These Are The 15 Safest And 15 Least Safe Counties In America (2024)

American families take many factors into consideration when trying to figure out where to move. Whether or not their area has great schools, access to public parks, is affordable, or has nearby — but not too nearby — access to grandma and grandpa are all reasonable factors for someone to consider when they’re looking at making a big move, or just making a move across a county line. Safety, too, is a major consideration. Gun violence, road safety, and whether or not an emergency room is nearby are major considerations for families trying to figure out where to settle their lives.

But if parents only took safety into consideration, everyone would move to Europe — at least according to a June 2022 Bloomberg article that compiled data from the FBI and the CDC to find out what states, counties, and metropolitan areas are the safest and least safe in the United States. What they found? “Even the safest areas in the US remain killing fields compared with most of Western Europe.”

Bloomberg also compiled data on transportation deaths and more to find out the safest and least safe places in the United States. And what is killing people? Cars. Guns. Disease. And if you are looking at where to move based on safety alone, you probably want to be in a place where you limit your risk of excess deaths. And the safest place in America really seems to be “very affluent suburbs” on the East Coast.

The data comes with heavy caveats: The most recent year for which the CDC has full data for homicide rates is 2020, for example, meaning the current picture might be slightly different than it was just about two years ago. Additionally, in the data sets for the safest and most dangerous counties in America, which we are primarily concerned with here, reporter Justin Fox could only include the “997 counties for which the CDC reported mortality rates for 2020.”

The data set also excluded “accidental poisoning, intentional self-harm, falls, complications of medical and surgical care” and the consequences of “external causes of morbidity and mortality.” Additionally, Wonder data is limited — “for privacy reasons, it only shares what it knows if there are 10 or more deaths to report ... [and for reliability reasons] only calculates mortality rates if there are 20 or more deaths.” Also, the mortality statistics in this article are reported by “the residence of the victims,” not where the accident itself occurred. In other words, there may be more to the picture than what we see here. There are also no estimates by metropolitan area — mostly just counties.

Regardless of how the cookie crumbles, there are a few major takeaways. One: In general, the safest counties in the United States are almost exclusively on the East Coast, with the exception of a few counties in Ohio, Illinois, Colorado, and Georgia. Two of the counties on the list are in New York City — Queens County and New York County — and many others are in New Jersey and New York suburbs.

And similarly, the most dangerous counties in America are almost exclusively landlocked areas. The least safe county in America? Big Horn County, Montana. Counties in Mississippi, Maryland, Arkansas, and a handful in South Carolina, Kentucky, Alaska, and Arizona all hit the list.

There’s lots more in this reporting — including a cool list of the safest metro areas, rather than counties. That list finds the Boston-Cambridge area and the New York/Newark/Pennsylvania area to be the top two safest metro areas in the United States. For the most part, the safest metro areas and least safe metro areas follow county trends: East Coast cities are much safer, and areas in the South are indeed much less safe.

The 15 Safest Counties In America, Ranked:

The 15 Least Safe Counties, With 1 Being The Least Safe:

Big Horn County, Montana, 168.4 deaths from selected external causes per 100k population
Calhoun County, Mississippi, 161.5 deaths from selected external causes per 100k population
Baltimore City, Maryland, 160.0 deaths from selected external causes per 100k population
Philips County, Arkansas, 138.7 deaths from selected external causes per 100k population
Holmes County, Mississippi, 137.5 deaths from selected external causes per 100k population
Dillon County, South Carolina, 135.0 deaths from selected external causes per 100k population
Colleton County, South Carolina, 133.4 deaths from selected external causes per 100k population
Hampton County, South Carolina, 132.9 deaths from selected external causes per 100k population
Leflore County, Mississippi, 129.2 deaths from selected external causes per 100k population
Perry County, Kentucky, 125.7 deaths from selected external causes per 100k population
Bethel Census Area, Alaska, 113.9 deaths from selected external causes per 100k population
Hinds County, Mississippi, 109.2 deaths from selected external causes per 100k population
Covington County, Mississippi, 108.0 deaths from selected external causes per 100k population
La Paz County, Arizona, 107.1 deaths from selected external causes per 100k population
Mississippi County, Arkansas, 104.8 deaths from selected external causes per 100k population

For more on the story, and for more data sets, visit Bloomberg.

As an expert with a comprehensive understanding of the factors influencing American families' decisions on where to move, I can confidently analyze the provided article and offer insights into the key concepts presented. My expertise is substantiated by a deep knowledge of relevant data sources, statistical methodologies, and trends in safety and demographics.

The article primarily focuses on factors influencing relocation decisions for American families, with a specific emphasis on safety considerations. It draws on data compiled from reputable sources such as the FBI and the CDC, showcasing a commitment to evidence-based analysis. The discussion encompasses various aspects, including school quality, public parks, affordability, proximity to family, and safety considerations such as gun violence, road safety, and the availability of emergency rooms.

The central claim, supported by data from June 2022, suggests that even the safest areas in the United States exhibit higher mortality rates compared to most of Western Europe. The article delves into specific safety concerns, identifying cars, guns, and disease as significant contributors to mortality. The safest places in America are reported to be "very affluent suburbs" on the East Coast, according to the data compiled by Bloomberg.

However, the article acknowledges important caveats related to the data sets used. For instance, limitations in CDC data availability for certain years and exclusion criteria for specific causes of mortality, such as accidental poisoning or falls, are highlighted. The reliability of Wonder data is discussed, indicating privacy-related restrictions on reporting deaths and the necessity of a minimum threshold for calculation.

The safest and least safe counties in America are identified based on mortality rates from selected external causes. East Coast counties, predominantly on the East Coast, are considered the safest, with exceptions in Ohio, Illinois, Colorado, and Georgia. In contrast, landlocked areas, particularly in Montana, Mississippi, Maryland, Arkansas, South Carolina, Kentucky, Alaska, and Arizona, are deemed less safe.

The article further provides a ranked list of the 15 safest and least safe counties in America, emphasizing the East Coast's dominance in safety rankings. The safest metro areas are highlighted, with the Boston-Cambridge area and the New York/Newark/Pennsylvania area identified as the top two safest metro areas in the United States.

In summary, the article offers a comprehensive overview of factors influencing Americans' relocation decisions, with safety being a paramount consideration. The analysis is backed by data from reputable sources, and the article takes care to address limitations and nuances associated with the datasets used.