A new survey finds that Alaska ranks as the most dangerous state in the U.S., with an index score of 93.11. In contrast, New Hampshire was identified as the safest state, with the lowest violent crime index score in the country at 13.67.
To drive at these rankings, the study examines ten types of violent crimes across all 50 states to determine the standings.
A data come from High Rise Financial. For source data, arrest data by crime type and state was sourced from the FBI Crime Data Explorer at cde.ucr.cjis.gov, specifically from the “Arrests by State 2023” report. The population of each state covered by agencies participating in the U.S. National Incident-Based Reporting System (NIBRS) was also retrieved from the FBI CDE
Alaska tops the list due to rates in several violent crime categories. Alaska has the highest rate of rape at 23.24 per 100,000 people and a significantly high aggravated assault rate of 372.32 per 100,000. The robbery rate stands at 55.28 per 100,000, and the murder and non-negligent manslaughter rate is 7.22 per 100,000. Additionally, Alaska has elevated rates of motor vehicle theft (90.26 per 100,000) and arson (7.45 per 100,000).
Louisiana ranks second with an index score of 81.10. The state has the highest murder and non-negligent manslaughter rate in the country at 10.52 per 100,000. Aggravated assault is also high at 192.53 per 100,000, and the robbery rate is 24.51 per 100,000. Other assaults occur at a rate of 538.26 per 100,000, indicating a significant level of violent incidents. Louisiana’s high rates of burglary (100.40 per 100,000) and motor vehicle theft (37.92 per 100,000) further contribute to its ranking.
With an index score of 77.46, Pennsylvania is the third most dangerous state. The state’s aggravated assault rate is notable at 146.44 per 100,000. Robbery occurs at a rate of 35.71 per 100,000, and burglary is at 53.26 per 100,000. The other assaults rate is high at 509.75 per 100,000. Pennsylvania’s murder and non-negligent manslaughter rate stands at 8.21 per 100,000. These figures suggest that violent crime is a significant concern across both urban and rural areas in the state.
On the other end of the scale, New Hampshire is the safest state with an index score of 13.67. It has one of the lowest murder and non-negligent manslaughter rates at 0.66 per 100,000 and one of the lowest aggravated assault rates at 21.89 per 100,000. The state’s arson rate is 1.25 per 100,000, and robbery rates occur at 8.23 per 100,000.
Hawaii is the second safest state in the US, with an index score of 17.10. The state’s murder and non-negligent manslaughter rate is among the lowest at 0.63 per 100,000. Aggravated assault stands at 29.27 per 100,000, and robbery at 10.86 per 100,000. The other assaults rate is 283.98 per 100,000.
Massachusetts ranks as the third safest state in the US, with an index score of 23.77. The state has low rates of murder and non-negligent manslaughter (0.89 per 100,000), robbery (6.61 per 100,000), and arson (1.06 per 100,000). The aggravated assault rate is 95.01 per 100,000. Despite being densely populated, especially in urban centers like Boston, Massachusetts maintains low violent crime rates.
