With only 38% of Americans “very” confident they can protect themselves from COVID-19 when they go out in public, the personal-finance website WalletHub today released its report on 2021's Safest Cities in America, as well as accompanying videos and expert commentary.
To determine where Americans can feel most protected against life’s hazards, including nonphysical forms of danger, WalletHub compared more than 180 U.S. cities across 44 key metrics. The data set ranges from COVID-19 deaths in the past week per capita and assaults per capita to the unemployment rate and road quality.
| Safest Cities in America | Least Safe Cities in America |
| 1. Columbia, MD | 173. Lubbock, TX |
| 2. South Burlington, VT | 174. St. Petersburg, FL |
| 3. Nashua, NH | 175. Anchorage, AK |
| 4. Yonkers, NY | 176. Birmingham, AL |
| 5. Madison, WI | 177. Baton Rouge, LA |
| 6. Portland, ME | 178. Memphis, TN |
| 7. Warwick, RI | 179. Oklahoma City, OK |
| 8. Raleigh, NC | 180. San Bernardino, CA |
| 9. Burlington, VT | 181. Fort Lauderdale, FL |
| 10. Winston-Salem, NC | 182. St. Louis, MO |
Safest vs. Least Safe
- Irvine, California, has the fewest aggravated assault incidents (per 100,000 residents), 22.22, which is 86.3 times fewer than in Memphis, Tennessee, the city with the most at 1,917.08.
- Port St. Lucie, Florida, has the fewest thefts (per 1,000 residents), 8.26, which is 9.2 times fewer than in Salt Lake City, Utah, the city with the most at 75.93.
- Washington has the most law-enforcement employees (per 100,000 residents), 627, which is 5.9 times more than in Irvine, California, the city with the fewest at 107.
- Laredo, Texas, has among the fewest pedestrian fatalities (per 100,000 residents), 0.38, which is 28.8 times fewer than in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, the city with the most at 10.96.
To read the full report and your city’s rank, please visit:
https://wallethub.com/edu/
More from WalletHub
- Safest States in America
- Best & Worst States to Be a Police Officer
- Best & Worst States for Health Care
Expert Commentary
What steps should local authorities take to help reduce the public costs associated with cleanups after major natural disasters? Should flood or other types of insurance be mandatory?
“Debris management can be one of the most expensive aspects of disasters, but proactive measures can help to reduce the cost. Planning is obviously crucial. Communities need to identify who is responsible for debris management and what other organizations or entities can assist. Creating contracts before a disaster is extremely important so you can guarantee service and lock in a lower rate. Communities can also obtain federal funding, assuming the disaster has received a presidential declaration. Other activities such as recycling can reduce the number of debris and/or help protect the environment. It is also recommended that local officials monitor fraudulent practices to limit unnecessary expenses.”
David McEntire – Professor, Utah Valley University
“Communities are often vulnerable in a variety of respects – notably social, economic, and in terms of the built environment. As populations increase, it is more likely that people will reside in areas of higher risk. When the individual capacity to respond to a disaster is limited, the government is called upon to cover the shortfall in capacity. Reducing vulnerability as much as possible in the period before a disaster or hazard event can address low capacities to respond effectively. As an example, many communities have waited far too long to address the potential for flooding, which might already be a daily event even absent a large storm. Another issue is with building codes that were written for another time – before the current era of extreme events, where disaster is a common occurrence rather than a rare event (the so-called new normal).”
Christopher L. Atkinson – Assistant Professor, University of West Florida
What can consumers do to increase their financial literacy since sound financial decisions increase a person’s financial safety?
“One of the most important things is to create a budget and track your income and expenses. This can help you determine where to spend your money, how to save your money, and how to invest your money.”
David McEntire – Professor, Utah Valley University
“I think we need a wholesale rethink of the topical structure within the overall educational system in this country. Although I am strongly in favor of requiring financial literacy or personal finance courses in college, I recognize that college is not a choice for everyone and in some cases, not even a desire. I think financial literacy education needs to be embedded in the educational system, in a formal sense, beginning with elementary education… How can everyday consumers increase their financial literacy?...One option is to watch or subscribe to YouTube channels related to financial literacy…Another option is to visit websites that provide financial information without requiring a paid subscription. A third option is visiting and reviewing financially-oriented blogs…Finally, there are many books available to increase basic financial literacy.”
Brian Bossak, Ph.D., MPH – Associate Professor, College of Charleston
What measures can police departments take to increase public trust? How important is it to have a police force that is representative of the local community?
“Police departments are an indispensable part of upholding the rule of law and ensuring that communities are livable. The mandate for law enforcement to achieve public safety can only be realized if law enforcement is ‘of’ the community – that is, that the enforcement of laws is recognized as being done on behalf of and for a community – hopefully by people that are from a community and represent its full diversity – rather than something done to a community or subsets of the community.”
Christopher L. Atkinson – Assistant Professor, University of West Florida
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