When you reach retirement age, and you are no longer tied to your place of employment, it might make sense to start looking for a new place to plant your roots and begin the next stage of your life. Or you could be interested in buying a second home for extended vacations and seasonal stays.
Despite different motivations, one of the main criteria that many retirees seek when moving to a new city is how safe the new city is and how it ranks compared to the national rate.
This begs the question: What are the safest cities in the U.S.?
Unfortunately, there is no single answer. The various organizations involved in ranking the safest cities use different metrics to make their determinations, which can provide a host of options.
In most instances, the aggregators of these safe-city lists rely on murder and property crime rates per 100,000 people as determined by reports from the Federal Bureau of Investigations (FBI). However, some rankers include other factors as well, such as drug poisoning mortality rates, vehicular mortality rates and levels of excessive drinking in the local population.
These differences can lead to conflicting results. Safety can be a subjective term for many individuals, and a city’s crime rate is not always indicative of how safe it might be to live there. This is especially true for some of the larger cities noted in this list.
To make it easier for you, we have compiled some of the top spots below. For this list, we included cities from several different lists and categorized the areas based on their sizes.
US national averages
To get a better understanding of how the ratings apply to most of the cities on this list, it is important to first review the U.S. national averages. These will provide additional context to the individual city ratings.
US data
Before diving into our list, let us first look at the crime rates and other measures we will be examining for the entire United States. These country-wide averages can help give some context to the rates for each individual city.
U.S. total population: approximately 330,854,690 (as of 1/25/21).
- Violent crime rate: 366.7.
- Property crime rate: 2109.9.
- Median household income: $68,703.
- Median home price: $324,900.
As noted above, these violent and property crime numbers are the rates per 100,000 inhabitants. Refer back to this list when reviewing the entries on the list to see how they stack up against the national averages.
Safe small cities
These are cities with around 100,000 residents or fewer. For many retirees, a small metro area may provide the quiet peace of mind they need in their golden years. Due to a smaller population in general, these areas tend to have much lower crime rates than bigger cities.
Hopkinton, Massachusetts
The smallest city on our list, Hopkinton, Massachusetts, only has around 16,720 residents. Hopkinton is perhaps best known as the starting point for the annual Boston Marathon, which is held on Patriots’ Day in April each year.
This quaint city only recorded two violent crimes in 2018, while its property crime rate was less than 10% of the national rate.
While it is on the much smaller side, Hopkinton is only 26 miles from Boston, with easy highway access and commuter rail services to the city.
Penn Township, Westmoreland County, Pennsylvania
With a population of around 19,387 people, Penn Township, Westmoreland County is considered the safest city in Pennsylvania. It had just one reported property crime in 2018. The violent crime rate was 1.55 per 1,000 residents.
Keep in mind that 13 different locations share the name Penn Township in Pennsylvania, but there is only one in Westmoreland County.
Midland, Michigan
Home of the beautiful 110-acre Dow Gardens, this central Michigan city offers a peaceful atmosphere with plenty to do.
With a population of around 82,943 people, the city’s violent crime rate is only 142, and the property crime rate stands at 795.7. Midland has a median household income: $62,625 and median home price of $141,700.
Dubuque, Iowa
Located on the Mississippi River where Iowa, Illinois and Wisconsin all meet, this historic city boasts a lively and safe reputation for families.
The city of around 96,742 people had a violent crime rate of 134.4 and a property crime rate of 1,140.1. Its median household income is about $54,234, while the median home price sits at $143,500.
Green Bay, Wisconsin
U.S. News and World Report Real Estate® listed Green Bay, Wisconsin, as its top choice for the country’s safest city, according to its Best Places rankings. The city also ranked #25 on the publication’s overall Best Places to Live.
The home of the NFL’s storied Packers franchise, Green Bay received an 8.5 out of 10 on the list based on the metro area’s murder and property crime rates per 100,000 people. For both violent crime and property crime, Green Bay scored significantly better than other cities with much lower than averages.
With around 104,057 residents, Green Bay is the third-largest city on Lake Michigan’s west shore, after Chicago and Milwaukee. Access to the lake provides a wealth of activities and scenic spots.
Safe mid-sized cities
These are cities with more 100,000 and up to around 250,000 residents. While not as busy as the big cities, these locales still offer an urban vibe without all the extra hustle and bustle found in larger metropolises.
Glens Falls, New York
Located just north of the state’s capital of Albany, Glens Falls has a thriving art scene and close proximity to the Adirondack mountains.
With a population of 124,339, it had a violent crime rate of 127.1, a property crime rate of 728.7, a median household income of $50,071 and median home price at $156,200.
State College, Pennsylvania
The home of Pennsylvania State University, this town of 163,681 people has a lively atmosphere due to the college students. It has a violent crime rate of 122.2, property crime rate of 895.6, a median household income of $34,005 and a median home price of $312,400.
The Villages, Florida
If a lively college scene is not quite your style, The Villages in Florida might be better suited for you. A thriving metropolitan area of Florida populated mostly by retirees, it is nestled slightly northwest of Orlando. The area makes use of a well-organized master-planned community with lots of activities and amenities and warm weather.
This city has a population of around 132,914, with a violent crime rate of 187.3 and property crime rate of 856.9. Its households earned a median income of $63,841, while the median home price is $280,300.
Naperville, Illinois
Located in the exurbs of Chicago, Naperville is the fourth-largest city in Illinois, and one of the safest in the country. This city of 148,449 residents only has a violent crime rate of 70 per 100,000 people, with a property crime rate of 358.
San Rafael, California, M.S.A
With a population of 258,329 people and a pleasant Mediterranean climate, San Rafael is an ideal spot for retirees. The city had a violent rate of only 199.7, a property crime rate of 2,107 and a vehicle theft rate at 162.6. The nice weather and close proximity to San Francisco make it a popular tourist attraction.
Safe large cities
These are cities with more than 250,000 residents. These metro areas have more to offer in terms of amenities, activities and diversity. But due to their sizes, these cities do still have their share of crime. However, they still rank at the bottom for violent and property crime, and each one boasts high standards of living.
Plano, Texas
Located about 20 miles north of Dallas, Plano has a population of around 259,841 people. Plano’s violent crime rate sits at 148 for every 100,000 residents, and its property crime rate is only 1,683 incidents per 100,000 residents. The city has a very warm climate and is home to the corporate headquarters or major regional offices for many Fortune 1000 companies.
Portland-South Portland, Maine
With a population of 539,924, Portland only reported 114.6 violent crimes per 100,000 inhabitants in 2019. It also had similarly low property crime and vehicle theft rates, at 1,256.5 and 45.9, respectively. The most populated city in Maine, this is a big tourist town and hosts a busy waterfront known as the Old Port, which has a bustling nightlife.
Provo-Orem, Utah
This urban area with a population of around 646,530 tops the list of safest big cities in the country. Provo-Orem reported 90.2 violent crimes, 1,278.2 property crime rate and 83.5 vehicle theft rate per 100,000 inhabitants in 2018.
Worcester, Massachusetts
The second largest city in Massachusetts after Boston, Worcester has a relatively low crime rate for a city its size. A less-expensive alternative to Boston, many know the city for its historic colonial era architecture and plentiful museums.
It has a population of 870,501 people, with a violent crime rate of only 310.4 and a property crime rate of 1,065.2. The city’s median household income is $48,139, and its median home price is $227,100.
Environmental factors to consider for safe cities
Keeping yourself and your family safe extends beyond just crimes and violence. Meteorologists continue to warn of more extreme weather patterns on the horizon due to the impacts of climate change. This means environmental safety could also be a major factor in deciding where you want to live.
For instance, many retirees choose to move south to enjoy the warm year-round weather. However, the chances for extreme weather conditions and natural disasters continue to increase in many southern states. From more hurricanes in Florida and the Gulf Coast to a higher likelihood of wildfires in California, and an increase of floods across the country, some cities in these areas might not be environmentally safe despite having a low crime rate.
In 2020, 10.3 million acres of land across California, Idaho, Oregon and Washington State experienced 57,000 wildfires, according to the Congressional Research Service®. In California alone, these wildfires killed 31 people and severely damaged 10,500 structures.
Keep in mind natural disaster risks when looking for the safest city to retire in.
Working with a trusted banking partner
When you do finally pick up and move to a new city, it is important to have a banking partner with locations near you or that has web banking options available, no matter where you end up. A nationwide financial services company with branches and business operations can be a big difference-maker in how easy your move goes.
But if you do need to switch your bank when moving, consider the helpful tips mentioned here. When doing so, it is typically a good idea to have a new account set up before fully closing your old one.
At Comerica Bank, we know how stressful it can be to pack up and move to an entirely new city, and we try to help make it as simple as possible for you.
To help during this time, we offer robust online account management tools that can make life easier during the transition, since it means less trips to the bank and more time focusing on the big move.
