Is New York a safe place to live? New study ranks all 50 states

New York is the 20th-safest state in America, according to a new WalletHub study.

Every state has something different to offer when it comes to safety. When thinking about moving, some may think of safety in terms

of the financially safest places, crime rates and the potential for natural disasters.

To determine which states are the safest for Americans, WalletHub compared all 50 states across 52 safety indicators within five categories, ranging from assaults per capita to the total loss amount from climate disasters per capita to the unemployment rate.

"The safest states in America protect their residents from harm in a multitude of different ways, from keeping crime rates low and maintaining safe roadways to having strong economies and job markets that prevent people from falling into dangerous financial situations," WalletHub Analyst Chip Lupo said.

Here is what to know about New York's ranking.

Is New York a safe state to live in?

New York is a relatively safe state in America, according to a new WalletHub study.

The Empire State was ranked as the 20th-safest state, with an overall score of 55.44.

NY scored the No. 17 spot for the personal & residential safety rank, No. 10 for the financial safety rank, No. 4 for the road safety rank, No. 34 for the workplace safety rank and No. 26 for the emergency preparedness rank.

New York also has the 4th most law enforcement employees per capita, according to WalletHub.

WalletHub's top 10 safest states

1. Vermont
2. Massachusetts
3. Maine
4. New Hampshire
5. Connecticut
6. Utah
7. Minnesota
8. Indiana
9. Rhode Island
10. Hawaii

WalletHub's 10 least safe states

• No. 50: Mississippi
• No. 49: Louisiana
• No. 48: Texas
• No. 47: Florida
• No. 46: Arkansas
• No. 45: Oklahoma
• No. 44: Missouri
• No. 43: Colorado
• No. 42: Alabama
• No. 41: Georgia

How WalletHub assessed states on safety

To determine the safest states in America, WalletHub compared all 50 states across five key dimensions: personal & residential safety, financial safety, road safety, workplace safety and emergency preparedness.

The personal & residential safety category analyzed these factors:

• Presence of terrorist attacks
• Murders & non-negligent manslaughters per capita
• Forcible rapes per capita
• Assaults per capita
• Thefts per capita
• Sex offenders per capita
• Drug abuses per capita
• Overdose deaths per capita
• Law enforcement employees per capita
• Active firefighters per capita
• Emergency medical technicians and paramedics per capita
• Suicide rate
• Bullying incidence rate
• Share of elder abuse, gross neglect and exploitation complaints
• Hate crime incidents per capita
• Hate groups per capita
• Neighborhood watch groups per capita
• Share of families with children aged 0 to 17 who feel they live in safe neighborhoods
• Share of families with children aged 6 to 17 who go to safe schools

The financial safety category analyzed these factors:

• Share of uninsured population
• Unemployment rate
• Underemployment rate
• Foreclosure rate
• Median credit score
• Debt per income
• Poverty rate
• Share of adults with rainy day funds
• Fraud & other complaints per capita
• Identity theft complaints per capita
• Share of unbanked households
• Job security
• New unemployment claims per total civilian labor force
• Employment growth
• Share of households with emergency fund
• Share of people not saving money for children's college
• Share of households unable to pay energy bill in past 12 months
• Personal bankruptcy filings per capita
• Share of homes seriously underwater

The road safety category analyzed these factors:

• Traffic indiscipline
• Fatalities per 100 million vehicle miles of travel
• DUIs per capita
• Pedestrian & pedalcyclist fatality rate per capita
• Share of uninsured drivers
• Road quality
• Driving laws rating

The workplace safety category analyzed these factors:

• Fatal occupational injuries per 100,000 full-time workers
• Injuries & illnesses per 10,000 full-time workers
• Median days lost due to occupational injuries & illnesses
• Presence of occupational safety & health act plans

The emergency preparedness category analyzed these factors:

• Number of climate disasters causing $1 billion+ in damages in past decades
• Loss amount from climate disasters causing $1 billion + in damages per capita

Data used to create the ranking was collected as of Sept. 7, 2026, and was sourced from multiple entities, including the U.S. Census Bureau, the U.S. Fire Administration, TransUnion and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

—Madison Scott is a New York Connect reporter, covering entertainment, breaking and consumer news, and trending topics with a focus on stories that matter to readers across New York state. She also has an interest in how the system helps or doesn't help families with missing loved ones. She can be reached at [e-mail].

This article originally appeared on Rochester Democrat and Chronicle: Is New York a safe place to live? New study ranks all 50 states