In a recent analysis, MoneyGeek ranked 263 cities with populations over 100,000 from most to least safe.  The City of Joliet ranked #8 as one of safest cities in the United States. The analysis paired reported crime statistics from the Federal Bureau of Investigation with academic research on the societal costs of different types of crimes to estimate the cost of crime for each city.

Safety and the Cost of Crime

The direct economic costs of crime to individuals and society include victim medical and mental health care needs, damage to and loss of property and police and correction costs. Aside from the imminent danger of crime, people living in higher crime areas see depressed home values and pay higher prices for crucial needs, including home insurance, renters’ insurance, and auto insurance.

To assess the safest cities, crime data was analyzed, including violent crimes such as murder, rape and aggravated assault, and property crimes such as home burglary and motor vehicle theft.  Researchers calculated each city’s cost of crime and ranked the cities based on the crime per capita. Additionally, researchers quantified how much more violent crimes cost a community than property crimes.   

Methodology

To rank the safest cities in the United States, MoneyGeek started with standardized crime statistics reported to the FBI from 2021, the latest year of available data. The population of each city was added to the analysis to determine crime rates per 100,000 people, and this information was also accessed via data provided by the FBI.

MoneyGeek relied on research by professors Kathryn McCollister and Michael French of the University of Miami and Hai Fang of the University of Colorado, Denver to determine the cost of crime to society.  MoneyGeek then integrated their findings into the broader dataset to better understand the societal cost of crime within individual cities. Lastly, data provided via Wikipedia was utilized on the number and nature of mass shootings in the United Sates in 2021.

To access the complete article, visit: https://www.moneygeek.com/living/safest-cities/

In a recent analysis, MoneyGeek ranked 263 cities with populations over 100,000 from most to least safe.  The City of Joliet ranked #8 as one of safest cities in the United States. The analysis paired reported crime statistics from the Federal Bureau of Investigation with academic research on the societal costs of different types of crimes to estimate the cost of crime for each city.

Safety and the Cost of Crime

The direct economic costs of crime to individuals and society include victim medical and mental health care needs, damage to and loss of property and police and correction costs. Aside from the imminent danger of crime, people living in higher crime areas see depressed home values and pay higher prices for crucial needs, including home insurance, renters’ insurance, and auto insurance.

To assess the safest cities, crime data was analyzed, including violent crimes such as murder, rape and aggravated assault, and property crimes such as home burglary and motor vehicle theft.  Researchers calculated each city’s cost of crime and ranked the cities based on the crime per capita. Additionally, researchers quantified how much more violent crimes cost a community than property crimes.   

Methodology

To rank the safest cities in the United States, MoneyGeek started with standardized crime statistics reported to the FBI from 2021, the latest year of available data. The population of each city was added to the analysis to determine crime rates per 100,000 people, and this information was also accessed via data provided by the FBI.

MoneyGeek relied on research by professors Kathryn McCollister and Michael French of the University of Miami and Hai Fang of the University of Colorado, Denver to determine the cost of crime to society.  MoneyGeek then integrated their findings into the broader dataset to better understand the societal cost of crime within individual cities. Lastly, data provided via Wikipedia was utilized on the number and nature of mass shootings in the United Sates in 2021.

To access the complete article, visit: https://www.moneygeek.com/living/safest-cities/