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.
