Ranked: Safest and most dangerous US cities

Ranked: Safest and most dangerous US cities to live in

Updated: Oct 11, 2022 / 03:24 PM CDT

NEW YORK, NY – JUNE 02: A New York City Police Department (NYPD) security camera is stationed near housing projects in the Brownsville section of Brooklyn on June 2, 2015 in New York City. Following news of a more than 20-percent increase in murders and a 9-percent increase in shootings this year, the NYPD is starting its “Summer All Out” program a month early. The anti-crime program trains and puts 330 administrative officers on the streets to help deter shootings and gun crimes. (Photo by Spencer Platt/Getty Images)

(NewsNation) — Amid record-level violent crime in American cities and the prevalence of COVID-19, which continues to shape the landscape of modern health, personal-finance website WalletHub released its report on 2022’s Safest Cities in America on Tuesday for those looking to avoid both altogether.

WalletHub compared more than 180 U.S. cities across 42 key metrics to determine in which cities Americans feel most impervious to violent crime, taking into account the percentage of vaccinated residents, assaults per capita and the unemployment rate, among others.

Columbia, Maryland, for example, which takes the top spot in home and community safety and is ranked 63rd in natural disasters, is listed as the safest city in the U.S. St. Louis, on the other hand, is ranked the 179th safest city for home and communities, and 156th worst as far as natural disasters, and is ranked as one of the top 10 most dangerous cities,

Some highlights from the study include Irvine, California, having 86.3 times fewer aggravated assault incidents than Memphis, Tennessee, which has the most. Similarly, Port St. Lucie, Florida, has the fewest thefts, while Salt Lake City came out in the top spot for that category.