With a country as large and diverse as America, it can be difficult to find the perfect city and state to raise a family in. With help from social media and the news, we're constantly bombarded with the negatives going on in our country; it's rare we hear about all the good things happening in all 50 states.
That being said, we're shining a light on the positives happening in America with 10 of the safest cities to live in. In no real order, we found cities that have low crime and poverty rates, which translates to the well-being and safety of the city (and your family). Whether you're traveling across the country for vacation or thinking about making a move for your family, check out these 10 states that'll keep you safe.
10 Boise, Idaho
On in the West, we can fund the charming town of Boise, Idaho. With a population of almost 230,000, the capital of Idaho is one of the safest places to live in the States.
According to US News, it has one of the lowest murder rates in the country with only seven being noted as far back as two years ago. Boise is also a college town with plenty to do for young families and kids.
9 Worcester, Massachusetts
Right outside of Boston is the suburban area of Worcester — one of the nation's safest cities. Many people who work in Boston live in Worcester and commute to Boston for the workweek. According to This Week in Worcester, many of its residents are insured (which makes the employment rate high), there's not much risk for a natural disaster, and most communities are deemed family-friendly. It appears like the biggest crimes that occur in Worcester are due to robbery break-ins, according to Niche.
8 Plano, Texas
In the Northern part of Texas, you can find Plano. With a handful of nature preserves and museums, Plano is a great place for those who enjoy a modern life that mixes with Southern hospitality.
Business Insider even claims that out of 100,000 people, there are only 144 crimes — which is something to marvel at with a population of almost 300,000. It's also rather affordable, making it a wonderful place to buy a first home.
7 Thousand Oaks, California
Thousand Oaks, California isn't even an hour from Los Angeles and it's one of the safest cities in the state. If you wanted to deal with LA traffic every day, one would even say you can live in Thousand Oaks and commute to work in LA but that's up to your patience with bumper-to-bumper traffic.
According to Home Snacks, there weren't even 175 violent crimes in 2018, which makes the city pretty safe since the town only has a population of 129,000. Plus, with all that beautiful terrain and awesome weather, what's no to like about Thousand Oaks?
6 Virginia Beach, Virginia
Virginia Beach has gotten a lot of love as of late for being one of the safest cities in the US. SafeWise explains that this coastal town has one of the lowest violent crime rates, also making it one of the safest cities in Virginia.
Aside from safety, Virginia Beach is a very attractive town to locals due to having a mix of beach and city life. There's also the Virginia Aquarium & Marine Science Center and First Landing State Park to wander through.
5 San Diego, California
For as large as San Diego is (around 1.4 million people), San Diego is a very happy and safe city. SafeWise notes that the city has gotten better in the past two years and Baja Defense claims the crime rate is way lower than the rest of the nation (around 15% lower).
San Diego is also one of the most beautiful places in the world thanks to the beach and amazing eateries people can wander to.
4 Port St. Lucie, Florida
Never heard of Port St. Lucie in Florida before? It's on the Northeast coast of the state and only has around 164,000 people calling it home. According to All Things Treasure Coast, this quaint city has been on the 'safest cities' list for over eight years!
In fact, out of 100,000, there weren't even 100 horrible crimes. The site also boasts about their low crime rate on properties, which means there's not too many burglaries in these parts.
3 Gilbert, Arizona
Just south of Phoenix, we can find the city of Gilbert. With over 240,000 people calling Gilbert, Arizona home, Gilbert is clearly doing something right. Ktar News notes that the low-unemployment and low-poverty rates are what make Gilbert continue to thrive. You could almost call Gilbert one of America's best-kept secrets. Home Snacks also admits that Gilbert comes in at four on the 'safest list' when it comes to violent crimes in the country.
2 Carmel, Indiana
The small town of Carmel, Indiana is one of the Nation's safest towns. Not even having 100,000 people calling Carmel home, this small town is a treasure. Back in 2017, Carmel only had 17 violent crimes, according to the Indy Star, which is quite impressive.
Neighborhood Scout even reported that the little crime Carmel did have were mainly robberies and assault, but no murders.
1 Irvine, California
In Southern California, we can find the beautiful city of Irvine. Home Snacks describes the city as a walk back in time; where everyone is friends with their neighbors and kids play outside. As far as safety's concerned, the site notes there's a "one in 76 chance" of being attached to crime, which is pretty low for having a population of over 270,000.
Irvine is also by the beach with plenty of outdoor activities made for the whole family. Irvine is also just under an hour away from Los Angeles, which makes it great for commuters.