San Bernardino only California city among least safe cities

San Bernardino, the 17th-largest city in California and the 102nd-largest city in the United States, has been listed as one of the least safe cities in American in 2020.

With around half of Americans worried about getting COVID-19, the personal-finance website WalletHub today released its report on 2020’s Safest Cities in America.

To determine where Americans can feel most protected against life’s hazards, including nonphysical forms of danger, WalletHub compared more than 180 U.S. cities across 42 key metrics. The data set ranges from COVID-19 cases in the past seven days per 100,000 residents and assaults per capita to the unemployment rate and road quality.

People encounter hazards every day, some serious, others rare and innocuous, according to Adam McCann of WalletHub. We fear certain kinds more than others, though, and COVID-19 is one of the biggest concerns in 2020. A recent Gallup poll found that 49% of Americans are “very” or “somewhat” worried about getting coronavirus, though that number has been as high as 59% in recent months. While COVID-19 has dominated the news this year, Americans still have other dangers to worry about, from mass shootings to riots to traffic accidents.

People can feel unsafe in other ways, too. Aside from the types of hazards that can cause bodily injury or other physical harm, taking out an unaffordable second mortgage, forgoing health insurance or even visiting unsecured websites are also ways people run into danger. One of the biggest worries for many people is the availability of affordable healthcare. In fact, half of all U.S. adults are worried a major health event could lead to bankruptcy.

No one can avoid all danger, however, and we take on a certain level of risk based on where we choose to live. Some cities are simply better at protecting their residents from harm.

With around half of Americans worried about getting COVID-19, the personal-finance website WalletHub today released its report on 2020’s Safest Cities in America.

To determine where Americans can feel most protected against life’s hazards, including nonphysical forms of danger, WalletHub compared more than 180 U.S. cities across 42 key metrics. The data set ranges from COVID-19 cases in the past seven days per 100,000 residents and assaults per capita to the unemployment rate and road quality.

Safest Cities in America
1. Columbia, MD
2. South Burlington, VT
3. Plano, TX
4. Nashua, NH
5. Lewiston, ME
6. Burlington, VT
7. Salem, OR
8. Virginia Beach, VA
9. Raleigh, NC
10. Gilbert, AZ

Least Safe Cities in America
173. Chattanooga, TN
174. Oklahoma City, OK
175. Memphis, TN
176. Baton Rouge, LA
177. Jackson, MS
178. Detroit, MI
179. Birmingham, AL
180. San Bernardino, CA
181. St. Louis, MO
182. Fort Lauderdale, FL

Safest vs. Least Safe

  • Irvine, California, has the fewest aggravated assault incidents (per 100,000 residents), 23.58, which is 60.5 times fewer than in Detroit, the city with the most at 1,426.82.
  • Port St. Lucie, Florida, has the fewest thefts (per 1,000 residents), 8.74, which is 9.1 times fewer than in Springfield, Missouri, the city with the most at 79.81.
  • Washington has the most law-enforcement employees (per 100,000 residents), 641, which is 5.8 times more than in Irvine, California, the city with the fewest at 111.
  • St. Paul, Minnesota, has among the fewest pedestrian fatalities (per 100,000 residents), 0.32, which is 24 times fewer than in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, the city with the most at 7.67.

To read the full report and your city’s rank, click here.

Image Sources

  • San Bernardino: Shutterstock