmost of California’s five safest cities, located across San Diego Bay from the heart of San Diego. Coronado posted very low violent and property crime rates in 2017 that should put residents at ease.

Rounding out California’s top five is Truckee, a small city in the northeast part of the state away from major metropolitan areas. With a violent crime rate just over 1 per 1,000 and a similarly low property crime rate, Truckee earns its high position in the ranking.

Though Arkansas does not rank with the top states in terms of public safety and law enforcement, very safe communities are to be found within its borders. Here’s a glance at The Natural State’s safest cities.

Two Arkansas cities, Maumelle and Bentonville, share the honor of the state’s safest city, each earning a 0.32 score in our Safety Index. Of the two cities, Bentonville edges out Maumelle in crime rate, with a 1.4 per 1,000 violent crime rate and 17.54 per 1,000 property crime rate. Yet, Maumelle benefits from a higher law enforcement employee to resident ratio, which elevates its Safety Index score, allowing it to share the top spot on the list.

Third in rank is Cabot, a suburb of state capital Little Rock, posted a very good 2.18 violent crimes per 1K and an even more impressive 15.54 property crimes per 1K to earn its high Safety Index score.

Fourth on the list is the idyllic resort and retirement community of Bella Vista, which just incorporated into a city in 2006. WIth the lowest property crime rate of any of Arkansas top five safest cities, Bella Vista residents can rest easy knowing there is little chance of their homes or property being vandalized or broken into.

Arkansas #5 safest city is Batesville, a small community of 10,806 in the foothills of the Ozarks that just edges within our population parameters. The city’s violent and property crime rates are well below the state average.

Overall, Arizona is one of the safer states in the country, with property and violent crime rates below the national average, so you never have to be too worried while traveling through the Copper State. Yet, many of Arizona’s communities are even a great deal safer than the state average, as long as you are adequately protected from the sun.

Maricopa County’s Paradise Valley, by some accounts the wealthiest community in Arizona, is also its safest, earning a Safety Index score of 0.82. With extremely low rates of 0.41 violent crimes and 15.18 property crimes per 1,000 residents, Paradise Valley truly lives up to its name.

In terms of safety, #2 Oro Valley, a suburb of Tucson, is not far behind Paradise Valley, with even lower violent and property crimes than the prior entry in the ranking. Its Safety Index score is only lower due to a slightly lower ratio of 2.94 law enforcement officers per 1,000 residents compared to Paradise Valley’s 3.08.

Florence, one of the oldest towns in the state, ranks #3 on the list due to impressively low crime rates, including a property crime rate of just 4.8 per 1,000 that bests the previous two entries on the list.

Fourth is Marana, a fast-growing community also in the Tucson area notched a property crime rate higher than the top 3 at 26.24 incidents per 1,000, but is still a very safe city with a violent crime rate below 1 incident per 1,000 residents.

Closing out Arizona’s top five is the small city of Cottonwood, in Yavapai County. Cottonwood benefits from a large ratio of law enforcement employees to residents: 4.62 for every 1,000.

Due to our population parameter filtering out cities with a population under 10,000, just four communities in Alaska qualified for our ranking of the state’s safety cities. Let’s see how Alaska’s four largest cities compare in terms of overall safety.

With a safety index score of 0.15, Wasilla just edges out #2 Fairbanks, while doing much better than Alaska’s other two 10,000+ population cities. The Anchorage suburb recorded 5.35 violent crimes per 1,000 inhabitants along with 45.97 property crimes per 1K.

Second place goes to Fairbanks, which at 32,937 is over three times the size of #1 Wasilla, posted very similar crime statistics, with a slightly higher 6.224 violent crimes per 1K. However, it’s 1.34 law enforcement employees per 1000 residents is significantly lower than Wasilla’s, leading to a much lower safety index score.

Third in Alaska’s safest cities ranking is Juneau, which is about the same size as Fairbanks, yet is plagued by a 51% higher violent crime rate of 9.37 incidents per 1000 inhabitants.

With a population dwarfing other Alaskan cities, Anchorage is by far the largest in the state, as well as the least safe of those that qualify for our ranking. Anchorage ranks #4 due to a high violent crime rate of 12.03 per 1000K and a similarly high property crime rate of 54.15 per 1000K.