10 Illinois Towns Make Top 100 Safest US Cities List

WASHINGTON, DC — The National Council for Home Safety and Security released its “Top 100 Safest Cities In America” list. Out of 746 qualifying cities, 10 Illinois communities cracked the top 100. The national trade association is comprised of licensed alarm installers, contractors and other relevant trade groups across the United States. Founded in 2006, the National Council for Home Safety and Security furthers knowledge of industry education and public knowledge about safety and security.

The trade association reviewed 2016 FBI Uniform Crime Report statistics along with its own internal research. Eliminated were any cities that failed to submit a complete crime report to the FBI and cities with populations less than 50,000. The remaining cities were ranked based on the number of reported violent crimes (aggravated assault, murder, rape and robbery), property crimes (burglary, arson, larceny-theft and motor vehicle theft) and officer count. These variables were weighted with violent crimes accounting for the majority of the total due to their severity.

Out of 746 qualifying cities, the National Council for Home Safety and Security determined the top five safest cities in the United States to be:

#1 - Thornton, Colorado: population 133,188, violent crimes 325, property crimes 3,373
#2 - Greenwich, Connecticut: population 62,942, violent crimes 11, property crimes 403
#3 - Weston, Florida: population 70,022, violent crimes 26, property crimes 435
#4 - John’s Creek, Georgia: population 84,655, violent crimes 33, property crimes 542
#5 - Sammamish, Washington: population 52,365, violent crimes 12, property crimes 392

The highest ranked Illinois community was Wheaton at No. 6, with a population of 53,800. Wheaton saw 12 violent crimes and 388 property crimes in 2016. The other Illinois communities were ranked as follows:

#15 - Arlington Heights: population 76,241, violent crimes 42, property crimes 648
#16 - Hoffman Estates: population 52,450, violent crimes 39, property crimes 428
#17 - Palatine: population 69,583, violent crimes 36, property crimes 603
#20 - Mt. Prospect: 55,119, violent crimes 37, property crimes 502
#35 - Des Plaines: 59,078, violent crimes 50, property crimes 635
#41 - Naperville: 147,001, violent crimes 128, property crimes 1,652
#46 - Tinley Park: 57,403, violent crimes 55, property crimes 678
#79 - Oak Lawn: 57,112, violent crimes 71, property crimes 816
#86 - Bolingbrook: 74,356, violent crimes 136, property crimes 991

See the National Council for Home Safety and Security’s complete list of Top 100 Safest Cities in America.