Safest Cities in America: Memphis, New Orleans, Philly fall to bottom of 2024 list

 

 A year after St. Louis, Missouri sank to the bottom of a very dubious list, researchers have found that safety in America has shifted once again. The new poll of the nation’s safest metropolitan areas has not only named a new city as “America’s safest” but has also dropped another famous town to the bottom of the barrel.

While St. Louis finished last in 2023, the new report now places Memphis, Tennessee at the bottom of the 2024 list. At the opposite end of the spectrum, South Burlington, Vermont takes the crown as America’s safest city in 2024.

Researchers from WalletHub compared 182 cities, including the 150 most populated U.S. cities and at least two of the most populated cities in each state. The team focused on three key dimensions: Home and community safety, the risk of natural disasters, and financial safety.

After examining 41 different metrics in those three fields and creating a 100-point scale to grade them, researchers found that South Burlington finished head and shoulders above any other city. The Vermont community, with roughly 20,000 residents, ranked in the top 10 of all three major categories, finishing first overall in terms of financial safety.

South Burlington had the lowest unemployment rate and second-lowest percentage of residents living without insurance. The Wallethub team also notes that South Burlington is relatively safe from natural disasters, ranking low for the risk of floods, tornadoes, and wildfires.

Overlook Park in South Burlington, Vermont (Credit: vermontalm/Shutterstock)

Rounding out the top five safest cities are Casper, Wyoming (2nd), Warwick, Rhode Island (3rd), Burlington, Vermont (4th), and Boise, Idaho (5th).

Another standout on this year’s list is Columbia, Maryland (8th), which ranked as the safest U.S. city when it comes to home and community safety. Meanwhile, Juneau, Alaska (16th) ranked as the safest community from natural disasters.

Big City Safety In Major Decline

At the other end of the conversation, plenty of big-name cities are struggling with safety in all of its forms.

Starting in Memphis, the “Home of the Blues” fell from 176th in 2023 to dead last in 2024. Memphis finished in the bottom five in terms of assaults and traffic deaths and had the lowest percentage of households with emergency savings.

After finishing 170th in 2023, New Orleans tumbled to 178th in 2024, finishing in the bottom five of WalletHub’s new list. New Orleans was second-to-last in terms of home and community safety and in the bottom 10 for financial security.

Other major cities sliding into the bottom 10 in terms of America’s safest cities were Philadelphia (174th), Cleveland (176th), Baltimore (177th), and Detroit (181st).

While researchers found major disparities between the safest and least safe cities, there was one factor in this year’s rankings that appears to be affecting every American metropolis: overall scores for safety are getting lower everywhere. While 2023’s safest city carried an overall score of 86 out of 100, South Burlington could only manage a score of 74.15.

Meanwhile, St. Louis finished in last place in 2023 with a score of 44.88. This year, the city in last (Memphis) only managed to score 34.81. Has the nation’s public safety dropped by roughly 10 points in just one year? While this is only one survey, the numbers are clearly pointing in the wrong direction nationwide.

Safest Cities in the U.S.

Overall Rank*	City	Total Score	Home & Community Safety Rank	Natural-Disaster Risk Rank	Financial Safety Rank
1	South Burlington, VT	74.15	9	6	1
2	Casper, WY	71.51	37	5	3
3	Warwick, RI	70.33	12	9	52
4	Burlington, VT	69.55	38	6	7
5	Boise, ID	69.17	26	46	19
6	Yonkers, NY	68.75	3	29	139
7	Cedar Rapids, IA	68.36	10	43	78
8	Columbia, MD	68.08	1	11	65
9	Portland, ME	67.77	44	23	2
10	Virginia Beach, VA	67.58	15	53	64
11	Irvine, CA	67.41	4	127	121
12	Fargo, ND	67.15	33	74	30
13	Chesapeake, VA	67.06	19	42	79
14	Missoula, MT	67.04	55	8	59
15	Nashua, NH	67.03	16	111	8
16	Juneau, AK	67.01	101	1	111
17	Vancouver, WA	66.88	78	2	58
18	Honolulu, HI	66.86	35	57	10
19	Madison, WI	66.82	29	88	14
20	Huntsville, AL	66.78	27	63	50
21	Laredo, TX	66.72	32	25	84
22	Sioux Falls, SD	66.71	36	86	23
23	Chula Vista, CA	66.34	20	39	104
24	Fremont, CA	66.24	17	137	37
25	Glendale, CA	66.15	5	150	137
26	Salem, OR	66.13	72	13	20
27	Santa Rosa, CA	65.94	50	20	48
28	Nampa, ID	65.92	49	16	60
29	Santa Clarita, CA	65.82	2	150	159
30	Brownsville, TX	65.54	21	95	71
31	Gilbert, AZ	65.33	7	155	27
32	Port St. Lucie, FL	65.20	25	56	132
33	Boston, MA	65.19	57	31	13
34	St. Paul, MN	65.03	51	44	47
35	Garden Grove, CA	64.82	14	127	120
36	Huntington Beach, CA	64.79	22	127	102
37	Oceanside, CA	64.78	34	39	95
38	Bismarck, ND	64.69	59	65	12
39	Scottsdale, AZ	64.27	18	155	21
40	Pearl City, HI	64.08	6	57	4
41	Aurora, IL	64.05	24	62	151
42	Fort Wayne, IN	64.04	42	32	114
43	San Diego, CA	64.01	43	39	81
44	Modesto, CA	63.69	77	21	56
45	Worcester, MA	63.46	52	80	22
46	Chandler, AZ	63.27	31	155	24
47	Lincoln, NE	63.25	56	115	26
48	Rancho Cucamonga, CA	63.12	30	166	92
49	Oxnard, CA	63.05	47	59	122
50	Lexington-Fayette, KY	62.72	54	73	40
51	Moreno Valley, CA	62.72	28	68	167
52	West Valley City, UT	62.68	58	82	55
53	Hialeah, FL	62.63	11	116	174
54	Spokane, WA	62.59	85	24	35
55	Cheyenne, WY	62.46	70	114	6
56	Amarillo, TX	62.14	53	154	33
57	Jersey City, NJ	62.02	68	17	147
58	Overland Park, KS	61.94	65	118	28
59	Cape Coral, FL	61.88	23	132	166
60	Manchester, NH	61.77	67	111	9
61	Bridgeport, CT	61.72	62	28	156
62	Grand Prairie, TX	61.67	8	179	118
63	Anchorage, AK	61.63	128	3	18
64	Providence, RI	61.26	69	47	86
65	Des Moines, IA	61.11	73	50	105
66	Omaha, NE	60.97	83	96	38
67	Charlotte, NC	60.80	48	135	74
67	North Las Vegas, NV	60.80	40	103	180
69	Peoria, AZ	60.66	46	143	36
70	Ontario, CA	60.32	41	166	142
71	Billings, MT	60.31	106	37	34
72	Winston-Salem, NC	60.17	74	97	66
73	Pembroke Pines, FL	60.01	13	174	169
74	Durham, NC	59.98	63	148	29
75	Santa Ana, CA	59.92	61	127	138
76	Columbus, GA	59.78	82	48	112
77	Las Cruces, NM	59.76	81	60	97
78	Lubbock, TX	59.72	75	120	39
79	Irving, TX	59.55	39	178	96
80	Fontana, CA	59.51	45	166	149
81	Rapid City, SD	59.35	97	98	16
82	Raleigh, NC	59.07	66	165	31
83	Anaheim, CA	59.05	76	127	128
84	Reno, NV	58.92	114	26	91
85	Mesa, AZ	58.91	71	155	43
86	Fort Smith, AR	58.72	92	106	15
87	Newport News, VA	58.68	99	30	99
88	Grand Rapids, MI	58.66	96	64	76
89	Minneapolis, MN	57.90	102	133	42
90	Lewiston, ME	57.88	144	4	11
91	Plano, TX	57.85	64	171	53
92	Tempe, AZ	57.79	80	155	32
93	Huntington, WV	57.79	132	14	70
94	New Haven, CT	57.78	112	36	85
95	Rochester, NY	57.71	100	67	93
96	Henderson, NV	57.54	86	103	162
97	Newark, NJ	57.05	88	35	179
98	Norfolk, VA	56.98	103	79	87
99	Riverside, CA	56.80	98	68	124
100	Arlington, TX	56.72	60	181	119
101	St. Petersburg, FL	56.55	115	45	109
102	San Jose, CA	56.46	117	99	75
103	Sacramento, CA	56.35	125	54	98
104	Wichita, KS	56.21	116	91	44
105	Long Beach, CA	56.17	91	150	155
106	Augusta, GA	55.99	79	89	88
107	Stockton, CA	55.79	123	52	135
108	Springfield, MO	55.61	129	51	68
109	Tulsa, OK	55.55	107	119	102
110	Corpus Christi, TX	55.54	140	18	41
111	Fresno, CA	55.42	93	176	145
112	Greensboro, NC	55.31	110	123	90
113	San Francisco, CA	55.24	149	10	69
114	Columbia, SC	55.22	95	126	154
115	Aurora, CO	55.22	120	93	134
116	Tampa, FL	55.13	87	147	153
117	Montgomery, AL	55.11	118	34	165
118	Portland, OR	55.07	150	19	17
119	Charleston, SC	54.83	113	145	62
120	Glendale, AZ	54.77	105	155	73
121	Fort Worth, TX	54.64	84	177	152
122	El Paso, TX	54.62	122	78	110
123	New York, NY	54.60	127	66	115
124	Miami, FL	54.60	89	116	178
125	Mobile, AL	54.39	90	170	146
126	Seattle, WA	54.32	146	22	63
127	Knoxville, TN	54.32	124	90	94
128	Indianapolis, IN	54.31	134	33	131
129	San Antonio, TX	54.23	108	162	100
130	Tallahassee, FL	53.97	111	139	123
131	Dover, DE	53.94	121	76	141
132	Garland, TX	53.79	94	173	126
133	Gulfport, MS	53.78	109	144	107
134	Salt Lake City, UT	53.76	139	82	61
135	Tacoma, WA	53.61	155	12	44
136	Bakersfield, CA	53.43	130	109	143
137	Cincinnati, OH	53.39	126	102	116
138	Austin, TX	52.87	131	142	46
139	Chicago, IL	52.42	104	140	177
140	Buffalo, NY	52.17	138	108	49
141	Toledo, OH	51.98	137	72	136
142	Fayetteville, NC	51.88	119	164	129
143	Akron, OH	51.56	133	113	150
144	Charleston, WV	51.44	156	55	5
145	Albuquerque, NM	51.34	147	110	77
146	Tucson, AZ	51.33	152	27	80
147	Nashville, TN	51.08	135	149	82
148	Kansas City, MO	50.87	154	38	72
149	Phoenix, AZ	50.83	136	155	66
150	Louisville, KY	50.63	141	134	89
151	Pittsburgh, PA	50.52	153	84	25
152	Oklahoma City, OK	50.19	143	141	57
153	Wilmington, DE	49.48	142	121	130
154	Las Vegas, NV	48.79	145	103	173
155	Shreveport, LA	48.43	148	75	171
156	Milwaukee, WI	48.08	159	49	106
157	Colorado Springs, CO	47.95	151	180	51
158	Chattanooga, TN	47.19	160	77	54
159	Columbus, OH	46.35	161	85	108
160	Birmingham, AL	46.08	157	94	160
161	Denver, CO	45.88	167	81	101
162	Los Angeles, CA	45.20	158	150	161
163	St. Louis, MO	44.07	173	15	127
164	Jacksonville, FL	43.00	164	124	163
165	Atlanta, GA	42.93	163	163	140
166	Dallas, TX	42.88	162	172	132
167	Jackson, MS	42.31	166	125	164
168	Orlando, FL	42.05	169	122	144
169	Little Rock, AR	42.01	168	146	117
170	Richmond, VA	41.06	174	70	125
171	Houston, TX	41.01	165	182	157
172	Washington, DC	39.72	178	92	83
173	San Bernardino, CA	39.55	170	166	168
174	Philadelphia, PA	39.43	175	87	158
175	Oakland, CA	39.42	176	137	113
176	Cleveland, OH	39.33	171	107	172
177	Baltimore, MD	38.39	179	61	170
178	New Orleans, LA	37.53	181	71	175
179	Baton Rouge, LA	36.23	182	136	148
180	Fort Lauderdale, FL	36.06	172	174	176
181	Detroit, MI	35.49	177	100	182
182	Memphis, TN	34.81	180	101	181

Notes: *No. 1 = Safest
With the exception of “Total Score,” all of the columns in the table above depict the relative rank of that city, where a rank of 1 represents the best conditions for that metric category.

Methodology

To determine the safest cities in which to live, WalletHub compared 182 cities — including the 150 most populated U.S. cities, plus at least two of the most populated cities in each state — across three key dimensions: 1) Home & Community Safety (60 points), 2) Natural-Disaster Risk (20 points), and 3) Financial Safety (20 points).

Researchers evaluated those dimensions using 41 relevant metrics. Each metric was graded on a 100-point scale, with a score of 100 representing the highest level of safety.

WalletHub then determined each city’s weighted average across all metrics to calculate its overall score and used the resulting scores to rank-order the sample. In determining the sample, researchers considered only the city proper in each case, excluding cities in the surrounding metro area.