ST. PAUL, MN — Minnesota is the safest state in the Midwest and one of the 10 safest in the country, according to a new report from WalletHub.
The personal finance company ranked Minnesota seventh overall in its 2026 Safest States in America study, released Monday. That put Minnesota ahead of every other Midwest state, though Indiana was close behind at No. 8.
To build the rankings, WalletHub compared all 50 states across 52 metrics in five categories: personal and residential safety, financial safety, road safety, workplace safety and emergency preparedness. The metrics range from assaults per capita and per-capita losses from climate disasters to unemployment rates.
Minnesota's strongest category was workplace safety, where it ranked second in the nation. The state also ranked sixth for road safety and seventh for financial safety.
Minnesota had the fourth-fewest traffic fatalities per 100 million vehicle miles traveled and the seventh-smallest share of residents without health insurance. It ranked 12th for both murders and non-negligent manslaughters per capita and assaults per capita.
The state was weaker in other areas. Minnesota ranked 23rd for both personal and residential safety and emergency preparedness, 26th for job security and 29th for registered sex offenders per capita.
Here's how every Midwest state ranked (1 = safest):
Wisconsin landed in the middle of the pack at 21st. The state's best showing came in financial safety, where it ranked ninth, while it ranked 29th for workplace safety.
Missouri was the lowest-ranked Midwest state at 44th, and Illinois came in at 38th.
Nationally, Vermont topped the list as the safest state in America, followed by Massachusetts, Maine, New Hampshire and Connecticut. Mississippi ranked last.
"Vermont is the safest state, and nearly 76% of parents in Vermont believe they live in safe neighborhoods, the third-highest percentage in the country," WalletHub analyst Chip Lupo said.
According to Lupo, the safest states protect residents in many ways, from keeping crime low and roads safe to maintaining strong job markets that keep people out of dangerous financial situations.
Daniel E. Goldberg, an associate professor at Temple University, said people choosing where to live should weigh a range of risks, from flood zones and tornado-prone areas to proximity to factories that handle toxic materials and local crime rates.
"Once you have your information, figure out if the risk is worth the reward," Goldberg said. "Remember, some of those risks may not impact you until years later."
Read the full WalletHub report here.
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