Top 50 Safest Cities in the U.S.

By Austin Kilham · September 22, 2021 · 15 minute read

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Top 50 Safest Cities in the U.S.

For many homebuyers, safety is a top concern when shopping for a house. It can influence where you feel comfortable living, and safety ratings can have a big effect on local housing market trends.

If you’re in the market to buy or rent a home and you’re looking for just the right spot, check out this list of the 50 safest cities from NeighborhoodScout, which looks at the property and violent crime in cities across the country.

What Are the Safest Cities in the U.S.?

The safest cities in America tend to be suburban areas close to major cities like New York and Boston. Only one spot on this list, Rexburg, Idaho, is outside a major metropolitan area.

Massachusetts is home to the most cities on the list at 17, and when you factor in Connecticut towns, New England represents nearly 40% of the safest cities.

Residents of the cities that made the list (pop. 25,000 and over) tend to have a median household income over $100,000, though that isn’t the case in every town.

Recommended: Price-to-Rent Ratio in 50 Cities

Here’s a countdown of the 50 safest cities in the U.S. that you could call home.

Map: Safest Cities in the U.S.

Line graph: National Crime Rates in the U.S.

Line graph: Property Crime Rates in the U.S.

Line graph: Violent Crime Rates in the U.S.

Sources: Neighborhood Scout, Federal Bureau of Investigation Crime Data Explorer

50. Moorpark, California

Located in Ventura County in Southern California, Moorpark sits 50 miles northwest of downtown Los Angeles. The city was incorporated in 1983 and was named after the Moorpark apricot that grew throughout the valley. The city is a natural choice for raising a family, with nine schools and the lowest serious crime rate in the county.

Population: 36,375

Total Crime Rate (per 1,000 residents): 7.2

Chance of Being a Victim: 1 in 137

Major City Nearby: Oxnard

49. Belmont, Massachusetts

This city in the western suburbs of Boston offers residents highly rated schools and lots of restaurants, coffee shops and parks. Perhaps unsurprisingly, many families choose to call Belmont home.

Population: 26,116

Total Crime Rate (per 1,000 residents): 7.2

Chance of Being a Victim: 1 in 138

Major City Nearby: Boston

48. Friendswood, Texas

Friendswood began as a Quaker town in 1895 and became known for growing and preserving Magnolia figs. Since the 1950s, it has transformed into a quiet bedroom community 30 minutes from Houston and Galveston.

Population: 40,290

Total Crime Rate (per 1,000 residents): 7.2

Chance of Being a Victim: 1 in 138

Major City Nearby: Houston

47. Syracuse, Utah

Located on the shores of the Great Salt Lake, this farming community is rapidly transforming into a suburban outpost of Salt Lake City. The city offers easy access to Antelope Island State Park, home to bison, pronghorn antelope and other desert creatures.

Population: 31,458

Total Crime Rate (per 1,000 residents): 7.0

Chance of Being a Victim: 1 in 142

Major City Nearby: Ogden

46. Plainfield, Illinois

This village on the outskirts of the Chicago metro area has put a lot of effort into making its vibrant downtown pedestrian-friendly to give residents easy access to restaurants, shopping and entertainment.

Population: 44,308

Total Crime Rate (per 1,000 residents): 6.9

Chance of Being a Victim: 1 in 143

Major City Nearby: Chicago

45. Wallingford, Connecticut

One of three Connecticut towns to make the safest cities list, Wallingford began as a settlement along the Quinnipiac River in 1667. Since then, the city has grown to be home to more than 40,000 residents and has its own symphony orchestra, which performs throughout the year at the Paul Mellon Arts Center.

Population: 44,326

Total Crime Rate (per 1,000 residents): 6.9

Chance of Being a Victim: 1 in 143

Major City Nearby: New Haven

44. Westport, Connecticut

This small city on Long Island Sound offers access to beaches, Sherwood Island State Park, and a quaint downtown on the Saugatuck River.

Population: 28,491

Total Crime Rate (per 1,000 residents): 6.9

Chance of Being a Victim: 1 in 144

Major City Nearby: Bridgeport

43. Rancho Santa Margarita, California

Tucked against the mountains in Orange County, Rancho Santa Margarita offers a respite from the urban sprawl of much of the rest of Southern California. The city is master planned to balance the amenities of a small city with the natural landscape.

Population: 47,896

Total Crime Rate (per 1,000 residents): 6.9

Chance of Being a Victim: 1 in 144

Major City Nearby: Los Angeles

42. North Andover, Massachusetts

Massachusetts makes a good showing on the safest cities list, representing nearly 30% of the burgs listed.

Population: 31,188

Total Crime Rate (per 1,000 residents): 6.8

Chance of Being a Victim: 1 in 145

Major City Nearby: Boston

41. Rochester Hills, Michigan

This Detroit suburb features the 102-acre Avon Nature Study Area on the Clinton River and the Rochester Hills Museum, where visitors can learn about pioneer farmers, Native American history, and local ecology. The city is considered the safest in Michigan.

Population: 74,516

Total Crime Rate (per 1,000 residents): 6.8

Chance of Being a Victim: 1 in 145

Major City Nearby: Detroit

40. Bridgewater, Massachusetts

Bridgewater lies south of Boston, northwest of Cape Cod, and east of Providence, Rhode Island.

Population: 27,619

Total Crime Rate (per 1,000 residents): 6.7

Chance of Being a Victim: 1 in 148

Major City Nearby: Boston

39. Mason, Ohio

Mason is the largest city in Warren County. The county is known as “Ohio’s Largest Playground” and boasts regional attractions including the Golf Center, the Great Wolf Lodge, and Kings Island amusement park.

Population: 33,870

Total Crime Rate (per 1,000 residents): 6.7

Chance of Being a Victim: 1 in 148

Major City Nearby: Cincinnati

38. Harrison, New York

Nestled near the Connecticut border, the Westchester County city of Harrison is just a stone’s throw from New York City. The town is home to one of America’s richest ZIP codes, the neighborhood of Purchase, where the average income reaches beyond $800,000.

Population: 28,943

Total Crime Rate (per 1,000 residents): 6.6

Chance of Being a Victim: 1 in 150

Major City Nearby: New York

37. Rosemount, Minnesota

The only Minnesota city to make the list, Rosemount offers residents access to the resources and culture of the Twin Cities while enjoying one of America’s safest towns.

Population: 25,207

Total Crime Rate (per 1,000 residents): 6.6

Chance of Being a Victim: 1 in 150

Major City Nearby: Minneapolis

36. Newton, Massachusetts

Just over the Boston line, Newton is a wealthy suburb where the median household income in 2019 was over $150,000 and 72% of the population consisted of homeowners. Newton is the largest city by population to make the top 50 list.

Population: 88,414

Total Crime Rate (per 1,000 residents): 6.6

Chance of Being a Victim: 1 in 151

Major City Nearby: Boston

35. Wellesley, Massachusetts

West of Newton, Wellesley is a much smaller municipality, though the median household income is higher, at over $197,000, and the homeownership rate tops 80%.

Population: 28,670

Total Crime Rate (per 1,000 residents): 6.5

Chance of Being a Victim: 1 in 151

Major City Nearby: Boston

34. Sammamish, Washington

Located on the eastern shores of Lake Sammamish, the town offers a spread-out suburban feel with highly rated public schools and access to restaurants, coffee shops, and parks.

Population: 65,892

Total Crime Rate (per 1,000 residents): 6.5

Chance of Being a Victim: 1 in 153

Major City Nearby: Seattle

33. Colleyville, Texas

Conveniently sandwiched between the Dallas and Fort Worth areas, Colleyville offers a rural feel close to big-city amenities.

Population: 27.091

Total Crime Rate (per 1,000 residents): 6.4

Chance of Being a Victim: 1 in 154

Major City Nearby: Dallas

32. Rahway, New Jersey

The first of five New Jersey cities to make the top 50 list, Rahway is located just west of Staten Island. Median income is modest, nearing $79,000 per household.

Population: 29,895

Total Crime Rate (per 1,000 residents): 6.4

Chance of Being a Victim: 1 in 154

Major City Nearby: New York

31. Beverly, Massachusetts

Beverly is a suburb of Boston on the North Shore of Massachusetts, just north of Salem. Like its witchy neighbor, Beverly offers historic New England architecture and water access.

Population: 42,174

Total Crime Rate (per 1,000 residents): 6.4

Chance of Being a Victim: 1 in 155

Major City Nearby: Boston

30. Ridgewood, New Jersey

A village in Bergen County, Ridgewood is just northwest of New York City. The town is family friendly, with restaurants, coffee shops, and parks.

Population: 25,056

Total Crime Rate (per 1,000 residents): 6.3

Chance of Being a Victim: 1 in 158

Major City Nearby: New York

29. Andover, Massachusetts

Andover, about 23 miles north of Boston, was incorporated in 1646 and later became a thriving mill town. The city is home to prestigious college prep school Phillips Academy.

Population: 36,356

Total Crime Rate (per 1,000 residents): 6.1

Chance of Being a Victim: 1 in 162

Major City Nearby: Boston

28. Brunswick, Ohio

The largest city in Medina County, Brunswick is about 25 miles southwest of Cleveland. The median household income is nearly $70,000, and about 76% of residents own their own homes.

Population: 34,880

Total Crime Rate (per 1,000 residents): 5.9

Chance of Being a Victim: 1 in 169

Major City Nearby: Cleveland

27. Simsbury, Connecticut

Mark Twain used to make the 10-mile walk from his home in Hartford to Talcott Mountain in this historic burg, which counts itself among the safest in Connecticut. The town comprises just under 10,000 households with a median household income of about $124,000.

Population: 25,395

Total Crime Rate (per 1,000 residents): 5.8

Chance of Being a Victim: 1 in 170

Major City Nearby: Hartford

26. Weston, Florida

The only Florida town to make the list, Weston is also the second largest by population, after Newton, Massachusetts.

Population: 71,166

Total Crime Rate (per 1,000 residents): 5.8

Chance of Being a Victim: 1 in 170

Major City Nearby: Miami

25. Caledonia, Wisconsin

With humble beginnings as a fur trading post in the 1830s, Caledonia has grown to a city of over 25,000.

Population: 25,277

Total Crime Rate (per 1,000 residents): 5.8

Chance of Being a Victim: 1 in 170

Major City Nearby: Racine

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24. Dracut, Massachusetts

Dracut was home to Pennacook Indian settlements before Europeans arrived in the 1650s, and the town’s early economy depended on manufacturing and milling. The town provides easy access to the Lowell and Boston metropolitan areas.

Population: 31,634

Total Crime Rate (per 1,000 residents): 5.6

Chance of Being a Victim: 1 in 178

Major City Nearby: Boston

23. Palatine, Illinois

This city northwest of Chicago has a mix of residential, commercial, and light industrial space with award-winning schools. Palatine is the largest Illinois city to make the list.

Population: 67,482

Total Crime Rate (per 1,000 residents): 5.5

Chance of Being a Victim: 1 in 181

Major City Nearby: Chicago

22. Bartlett, Illinois

Built at the intersection of the Chicago and Pacific railways, the town of Bartlett was officially incorporated in 1891. The city experienced a boom in population starting in the 1950s and has since grown to include more than 40,000 residents.

Population: 40,647

Total Crime Rate (per 1,000 residents): 5.3

Chance of Being a Victim: 1 in 188

Major City Nearby: Chicago

21. Westfield, New Jersey

Westfield has an award-winning downtown with more than 450 shops, restaurants, and services.

Population: 29,512

Total Crime Rate (per 1,000 residents): 5

Chance of Being a Victim: 1 in 198

Major City Nearby: New York

20. Independence, Kentucky

The only Kentucky town to make it the list, Independence is a short drive across the Ohio River to Cincinnati.

Population: 28,521

Total Crime Rate (per 1,000 residents): 4.8

Chance of Being a Victim: 1 in 205

Major City Nearby: Cincinnati

19. Reading, Massachusetts

Another Boston suburb just north of the city, Reading is a town of about 9,000 households with a median household income of nearly $132,000.

Population: 25,400

Total Crime Rate (per 1,000 residents): 4.8

Chance of Being a Victim: 1 in 206

Major City Nearby: Boston

18. Needham, Massachusetts

Like many of the Massachusetts cities on this list, Needham is a well-off bedroom community of Boston, with a median household income of about $165,000.

Population: 31,388

Total Crime Rate (per 1,000 residents): 4.7

Chance of Being a Victim: 1 in 212

Major City Nearby: Boston

17. Cliffside Park, New Jersey

Cliffside has a commanding view of Manhattan from the top of the famed New Jersey palisades. Located between the Lincoln Tunnel and George Washington Bridge, the city allows commuters access to New York City.

Population: 28,133

Total Crime Rate (per 1,000 residents): 4.7

Chance of Being a Victim: 1 in 212

Major City Nearby: New York

16. North Royalton, Ohio

North Royalton sits just outside of Cleveland near the shores of Lake Erie. It was incorporated as a village in 1927 and became a city in 1961. The median household income is about $70,000 per year.

Population: 30,068

Total Crime Rate (per 1,000 residents): 4.6

Chance of Being a Victim: 1 in 214

Major City Nearby: Cleveland

15. Arlington, Massachusetts

Settled in 1635 as the town of Menotomy, Arlington was renamed in 1867 in honor of those buried at Arlington National Cemetery. The city is just 6 miles from Boston.

Population: 45,531

Total Crime Rate (per 1,000 residents): 4.5

Chance of Being a Victim: 1 in 217

Major City Nearby: Boston

14. Billerica, Massachusetts

Billerica sits on the Shawsheen and Concord rivers about 20 miles northwest of Boston and is home to about 15,000 households.

Population: 43,367

Total Crime Rate (per 1,000 residents): 4.5

Chance of Being a Victim: 1 in 217

Major City Nearby: Boston

13. Florence, Arizona

A bit farther from major metropolitan areas than many other cities on this list, Florence is 60 miles from Phoenix.

Population: 27,422

Total Crime Rate (per 1,000 residents): 4.3

Chance of Being a Victim: 1 in 230

Major City Nearby: Phoenix

12. Lake in the Hills, Illinois

Once a sleepy rural community home to seasonal residents who enjoyed the area’s lakes, Lake in the Hills became a quickly growing suburb of Chicago in the last few decades.

Population: 28,634

Total Crime Rate (per 1,000 residents): 4.3

Chance of Being a Victim: 1 in 230

Major City Nearby: Chicago

11. Rexburg, Idaho

Rexburg, in eastern Idaho, is one of the only cities on this list that’s not near a major metropolitan area. Its proximity to nature is one of its calling cards. Yellowstone National Park is just 80 miles away.

Population: 29,400

Total Crime Rate (per 1,000 residents): 4.3

Chance of Being a Victim: 1 in 231

Major City Nearby: N/A

10. Marshfield, Massachusetts

Marshfield is 30 miles from Boston on the South Shore where Cape Cod meets the Massachusetts Bay. The year-round population of about 25,000 grows to 40,000 in the summer months.

Population: 25,967

Total Crime Rate (per 1,000 residents): 4

Chance of Being a Victim: 1 in 249

Major City Nearby: Boston

9. North Ridgeville, Ohio

Cleveland Magazine named this swiftly growing suburb one of the “Best Places to Live in the Cleveland Area.”

Population: 34,392

Total Crime Rate (per 1,000 residents):3.6

Chance of Being a Victim: 1 in 275

Major City Nearby: Cleveland

8. Muskego, Wisconsin

This cozy city sits within the orbit of Milwaukee and within the greater Chicago area.

Population: 25,127

Total Crime Rate (per 1,000 residents):3.5

Chance of Being a Victim: 1 in 279

Major City Nearby: Milwaukee

7. Bergenfield, New Jersey

The Borough of Bergenfield, which sits across the Hudson River from Yonkers, was first settled by the Dutch. The postwar period brought a boom, with the population reaching its peak in the 1970s.

Population: 27,327

Total Crime Rate (per 1,000 residents):3.4

Chance of Being a Victim: 1 in 296

Major City Nearby: New York

6. Shrewsbury, Massachusetts

Shrewsbury was incorporated in 1727 and rests just outside the Boston metropolitan area near the city of Worcester.

Population: 38,526

Total Crime Rate (per 1,000 residents): 3.3

Chance of Being a Victim: 1 in 296

Major City Nearby: Worcester

5. Lexington, Massachusetts

Known as the town where the first shots of the Revolutionary War were fired, Lexington is a suburb of Boston where the median household income tops $186,000.

Population: 33,132

Total Crime Rate (per 1,000 residents): 3

Chance of Being a Victim: 1 in 331

Major City Nearby: Boston

4. Zionsville, Indiana

Excellent schools and stable home values attract residents looking for a small-town feel just 20 minutes outside Indianapolis.

Population: 28,357

Total Crime Rate (per 1,000 residents): 2.8

Chance of Being a Victim: 1 in 345

Major City Nearby: Indianapolis

3. Milton, Massachusetts

In Milton, a suburb 10 miles south of Boston, the median household income is over $133,000 a year.

Population: 27,593

Total Crime Rate (per 1,000 residents): 2.7

Chance of Being a Victim: 1 in 367

Major City Nearby: Boston

2. Long Beach, New York

Long Beach is in Nassau County east of New York City. This beachside community is a popular tourist destination during the summer.

Population: 33,454

Total Crime Rate (per 1,000 residents): 2.5

Chance of Being a Victim: 1 in 389

Major City Nearby: New York

1. Franklin, Massachusetts

Franklin is the safest city in America, so it seems. It’s conveniently located between Boston and Providence, Rhode Island. About 80% of residents own their own homes, and the median household income is more than $122,000. The town is named in honor of Benjamin Franklin, whose donated books formed the first public library in the country.

Population: 34,087

Total Crime Rate (per 1,000 residents): 1.9

Chance of Being a Victim: 1 in 524

Major City Nearby: Boston

The Takeaway

It’s a safe bet that house hunters will find many of these 50 safest cities in the U.S. appealing. If you’re looking for a comfortable landing spot and a home, it’s time to secure a great mortgage loan.

SoFi works with homebuyers from start to finish — and qualifying first-time homebuyers may be able to put as little as 3% down.

Finding your rate with SoFi® home loans is simple.



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