Safety is a human right and it’s just as important to our quality of life as other factors, such as good health, housing, and financial stability. However, not all states provide their residents with the same level of security. So, after analyzing over 50 safety indicators across five categories, WalletHub determined that Vermont is the safest state in the nation.
“Vermont has the 13th-fewest aggravated assaults, seventh-fewest murders and nonnegligent manslaughters, and 25th-fewest thefts per capita, too,” the company reported, noting that Vermont performs exceptionally well when it comes to neighborhood safety, having the seventh-most neighborhood watch groups per capita and the second highest percentage of parents reporting that they feel safe in their neighborhoods.
The Green Mountain State was the best-ranked state in the financial safety category thanks to its low unemployment, which was 2.2 percent in August. WalletHub reported that Vermonters make their payments on time, and the state has the second-lowest rate of non-business bankruptcies.
Vermont was second for work safety and sixth for personal and residential safety. It is also among the best states for road safety. This, according to WalletHub, is partly due to its excellent roads and good driving behavior. “Vermont has the lowest percentage of people who have used a phone while driving, the fifth-lowest prevalence of harsh braking,” WalletHub noted in its report.
Neighboring New Hampshire is second on WalletHub’s list of the safest states in America. It has had the fewest mass shootings in the past two years and the fewest aggravated assaults. Additionally, the Granite State has the lowest poverty rate, and the average credit score of its residents is the second highest in the country.
The third place goes to Maine, mainly due to financial safety. WalletHub noted that along with a low unemployment rate, workers in Maine enjoy high job security and the third-best annual new job growth rate.
At the bottom of the ranking is Louisiana, with the second-worst emergency preparedness rank, based on factors like the number of climate disasters and the financial losses caused by them. Mississippi, 49th overall, is last for road safety and second to last for workplace safety.
Earlier this year, WalletHub put out a similar report, but this one focused on retirement, where Virginia ranked first for senior safety for its laws and protections targeting elder abuse.
You can read the complete findings from the company’s safety report on wallethub.com.
