Law Street Media
Crime in America: Top 10 Safest Cities Over 200,000
Kevin Rizzo
November 25, 2013

Although most crime in the United States occurs in densely populated areas, there are several large cities that somehow manage to keep their crime levels low despite their sizes. These cities beg the question: what factors make one city safer than another?

To properly compare and analyze these cities, we group them into large and small categories. A large city is considered to be one that has a population greater than 200,000 people. We then further adjust for population by ranking each city by its violent crime rate, which is the measure of how many violent crimes occurred per 100,000 people in 2012.

Violent crime is defined by the total number of murders, aggravated assaults, robberies, and forcible rapes during the year. Although murder is included in the aggregate violent crime rate, we also report the murder rate separately for each city.

Here are the 10 safest cities over 200,000 in the United States based on the FBI’s Uniform Crime Report Statistics released September 16, 2013:

1. IRVINE, CALIF.

Irvine is rated number one on our top ten safest cities list because it has the lowest amount of violent crime by population. What is the secret of its security and prosperity? Irvine is a planned city that was developed by the Irvine Company in the 1960s. The overall design incorporates ample common spaces, townships with commercial centers, schools and churches. Although Irvine has more than 200,000 residents, it had only 110 reported instances of violent crime in 2012. Its police officer to population ratio and low murder rate further indicate how safe Irvine is. Demographic and economic factors provide a picture of a prosperous upper-middle class city. The population of the city is predominantly white (50.48 percent) and Asian (39.16 percent) with a small proportion of Hispanics and blacks. University of California Irvine is the top employer, providing more than 14,000 jobs for its residents. Two important factors influence Irvine’s low danger rating: the overall economic prosperity and relative homogeneity of its residents; and city’s unique design that further reinforces community development and integration.

Violent Crime Rate: 50.57 per 100,000 people

Population: 217, 528

Murder Rate: 0.92 per 100,000 people

Officer to Population Ratio: 1:1083

Median Household Income: $85,615

Unemployment Rate: 5.7 percent

Safest City Over 200,000 Rank in 2011: #1

2. GILBERT, ARIZ.

The most notable aspect of Gilbert’s low level of crime is the number of police officers that the city employs. Having only one officer for every 965 people, Gilbert has a very efficient policing system given that it had only 205 instances of violent crime and 5 murders in 2012. Because Gilbert is such a safe city to live in it has recently experienced significant population growth. As a result, its police force may need to dramatically expand as people continue to flock to the city. Gilbert has been able to successfully target its few police officers to increase police visibility and keep its crime rate low.

Violent Crime Rate: 95.68 per 100,000 people

Population: 214,264

Murder Rate: 2.33 per 100,000 people

Officer to Population Ratio: 1:965

Median Household Income: $80,090

Unemployment Rate: 5.3 percent

Safest City Over 200,000 Rank in 2011: #2

3. PLANO, TEXAS

According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Plano’s unemployment rate in 2012 was 9.45 percent, which shows a steady decline since 2010. One reason for Plano’s prosperity and security is a high concentration of companies such as Frito-Lay, JC Penney, EDS and Perot Systems, which provide steady career opportunities to its residents. The majority of its population work in trade, transportation, education, healthcare, and business services. In addition, Texas’ pro-business climate and lack of personal and corporate income taxes further stimulates economy and investments in the city. The murder rate in Plano is significantly lower than the national average, which reflects a moderate officer to individual ratio with only 339 total officers employed. Steady job growth and a favorable business climate in Plano direct its development toward economic expansion and crime reduction.

Violent Crime Rate: 130.74 per 100,000 people

Population: 214,264

Murder Rate: 2.33 per 100,000 people

Officer to Population Ratio: 1:807

Median Household Income: $83,239

Unemployment Rate: 9.45 percent

Safest City Over 200,000 Rank in 2011: #3

4. FREMONT, CALIF.

Due to its convenient location in the Bay area of San Francisco, Fremont is in the center of Silicon Valley, with more than 30 clean tech companies and advanced manufacturing enterprises. The city is also booming with green and high tech information technology jobs. It was ranked number one by Size-Up.com in terms of start-up businesses per capita and voted the second most innovative city in America by The Daily Beast. The high median income of the residents attracts population growth, emergence of new businesses, and safety of the community. The unemployment rate has also steadily declined since 2010. Fremont has the lowest police officer to population ratio of all the cities on our list, and it is an affluent, progressive, and safe city.

Violent Crime Rate: 139.77 per 100,000 people

Population: 218,927

Murder Rate: 0.09 per 100,000 people

Officer to Population Ratio: 1: 1251

Median Household Income: $92,655

Unemployment Rate: 7.6 percent

Safest City Over 200,000 Rank in 2011: #5

5. SCOTTSDALE, ARIZ.

With only 147 violent crimes per 100,000 residents, Scottsdale takes the number five spot on our list of safest large cities in America. Scottsdale is a homogeneous city: 89.27 percent of its population is white and over the age of 45. Most of its residents work in healthcare, information technology, education, and city government. One of the biggest employers in Scottsdale is General Dynamics 4C Systems, which produces communication and information technologies for the U.S. Department of Defense, federal and intelligence agencies, and several international customers. The officer to population ratio is fairly high in Scottsdale which also contributes to its safety and low murder rate. Thus, the vibrant economy, high officer to population ratio and median age of Scottsdale’s residents contributes to the safety and advancement the city.

Violent Crime Rate: 147.25 per 100,000 people

Population: 223,432

Murder Rate: 0.13 per 100,000 people

Officer to Population Ratio: 1: 557

Median Household Income: $71,564

Unemployment Rate: 7.52 percent

Safest City Over 200,000 Rank in 2011: #6

Read the rest of the Top 10 Safest Cities at Law Street Media