Widgets Magazine

Top 10 Safest cities in the US with the Best quality of life – 2023

Last updated on: August 2, 2023

When moving to a new city, Americans are interested in choosing a safe community to live in. The crime rate is a good indicator of how safe a city is. Recently, the United States of America registered an average rate of 395.70 violent-crimes per 100,000 people and a property crime rate of 1958 according to the FBI. If you’re moving somewhere in the United States and are looking for a city that offers a high level of security and safety, MovingWaldo is here to help you! Here are the Top 10 safest cities in the US!

Methodology

We based our ranking on the 3 following criteria: the violent-crime rate, the property crime rate, and the total crime rate (the sum of both property and violent-crime rates). Statistics come from the FBI Uniform Crime Reporting (UCR) Program. According to the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), The UCR Program “includes data from more than 18,000 city, university and college, county, state, tribal, and federal law enforcement agencies. Agencies participate voluntarily and submit their crime data either through a state UCR program or directly to the FBI’s UCR Program”.

We’ve used these data to rank the 10 safest cities in America while also considering their quality of life. To support our ranking, we thought it would be relevant to compare the statistics of the cities concerned with the national rates.

(*FBI & National Incident-Based Reporting System)

1. Carmel, Indiana

Suburban feels

Population: 100,777
Average cost of living: $1,936

Carmel, Indiana, makes it to the number 1 stop on our list of safest cities in the US. With a violent crime rate of 45.68 per 100,000 people, which is 88.45% less than the average rate of violent crimes in America. Carmel is a safe community to live in. The city also offers fewer property crimes when compared to the national average. Living in Carmel provides you with a dense suburban feel, and most residents own their own homes. There are lots of restaurants, coffee shops, and parks in Carmel.

(*FBI Uniform Crime Reporting, Census.gov & Living Cost Org)

Carmel, Indiana

2. Frisco, Texas

Best place for sports-minded

Population: 210,719
Average cost of living: $1,945

Generally, Texas has many of the safest cities to live in the US, which is why we have up to four cities from Texas making it to this list. Frisco is one of them. At number four on this list, Frisco, Texas, has an average crime rate of 86.75 per 100,000 people, which means it is two times safer than the national average. Its violent crime rate is also 78% lower than the national average. “Everything is bigger in Texas” holds true in Frisco. The city is home to around 80 different parks stretching over 1,300 acres. Frisco is also big in sports and fitness, with world-class courts and stadiums for golf, baseball, and football.

(*FBI Uniform Crime Reporting, Census.gov and Living Cost Org)

Frisco, Texas

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3. Pearland, Texas

Portal to Houston Texas

Population: 125,990
Average cost of living: $1,950

Yet again, another Texas city to make our list of safest cities in the US with the best quality of life. Pearland ranks as one of the safest places to live in Texas, with a violent crime rate of 90 per 100,000 people. This means it is 77% safer than the average city in America. Pearland is a short distance away from Texas’ capital, Houston. You can get to Houston from Pearland in around 23 minutes when driving nonstop. Due to this, many people prefer to live in Pearland and visit Houston for different cultural and social amenities.

(*FBI Uniform Crime Reporting and Census.gov and Living Cost Org)

Pearland, Texas

4. Sugar Land, Texas

Best for recreational activities

Population: 109,373
Average cost of living: $1,853

Sugar Land is a dense urban mid-sized city in Fort Bend County, Texas. Sugar Land’s crime rates are much lower than in the other dense urban areas, statewide and nationally. With a violent crime rate of 91 cases per 100,000 people, Sugar Land is 77% safer than most of the US, securing its place on our list of safest cities in America. You are also two times less likely to experience violent property crime in Sugar Land when compared to the national average. Besides the low level of crime, Sugar Land offers a lower cost of living than the national average and most cities in Texas. Recreation is also a strong selling point for this city. There is always a new restaurant to explore and a vibrant nightlife to be a part of.

(*FBI Uniform Crime Reporting, Census.gov and Living Cost Org)

Sugar Land, Texas

5. Cary, North Carolina

Best place for jobs in the US

Population: 176,987
Average cost of living: $1,989

Similar to Carmel, Cary offers its residents a dense suburban feel. Cary is a suburb in Wake County, and it is one of the best places in North Carolina and one of the safest cities to live in the US. Its violent crime rate stands at 91.61 for every 100,000 people. This is much lower than the average violent crime rate in the US, which is 395.70 per 100,000 people. Additionally, combined property and violent crime rates are three times lower than the national average. The Raleigh-Cary area has also been ranked number 1 best place for jobs in the US by Glassdoor. Jobs in Cary are focused on technology, healthcare, and education, with companies like Google, Cisco, Apple, SAS, IBM, and more, calling the area home.

(*FBI Uniform Crime Reporting Census.gov and Living Cost Org)

Cary, North Carolina

6. Virginia Beach, Virginia

Best place for swimmers

Population: 457,672
Average cost of living: $2,047

The last addition to this list of safest cities in the US is Virginia Beach. Located on the southeastern coast of Virginia, the beach city is not only safe; it offers a great quality of life to its residents. In a survey of the best largest cities to live in America by Wallethub, Virginia Beach ranked third in both affordability and quality of life. It is a beach city, so if you enjoy spending time at the beach, swimming or surfing, then you’ll love this city. Virginia city is extremely safe as it experiences 117.07 violent crimes per 100,000 people, 70.41% below the national average.

(*FBI Uniform Crime Reporting Census.gov and Living Cost Org)

Virginia Beach, Virginia

7. McKinney, Texas

Rising economy

Population: 202,690
Average cost of living: $1,893

Another Texas city to make our list of safest cities in the US is McKinney. McKinney offers a dense suburban experience to its residents, with many residents owning their own homes. McKinney has a diverse economy with a thriving tech scene and a long history of manufacturing. It also offers excellent job prospects in insurance, finance, and healthcare. McKinney is also known to be very safe and registers a violent crime rate that is 66% lesser than the national average. Its violent property crime is also 58% below the national average.

(*FBI Uniform Crime Reporting, Census.gov and Living Cost Org)

McKinney, Texas

8. Sandy Springs, Georgia

Best place for young families

Population: 107,180
Average cost of living: $1,945

Located in Fulton County, Sandy Springs is one of the best places to live in Georgia and one of the safest cities in the US. It has a violent crime rate of 147.50, which is 63% below the national average of 395.70 violent crimes per 100,000 people. Sandy Springs is a great place to have a family. There are many restaurants, coffee shops, playgrounds, and parks. The relatively small city boasts more than a dozen parks, with three being run by the National Park Service. If you live near the city’s newly renovated downtown areas called City Springs, then you can get every one of your daily needs, from entertainment to groceries, on foot.

(*FBI Uniform Crime Reporting and Census.gov and Living Cost Org)

Sandy Springs, Georgia

9. Meridian, Idaho

Fastest-growing city in Idaho

Population: 125,963
Average cost of living: $1,951

Meridian, Idaho, is one of the safest cities in the US as the city has a low violent crime rate of 159 per 100,000 people. In addition to being safe, Meridian also offers a good job market that has caused an influx of new residents in recent years making it the fastest-growing city in Idaho. Meridian is the third-largest city in Idaho and is located just outside of Boise, the capital city. Due to its proximity to Boise and cheaper real estate market, many people who work in the capital prefer to live in Meridian.

(*FBI Uniform Crime Reporting Census.gov and Living Cost Org)

Meridian, Idaho

10. Sterling Heights, Michigan

Safe haven

Population: 133,269
Average cost of living: $1,827

Sterling Heights, Michigan, is still one of the safest cities in the US. Sterling Heights experiences 43% less violent crime than the national average of 395.70 crimes per 100,000 people. Residents also witness about three times less violent property crime than the national average. Asides from the safety and tranquility, the quality of life in Sterling Heights is also admirable. The cost of living in Sterling Heights is lower than the national average, with the cost of housing, grocery items, utilities, transportation, and more being less expensive than other cities.

(*Census.gov, FBI Uniform Crime Reporting & Living Cost Org)

Sterling Heights, Michigan

Conclusion

There we have it, the Top 10 safest cities in America. While they all have varying levels of safety, this list provides you with the safest options if you are looking for a new city to move to. Be sure to consider your preferences in terms of amenities, job and industry, housing, and more, before making a decision. Nevertheless, whatever your choice is, these ten cities are some of the very best places to live in the US.

Last year's ranking (2022)

1. Carmel, Indiana
2. Cary, North Carolina
3. Sugar Land, Texas
4. Frisco, Texas
5. Meridian, Idaho
6. McKinney, Texas
7. Sandy Springs, Georgia
8. Pearland, Texas
9. Sterling Heights, Michigan
10. Virginia Beach, Virginia

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The expert

Mathieu Paquette

The author of this article also acts as MovingWaldo’s booking agent. Matt, is an accomplished relocation specialist with over 6 years of experience in the industry. Matt has earned a CAM certification (Canadian Association Of Movers), Tariff Certification (Atlas Van Lines), and has an extensive business background. Before handing off everything you own, do your due diligence… or let Matt do it for you.

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