Murrieta Ranks Among Top 20 Safest Cities In The U.S. For Families

MURRIETA, CA — Among the hundreds of thousands of cities across the United States, Murrieta came out on top as one of the 20 safest cities in the nation to raise a family, according to a recently released report from SafeWise.

Murrieta took the 17th spot on the list and is among 11 California cities listed in the top 50 safest towns in the country.

How Are Safe Cities Identified?

The annual report ranks cities according to size and crime reports reported to the FBI. Only cities with populations above 75,000 are considered for the survey, filtering out smaller townships and municipalities. The winnowing down process left Safewise to consider 430 cities across the country.

Lower population typically indicates a lower crime rate," According to Trevor Wheelwright, SafeCities researcher who compiled the report.

SafeWise factored in the number of sex offenders, violent crimes and property crimes the city had per 1,000 residents to determine its rankings.

SafeWise described what it means to be a "Safe City" on its website, saying, "though no neighborhood is guaranteed absolute safe, some cities have four times lower rates of violent crime, property crime, and sex offenders — which may lead to a safer, happier and less stressful life for your family."

California dropped three safe cities in 2022, with only 11 making the top 50 safest cities for the year.

Here are the top 11 safest cities to raise a family in California in 2022, according to Safewise:

1. Mission Viejo, California (7)
2. San Ramon, California (10)
3. Santa Clarita, California (11)
4. Thousand Oaks, California (12)
5. Lake Forest, California (16)
6. Murrieta, California (17)
7. Chino Hills, California (23)
8. Irvine, California (32)
9. San Marcos, California (34)
10. Simi Valley, California (36)
11. Pleasanton, California (50)

Here are the cities that made the top 10 safest cities in the country to raise a family:

1. Johns Creek, Georgia
2. Newton, Massachusetts
3. Carmel, Indiana
4. Flower Mound, Texas
5. Fishers, Indiana
6. Cary, North Carolina
7. Mission Viejo, California
8. Lakewood Township, New Jersey
9. Frisco, Texas
10. San Ramon, California

To view the list, methodology and more information on Safewise's 2022 report on the safest cities to raise a family in the U.S., visit its website.

Compared to the safest cities, the most dangerous cities saw nearly nine times more sex offenders, ten times more violent crime rates, and over four times as many property crimes, according to SafeWise reports.

No California cities were listed in the Top 10 Most Dangerous Cities To Raise A Family list.

"Finding a healthy home for your family involves more than financing and schools," Wheelwright said. "It's also about feeling safe."