Vermont Ranked as Safest State

Posted on VBM, 3/15/17

The Website 24/7 Wall St (247wallst.com) has recently released its ranking of The Safest States in America (link is external), for Vermont come in first. New England did well in the study, which leaned heavily on crime statistics. Maine was number 2, New Hampshire was number 4 and Connecticut was number 6. There is warning sign, however, as crime in Vermont went up noticeably last year, which we can surmise to be caused by the growing opiate problem and a staggering increase in robbery.

1. Vermont
> Violent crimes per 100,000: 118.0
> Total population: 626,042
> Total 2015 murders: 10.0 (the lowest)
> Poverty rate: 10.2% (4th lowest)

Vermont is the safest state in the nation, reporting just 118 violent crimes per 100,000 state residents. Due to the state’s low population of just 626,042, the total number of murders, at 10, and the total number of violent crimes, at 739, are each also the lowest of any state in the country. However, violence rose substantially in Vermont last year. The state’s violent crime rate rose by 15.1%, third most compared with other states. While the robbery rate, which is included in the violent crime rate, remains nearly the lowest in the country, it rose by a staggering 40.4% last year.

2. Maine
> Violent crimes per 100,000: 130.1
> Total population: 1,329,328
> Total 2015 murders: 23.0 (6th lowest)
> Poverty rate: 13.4% (22nd lowest)

For the full article please click here.