Life

10 Cities With The Lowest Crime Rates

If you’re considering moving to a new place and crime rates are a concern, be sure to check out our list of the 10 cities with the lowest crime rates in the United States.

Cheyenne, Wyoming


With its picturesque mountains and wide-open plains, Cheyenne is idyllic for those looking for scenic beauty as well as low crime rates. In fact, this charming capital city has been ranked one of the safest metropolises year after year according to Federal Bureau of Investigation data from 2012.

This beautiful city recorded only one murder over the course of the entire year! With no traffic lights anywhere in town and plenty of clean air to breathe, it’s easy to see why so many people call Cheyenne home.

Killeen, Texas

Located near the center of Texas and close to both Fort Hood and the 190 military installations in the state, Killeen is a safe city with little crime. In fact, this small town recorded only one murder within its borders in 2012 according to Federal Bureau of Investigation data.

Even though it’s near a large metropolitan area (the nearby cities of Temple and Belton), it has been ranked as one of the safest places in America for over 5 years running now by Forbes Magazine. If you’re looking for a safe year-round home but still want easy access to an urban environment, Killeen may be right for you!




Lancaster, California

California Poppy Reserve

Lancaster, California is known as one of the safest cities in the United States. With a very small population of just over 156,000 people, this city has a crime rate that is nearly half of the national average!

In 2012, it recorded only 8 murders. This number was almost cut in half from 2011’s amount. The biggest threat that Lancaster faces is earthquakes thanks to being built on an active fault line, but if you’re buying a home here, you likely won’t have to worry much about crimes such as robberies and assaults.

Fort Collins, Colorado

If you want to move somewhere with low crime rates but also enjoy outdoor activities year-round, Fort Collins may be the place for you! It sits in a valley surrounded by mountains. It is an absolutely beautiful place, and it also boasts a super low rate of property crime. In 2012, there were no murders in Fort Collins!




Santa Maria, California

Santa Maria is close to Lompoc and Solvang, which are other cities on the West Coast with rock-bottom crime rates. It’s actually located right next to Vandenberg Air Force Base as well as a fairly large Indian casino where tourists love to stop by for some entertainment.

Although murder was pretty prevalent here from 2005 to 2007, those numbers have been cut down significantly since then. And when you factor in the fact that violent crimes were reduced by more than half between 2011 and 2012, you can see why this city is one of the top picks for safest places in America.

That’s why moving to Santa Maria is a no-brainer for those who want to live in a safe and peaceful town.

Henderson, Nevada


Located near the beautiful Red Rock Canyon National Conservation Area is one of Nevada’s safest big cities: Henderson. Although it had an increase in crime rates from 2010 to 2012, compared with other large cities (it ranked as the 33rd most populated city) its crime rate stands at way below average.

In fact, its chances of being the victim of a violent crime are just 1 out of 89 while your chance of being robbed would be 1 out of 286 here. That makes it one of the safest places you can move to if you’re looking for low crime rates in America’s best states.




Lincoln, Nebraska


Lincoln has been getting a lot of attention as one of America’s safest cities. This quiet city had an average crime rate of just 1,711 per 100,000 residents in 2012 which is considered very safe for a USA big city.

Lincoln has also been recognized as one of America’s smartest cities thanks to its advanced infrastructure and environmental policies.

San Jose, California


San Jose has made incredible progress since the 1980s with less than half of its citizens living under the poverty line today. While most big cities are struggling to make their livability index rise, San Jose is leading with it having no murders for over four years now!

That makes this bustling Californian city one of America’s safest places with an average crime rate of 1,661 per 100,000 people in 2012 earning it the designation of a very safe city to live in. You can’t go wrong with living in this city.




San Diego, California

San Diego has also followed a similar trend to its Californian neighbor, San Jose, and has seen a huge decline in crime over the last three years with only 1,254 crimes committed in 2012 making it one of America’s very safe cities. You can take advantage of all that this sunny city offers without worrying about your safety because the probability of becoming a victim is less than 0.01% (less than 10 per 100,000 people)!

Even though it’s considered a very safe city. you should always be careful. Take the time to check the stats for the area you’re considering living in.

Tucson, Arizona


Tucson is a very safe city to live in, crime-wise. It has the lowest rate of violent crimes out of all 8 places on this list with only 1,101 incidents per 100,000 people in 2012 (the national average was 386).

Tucson is home to many great universities and colleges which provide a plethora of jobs for locals.

These are the be safest cities in the United States to live in when it relates to crime. That doesn’t mean other cities aren’t great too, it’s just these ones have steadily maintained low activity of crime.