Safest States In Nation: Where Does RI Rank?

CRANSTON, RI —Rhode Island scored well on one national survey. It's a safe place to live. According to the online personal finance website Wallet Hub, the Ocean State is the eighth safest state in the U.S. The safest of all is Vermont. Maine and Massachusetts come next. In fact, all the other New England states beat Rhode Island out for safety.

Wallet Hub gave Rhode Island high marks for road safety. Although fatalities here increased by 18 percent in 2016, Rhode Island ranked first in the U.S., according to the survey. However, a note may explain part of the reason for the state's high ranking. Having a seat belt law and the helmet law on the books helped. The Ocean State also was just edged out by Massachusetts for the state with the fewest fatalities per 100 million miles of travel.

Patch contacted Wallet Hub to inquire about the data used for this report. Unfortunately, the rankings do reflect 2015 numbers.

1. Murders & Non-Negligent Manslaughters per Capita - FBI (2015 data)

2. Assaults per Capita - FBI (2015 data)

3. Total Loss Amounts from Climate Disasters per Capita - National Centers for Environmental Information & CENSUS (2015 data).

4. Fatal Occupational Injuries per 100,000 Full-Time Workers - Bureau of Labor Statistics (2015 data)

5. Fatalities per 100 Million Vehicle Miles of Travel - National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (2015 data)

6. Sex Offenders per Capita - Parents For Megan's Law & CENSUS (2016 and 2015 data)

7. Share of Population Lacking Health Insurance - CENSUS (2015 data).

According to the methodology, Wallet Hub rated the states according to five key categories: Personal & Residential Safety; Road Safety; Financial Safety; Workplace Safety; and Emergency Preparedness. Road Safety, Financial Safety, Emergency Preparedness and Workplace Safety each counted 15 points. Personal & Residential Safety counted for 40 points.

Here are the top 10.

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

You can find the complete list here.