Massachusetts and Rhode Island Among America's Safest States

To hear local folks tell it, you would think we lived in Al Capone's Chicago of the Roaring '20s. As dicey as it might seem at times here in Massachusetts and Rhode Island, it is actually pretty safe here compared to much of the rest of the nation.

For that matter, "The Northeastern states stand out for having low rates of violent and property crime," according to U.S. News & World Report.

"The violent crime rate in America rose by 4.6% between 2019 and 2020, reaching the highest level since 2010, according to data from the FBI, though it still sat well below historic highs of the 1990s," it reported.

Property crime continued to decline, seeing an 8.1 percent drop between 2019 and 202.

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As part of its Best State rankings for 2023, U.S. News & World Report determined the Top 10 Safest States in America based on violent and property crime.

So what does that mean for us?

Massachusetts State Police/Facebook

What it means is that all six New England states made the top 10 list.

Connecticut is ranked the ninth-safest state with a violent crime rate of 182 per 100,000 residents, and a property crime rate of 1,565 per 100,000 residents.

Connecticut's Overall Best State Ranking: 16

Massachusetts is the seventh-safest state, with a violent crime rate of 309 per 100,000 residents, and a property crime rate of 1,053 per 100,000 residents.

Massachusetts' Overall Best State Ranking: 11

Rhode Island is the sixth-safest state, with a violent crime rate of 231 per 100,000 residents, and a property crime rate of 1,245 per 100,000 residents.

Rhode Island's Overall Best State Ranking: 32

Mary Serreze/Townsquare Media

Vermont is the fourth-safest state, with a violent crime rate of 173 per 100,000 residents, and a property crime rate of 1,217 per 100,000 residents.

Vermont's Overall Best State Ranking: 9

New Hampshire is the second-safest state, with a violent crime rate of 146 per 100,000 residents, and a property crime rate of 1,099 per 100,000 residents.

New Hampshire's Overall Best State Ranking: 6

Maine is the safest state, according to U.S. News & World Report, with a violent crime rate of 109 per 100,000 residents, and a property crime rate of 1,156 per 100,000 residents.

Maine's Overall Best State Ranking: 26

Check out the U.S. News & World Report website to see which states round out the top 10.

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