We recently compiled a list of the 20 Safest States in the US in 2024 and in this article we will look at the safest state in the US.
The State of Crime in the United States
Crime has been one of the key challenges for American citizens and the government. According to data from the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), 2020 was one of the most dangerous years in decades with the number of murders rising to 30% during the year. Whereas the overall violent crime rate in the country surged by 5% during the same period. However, after 2020, the rate of crime reached a tipping point and has continued to decrease since then. As per the data from the FBI, the rate of violent crime decreased from 387 cases per 100,000 people in 2021 to 380.7 cases in 2022 depicting a 1.67% decrease during the year.
Fast forwarding to 2024, crime rates are following the same downward trajectory. According to government statistics, violent crime rates as a whole dropped 15.2% during the first quarter of 2024, whereas murders, reported rapes, and aggravated assaults also fell by 26.4%, 25.7%, and 12.5%, respectively.
Although the government statistics show that the crime rates are falling, however, the citizen sentiment about the overall security situation of the country remains bleak. A survey conducted by Gallup found that 63% of Americans described the crime issue as extremely or very serious in 2023. This number was up from 54%, which was last measured by the same organization in 2021. Moreover, the same survey also found that more than three-quarters of Americans believe that crime has increased in the country as compared to a year ago. The demographics of the response further revealed that the people living in big cities felt the crime rates rising more severely as compared to those living in rural areas.
Another recent survey conducted by Pew Research came to a similar conclusion and found that around 58% of Americans believe that reducing crime should be the priority of the government in 2024, up from 47% in 2021.
The interesting question to ask here is, what describes the difference between the statistics of the government that suggest falling crime rates and the general public sentiment, which suggests otherwise?
Currently, two primary government sources administer the data related to crime in the country, the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and the Bureau of Justice Statistics (BJS). The FBI releases its annual and quarterly data on reported crimes, collected from thousands of federal, state, county, and city-level police departments. However, two issues lead to an incomplete picture of the state of crime in the country. Firstly, the FBI only accounts for reported crimes, and that too for a handful of categories of violent and property crimes, thereby missing the unreported crimes and crimes that do not fall in the categorization of the department such as drug crimes. Secondly, while the department does take data from thousands of police departments and agencies, however, not all agencies participate every year. For instance, the latest 2022 report states that the FBI received data from 83% of the participating agencies, again leading to an incomplete picture.
On the other hand, the BJS relies on annual victimization surveys from people aged 12 and older. While this method does account for unreported crimes as well, however, it again falls short and captures only a handful of violent and property crimes similar to the FBI. The FBI is working on a new data collection system called the National Incident-Based Reporting System, which is expected to provide a clearer picture of crime rates based on large categories of both reported and unreported crimes. If you want to read more about the safest places in the United States, you can read 40 Best Places to Visit in South America That Are Beautiful and Safe and 15 Safest Cities To Live in Florida.
Companies Helping the Law Enforcement Agencies to Curb Crime Rates
Companies like Axon Enterprise, Inc. (NASDAQ:AXON) develops and sells technology products and services to law enforcement agencies in the United States and internationally. The company is known for its Conducted Energy Devices (CEDs), commonly known as Tasers. The company also provides integrated hardware and cloud-based software solutions to law enforcement agencies that enable them to capture, store, and manage videos and other digital evidence through body cameras, in-car cameras, and other related software.
Axon Enterprise, Inc. (NASDAQ:AXON) has recently added a Real-Time Crime Center (RTCC) technology to its portfolio. On February 1st, the company announced the acquisition of Fusus, a global leader in RTCC technology, thereby adding this cutting-edge technology to its portfolio. The acquisition will facilitate a seamless connection of Axon’s critical data sources including camera location, video feeds, and body-worn cameras to provide a real-time view of ongoing incidents and activities. The RTCC data will provide law enforcement agencies with the latest data analysis capabilities which can help identify crime trends and patterns allowing the agencies to react more proactively and curb crime rates.
The company is also extending its alliance with Skydio, a leading US drone manufacturer, to add scalable drones to its portfolio of public safety offerings. The company aims to equip law enforcement agencies with the Drone as First Responder (DFR) program. The DFR program is not only equipped to survey the crime scene swiftly but also reduces the risk of officers getting hurt as first responders. The Montgomery County Police Department in Maryland is already witnessing great results with the DFR program and has achieved an average response time of only 64 seconds, that too without risking officers.
Now that we have discussed the crime situation in the United States and how companies like Axon Enterprise, Inc. (NASDAQ:AXON) are equipping law enforcement agencies with the latest technologies. Let’s now look at the 20 safest states in the US in 2024.
Our Methodology
To compile the list of the 20 safest states in the US in 2024, we relied on a consensus methodology. We sifted through 10 online rankings to get an aggregate list of the safest states in the US. Next, we turned to Reddit to rank the safest states as per Redditor’s sentiment. We analyzed 5 high engagement threads that asked people about the safest states in the US. We only selected threads with at least 100 comments. Lastly, from these threads, we calculated the total number of Reddit upvotes for each state and ranked our list accordingly. Please note that the list of the safest states in the US in 2024 is arranged in ascending order of the total number of Reddit upvotes. Moreover we have also included population figures to our list descriptions sourced from US Census Bureau.
Note: This list is not exhaustive and does not reflect our opinion. The ranking is solely based on the opinions of Reddit users.
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The Safest State in the US in 2024
1. New Hampshire
Upvotes: 36,763
New Hampshire is situated in the New England region of the United States and is considered one of the safest states in the US in 2024. The state has one of the lowest crime rates in the United States, its violent crime ratio is approximately 65% lower than the national average, whereas its property crime rate is also half as much as the average of the other states. The state is considered safe not only in terms of crime but also renowned for its emergency preparedness and financial safety.
The state had a population of 1.4 million in 2023, with approximately 94% of the population being literate. The state also has good employment rates and around 66.5% of the population is employed in the labor force, above the national average of 63%.
Curious to learn about other states that Redditors consider the safest? Check out our report on the 20 Safest States in the US in 2024.
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