Safety varies by location, and WalletHub's new 2026 report outlines the nation's safest states.
According to the report, released Oct. 5, Vermont ranks as America's safest state, narrowly edging out Massachusetts.
WalletHub compared all 50 states using 52 measures across five categories: personal and residential safety, financial safety, road safety, workplace safety and emergency preparedness. The analysis produced an overall score for each state, with 100 representing the highest level of safety.
Massachusetts, Maine, New Hampshire and Connecticut make up the top five.
Here are the top 10 safest and least safe states in America.
The 10 safest US states
- Vermont
- Massachusetts
- Maine
- New Hampshire
- Connecticut
- Utah
- Minnesota
- Indiana
- Rhode Island
- Hawaii
Several top-ranked states stood out in specific safety areas. Vermont, the overall No. 1, had the third-highest share
of residents who reported having safe neighborhoods and the sixth-fewest murders and non-negligent manslaughter cases.
Massachusetts had the fewest traffic fatalities per 100 million vehicle miles traveled, while Maine had the fewest mass shootings and aggravated assaults in WalletHub's analysis. New Hampshire ranked first for financial safety, while Utah ranked No. 1 for road safety.
The 10 least safe states
Mississippi ranked 50th in WalletHub's analysis, followed by Louisiana, Texas, Florida and Arkansas.
The 10 states at the bottom of the overall ranking were:
- Georgia
- Alabama
- Colorado
- Missouri
- Oklahoma
- Arkansas
- Florida
- Texas
- Louisiana
- Mississippi
The lowest-ranked states also faced significant differences across individual safety categories. Mississippi ranked last overall and was No. 50 for financial, road, workplace and emergency preparedness safety. Louisiana ranked 49th for both financial safety and emergency preparedness. Texas ranked 48th for emergency preparedness, while Florida ranked 47th in that category and 46th for workplace safety. Colorado ranked 19th for financial safety, but placed 46th for personal and residential safety.
What did WalletHub measure for safety study?
Personal and residential safety carried the most weight in the study, accounting for 40 of the 100 possible points. Financial safety, road safety, workplace safety and emergency preparedness each accounted for 15 points.
The measures included murders, assaults, thefts, mass shootings, terrorist attacks, hate crimes, drug-related deaths, unemployment, bankruptcy filings, credit scores, traffic fatalities, impaired driving, workplace injuries and deaths and losses from major climate disasters.
Massachusetts had the fewest traffic fatalities per 100 million vehicle miles traveled, while Mississippi had the most. New Jersey, Wyoming and Louisiana tied for the highest number of law-enforcement employees per capita.
WalletHub Analyst Chip Lupo said the top-ranked states "protect their residents from harm in a multitude of different ways," including through crime prevention, safer roads, strong economies, workplace safety and disaster preparedness.
Reporter Anthony Thompson can be reached at ajthompson@usatodayco.com or on X @athompsonUSAT
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: These are the 10 safest states in America, new report says
