Safety
rankings by state.
Crime reported to police and deaths on the roads, relative to population and to miles driven.
State distributions: each mark is one state, from lowest to highest. Each row uses its own scale.
Safest states (violent crime)
2025 · FBI UCR
Property crime rate
2025 · FBI UCR
Murder rate
2025 · FBI UCR
Worst drivers by state (traffic deaths)
2023 · NHTSA + FHWA
Crime and road deaths measure different risks
Crime rates count offenses known to police per 100,000 residents, using FBI estimates that fill gaps for agencies that did not report all year. Many crimes, particularly property crimes, are never reported, and reporting differs between places. The traffic death rate divides deaths on public roads by miles driven, so it compares how dangerous driving is rather than how much people drive. Neither measure describes the risk in a particular city or neighborhood.
Use the violent crime rate for a broad comparison of serious crime, and the murder rate for the most completely recorded offense, keeping in mind that small states record few murders. Read the FBI’s 2025 caveats for Florida and North Dakota, where many agencies reported only part of the year. For road safety, the traffic death rate counts deaths where crashes happen, including those involving visitors.
Choose the measure that answers your question
| Measure | What it counts | Period and source |
|---|---|---|
| Violent crime rate | Violent crimes known to police per 100,000 residents in 2025: murder and nonnegligent manslaughter, rape, robbery and aggravated assault. | 2025 · FBI UCR |
| Property crime rate | Property crimes known to police per 100,000 residents in 2025: burglary, larceny-theft and motor vehicle theft. | 2025 · FBI UCR |
| Murder rate | Murders and nonnegligent manslaughters known to police per 100,000 residents in 2025. | 2025 · FBI UCR |
| Traffic death rate | Traffic deaths per 100 million vehicle miles traveled in 2023: people who died within 30 days of a crash on a public road in the state, relative to how much driving happened there. | 2023 · NHTSA + FHWA |
The linked pages retain exact source precision for ranks, show true ties, and display uncertainty where it is available. The comparison tool lets you inspect selected states without changing their rank among the full 50-state universe. Shared comparisons preserve their data edition.
Each ranking covers all 50 states using a consistent source release. DC and Puerto Rico are labeled reference jurisdictions. Compare point estimates alongside margins of error; a rank is not a judgment about a state or its residents.