Posted by: Richie Bernardo

With every new headline about a mass shooting, terrorist attack, hate crime or natural disaster, many of us fear for our safety and that of our loved ones. Safety is a fundamental human need. And we require some form of it, such as personal and financial protection, in every setting of daily life. But we’re likely to feel more secure in some states than in others.

In order to determine the safest states in America, WalletHub’s analysts compared the 50 states across 37 key safety indicators grouped into five different categories. Our data set ranges from assaults per capita to unemployment rate to total loss amounts from climate disasters per capita. Read on for our findings, expert insight from a panel of researchers and a full description of our methodology.

1. Main Findings
2. Ask the Experts
3. Methodology

Main Findings Embed on your website<iframe src="//d2e70e9yced57e.cloudfront.net/wallethub/embed/4566/geochart-safest.html" width="556" height="347" frameBorder="0" scrolling="no"></iframe> <div style="width:556px;font-size:12px;color:#888;">Source: <a href="http://ift.tt/2rGOCwy;

 

Overall Rank	State	Total Score	‘Home & Community Safety’ Rank	‘Financial Safety’ Rank	‘Road Safety’ Rank	‘Workplace Safety’ Rank	‘Safety from Natural Disasters’ Rank
47	Tennessee	37.98	43	33	35	28	47
48	New Mexico	36.94	47	51	51	44	12
49	Alaska	36.12	49	29	48	46	3
50	Oklahoma	35.29	34	32	32	48	51
51	Mississippi	34.00	36	49	50	49	43

Ask the Experts

No place is completely immune to danger of any form. Some areas simply deal with safety issues better than others. For additional insight and advice, we asked a panel of experts to share their thoughts on the following key questions:

1. There are many different potential threats to one’s safety: crime, weather, pollution, dangerous workplaces. In choosing a place to live, how should people weigh the risks?
2. Donald Trump ran as the “Law & Order” candidate. What actions can he undertake now to reduce crime and improve public safety?
3. Do you agree with President Trump that increased border security will reduce crime?
4. What can state and local policymakers do to reduce crime in their communities?
5. What tips do you have for consumers looking to improve their financial safety?

Methodology

In order to determine the safest states in which to live, WalletHub’s analysts compared the 50 states across five key dimensions: 1) Personal & Residential Safety, 2) Financial Safety, 3) Road Safety, 4) Workplace Safety, and 5) Emergency Preparedness.

We evaluated those dimensions using 37 relevant metrics, which are listed below with their corresponding weights. Each metric was graded on a 100-point scale, with a score of 100 representing the highest level of safety.

We then calculated the total score for each state based on its weighted average across all metrics and used the resulting scores to construct our final ranking.

Personal & Residential Safety - Total Points: 40

• Murders & Non-Negligent Manslaughters per Capita: Double Weight (~5.33 Points)
• Forcible Rapes per Capita: Double Weight (~5.33 Points)
• Assaults per Capita: Double Weight (~5.33 Points)
• Thefts per Capita: Full Weight (~2.67 Points)
• Sex Offenders per Capita: Double Weight (~5.33 Points)
• Drug Abuses per Capita: Full Weight (~2.67 Points)
• Law-Enforcement Employees per Capita: Full Weight (~2.67 Points)
• Active Firefighters per Capita: Full Weight (~2.67 Points)
• Suicide Rate: Full Weight (~2.67 Points)
• Bullying Incidence Rate: Full Weight (~2.67 Points)
• Share of Elder-Abuse, Gross-Neglect and Exploitation Complaints: Full Weight (~2.67 Points)

Financial Safety - Total Points: 15

• Share of Population Lacking Health-Insurance Coverage: Full Weight (~0.94 Points)
• Unemployment Rate: Double Weight (~1.88 Points)
• Underemployment Rate: Full Weight (~0.94 Points)
• Foreclosure Rate: Full Weight(~0.94 Points)
• Median Credit Score: Full Weight (~0.94 Points)
• Debt per Income: Full Weight (~0.94 Points)
• Poverty Rate: Full Weight (~0.94 Points)
• Share of Adults with Rainy-Day Funds: Full Weight (~0.94 Points)
• Fraud & Other Complaints per Capita: Full Weight (~0.94 Points)
• Identity-Theft Complaints per Capita: Full Weight (~0.94 Points)
• Share of Unbanked Households: Full Weight (~0.94 Points)
• Job Security: Full Weight (~0.94 Points)
• New Unemployment Claims per Total Civilian Labor Force: Full Weight (~0.94 Points)
• Employment Growth (2016 vs. 2015): Full Weight (~0.94 Points)
• Personal Bankruptcy Filings per Capita: Full Weight (~0.94 Points)

Road Safety - Total Points: 15

• Fatalities per 100 Million Vehicle Miles of Travel: Full Weight (~3.00 Points)
• DUIs per Capita: Full Weight (~3.00 Points)
• Pedestrian & Pedalcyclist Fatality Rate per Capita: Full Weight (~3.00 Points)
• Road Quality: Full Weight (~3.00 Points)
• Driving Laws Rating: Full Weight (~3.00 Points)

Workplace Safety - Total Points: 15

• Fatal Occupational Injuries per 100,000 Full-Time Workers: Double Weight (~6.00 Points)
• Injuries & Illnesses per 10,000 Full-Time Workers: Full Weight (~3.00 Points)
• Median Days Lost Due to Occupational Injuries & Illnesses: Full Weight (~3.00 Points)
• Presence of Occupational Safety & Health Act Plans: Full Weight (~3.00 Points)

Emergency Preparedness - Total Points: 15

• Number of Climate Disasters Causing $1 Billion+ in Damages in Past Decades: Full Weight (~7.50 Points)
• Total Loss Amount from Climate Disasters Causing $1 Billion+ in Damages per Capita: Full Weight

 

Sources: Data used to create this ranking were collected from the U.S. Census Bureau, Bureau of Labor Statistics, Federal Bureau of Investigation, TransUnion, Parents for Megan’s Law, U.S. Fire Administration, Administration for Community Living - AGing Integrated Database, United Health Foundation, Federal Trade Commission, Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation, U.S. Department of Labor - Employment and Training Administration, Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts, National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, The Road Information Program, Advocates for Highway and Auto Safety, U.S. Department of Labor - Occupational Safety and Health Administration, National Centers for Environmental Information, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, FINRA Investor Education Foundation and CoreLogic.

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