America's Safest States: See Where FL Ranks In New Analysis

FLORIDA — A new analysis of safety across the United States ranks Florida as one of the least safest states in the nation.

Personal finance company WalletHub evaluated statistics on crime rates, serious vehicle crashes, the number of active firefighters and police officers, and more for their 2024 "Safest States in America" study. The analysis also includes data on health and safety infrastructure, the poverty rate by state, and climate disasters.

Overall, the analysis included 52 safety indicators, grouped into five categories: Personal and Residential Safety, Financial Safety, Road Safety, Workplace Safety, and Emergency Preparedness. Each state was given a score out of 100.

Florida ranked 46th among all 50 states. Here's how WalletHub ranked the Sunshine State on those five key categories: (1=Safest; 50=Least Safe):

• Overall rank for Florida: 46
• Overall score: 37.66
• Personal and Residential Safety: 35
• Financial Safety: 44
• Road Safety: 41
• Workplace Safety: 43
• Emergency Preparedness: 47

WalletHub analyst Chris Lupo said that while state agencies and organizations are responsible for keeping communities and roadways safe, individual residents also make a difference by stepping up in their local neighborhoods.

"The safest states in America protect their residents from harm in a multitude of different ways, from keeping crime rates low and maintaining safe roadways to having strong economies and job markets that prevent people from falling into dangerous financial situations," Lupo said. "They have high levels of occupational safety and disaster preparedness, too. In addition, states are made safer by efforts that individual residents take, such as forming a neighborhood watch or working in firefighting and EMT jobs at high rates.”

These are the 10 safest states in the U.S., according to WalletHub:

1. Vermont
2. New Hampshire
3. Maine
4. Massachusetts
5. Utah
6. Hawaii
7. Connecticut
8. Minnesota
9. Rhode Island
10. Wyoming

Check out the entire study here.