Vestavia Listed As One Of The Safest Cities In Alabama

VESTAVIA HILLS, AL - A recent study listing the 20 safest cities in Alabama has Vestavia Hills ranked No. 4 in the state, trailing Athens, neighboring Mountain Brook and Margaret.

The list, compiled by Safewise, came from a study which reviewed the 2016 FBI crime report statistics and population data. Cities that fell below identified population thresholds or that failed to submit a complete crime report to the FBI were excluded from the ranking system.

The evaluation is based on the number of reported violent crimes (aggravated assault, murder, rape and robbery) in each city. If there was a tie, the study also factored in the number of property crimes (burglary, arson, larceny-theft, and motor vehicle theft). To level the playing field, Safewise calculated the rate of crimes per 1,000 people in each city. This makes it easier to directly compare the likelihood of these crimes occurring in cities with vastly different populations.

Vestavia Hills' report:

• Population: 34,191
• Violent crimes per 1,000: 0.73
• Property crimes per 1,000: 11.61
• Total crime: 6.29% violent, 93.71% property

Alabama has the third-highest murder rate in the United States. However, according to the same data, it also has some of the lowest violent and property crime rates in the country.

Photo via City of Vestavia Hills