Aerial view of downtown Irvine, California.

10 Safest Cities In The United States

Crimes can significantly impact any metropolis's quality of life, and places with higher crime rates are naturally deemed less safe. Crime and safety are, therefore, interlinked with a particular area's progress and economic prosperity. The direct impact of the costs of crime on individuals and society includes the victims' medical and mental health care requirements, loss and damage of property, and cost to the justice system. Nevertheless, there are several cities across the United States where crime rates are considerably lower, making them safer and great places to visit, live, and start a family. The following article looks at the 10 Safest Cities in the United States according to a list compiled by MoneyGeek using the cost of crime per capita based on standardized crime data from the Federal Bureau of Investigation.

1. Naperville, Illinois - $187 per capita

Aerial view of the Chicago suburb of Naperville, Illinois.

Part of the Chicago metropolitan area and just some 45 km west of the Chicago city center, Naperville is home to a population of just 149,137 residents, making it the fourth-most populous city in Illinois. A historic town founded by Joseph Naper in 1831 along the shores of the DuPage River, Naperville is a wonderful place to explore and one of the safest communities one can find. According to the data from MoneyGeek, the cost of crime per capita in Naperville is $187, with a violent crime rate of 66 per 100,000 people.

2. Cary, North Carolina - $195 per capita

Aerial drone photo of downtown park and library in Cary, North Carolina.

Cary forms part of the Raleigh metropolitan area and is the home to a population of 174,441 residents, making it North Carolina's seventh-largest municipality. The cost of crime per capita in Cary is $195, with a violent crime rate of 66 per 100,000 people. This makes Cary a very attractive place for young professionals, families, retirees, and students all looking for a stable and vibrant mid-size town in a most secure atmosphere.

3. Murrieta, California - $200 per capita

Daytime aerial view of the downtown business district of Murrieta, California.

Situated at the heart of the Los Angeles-San Diego mega-region, approximately 117,639 inhabitants call the town of Murrieta home. The cost of crime per capita in this mid-sized town is $200, with a violent crime rate of 81 per 100,000 people, making Murrieta the safest and most relaxing urban center in Southern California.

4. Carmel, Indiana - $214 per capita

The Indianapolis Indiana Temple in Carmel, Indiana. Editorial credit: Grindstone Media Group / Shutterstock.com

Carmel is a beautiful suburban community just north of Indianapolis. With a population of just 103,100 residents, Carmel’s cost of crime per capita is $214, and it has lower-than-average rates of crime like murder, rape, assault, and burglary. Moreover, Carmel has a violent crime rate of only 49 per 100,000 people.

5. Frisco, Texas - $218 per capita

Forming a portion of the Dallas-Fort Worth metroplex, Frisco is located just 40 km from Dallas. Home to a sizeable population of 212,626 residents, Frisco's cost of crime per capita is $218. Moreover, only 86 violent crimes per 100,000 people are reported on average per year in the city.

Read MoreFrisco, Texas

6. Amherst Town, New York - $227 per capita

Amherst Municipal Building in Amherst Town, New York. Image Credit: TonyTheTiger, via Wikimedia Commons

Having a population of 121,304 residents, the town of Amherst is the most populous suburb of Buffalo - New York's second-largest city. Amherst's cost of crime per capita is $227, with a violent crime rate of 126 per 100,000 people.

7. Cape Coral, Florida - $233 per capita

Aerial view of the city and gulf, Cape Coral, Florida.

Often nicknamed the "Venice in America," Cape Coral is the biggest and chief city of the "Cape Coral-Fort Myers, Florida Metropolitan Statistical Area," situated in the southwestern portion of Florida. With a population of 199,503 residents, Cape Coral's cost of crime per capita is $233, with a violent crime rate of 128 per 100,000 people.

Read MoreCape Coral, Florida

8. Irvine, California - $236 per capita

View of Balboa Island, and buildings in Irvine from Newport Beach, California.

Irvine is a planned city situated in California's Los Angeles metropolitan area. Having a population of 297,069 residents, Irvine's cost of crime per capita is $236, with a violent crime rate of 51 per 100,000 people.

9. Thousand Oaks, California - $252 per capita

Aerial view of 101 Freeway at Weslake Blvd in suburban Thousand Oaks, California.

Situated in the northwestern portion of the Greater Los Angeles metropolitan region, Thousand Oaks forms Conejo Valley's central populated core. With a population of 126,823 residents, the cost of crime per capita in Thousand Oaks is $252. Moreover, the city has a violent crime rate of 60 per 100,000 people.

10. McKinney, Texas - $276 per capita

A suburb of the Dallas-Fort Worth metroplex, McKinney is situated approximately 51 km north of Dallas. With a population of 208,335 residents, McKinney's cost of crime per capita is $276. Moreover, about 134 violent crimes per 100,000 people are reported on average per year in the city.

Safe cities are found all across the United States, but the safest ones all share the common characteristics of low crime rates. From 2019 to 2020, there has been an average of 15% increase in crime cost, with Naperville, Illinois, ranked as the overall safest city, whose cost of crime per capita is only $187. From personal to property crimes, these ten safest cities in America all boast low numbers of delinquent behavior and offer great places to live and work in.

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