The scores given in this and last year's rankings were calculated using the same methodology and are comparable. The population threshold is also the same at 75,000. However, a city's ranking is not necessarily comparable because 24 cities are in this year's survey that were not considered last year. In addition, some cities that reported data last year did not this year and thus were not considered. This change in the universe of cities makes a direct comparison of rankings inaccurate.
Shown below is a table showing the ten cities with the biggest improvements in their scores and the ten cities with the biggest drops in their scores.
|
Most Improved Cities |
Cities With Biggest Drops |
||||||||
|
Scores: |
This Year |
Last Year |
Change |
Scores: |
This Year |
Last Year |
Change |
||
|
1 |
Hammond, IN |
103.06 |
161.54 |
58.48 |
1 |
Cincinnati, OH |
179.95 |
74.72 |
(105.23) |
|
2 |
Winston-Salem, NC |
86.27 |
139.73 |
53.46 |
2 |
Gary, IN |
324.04 |
266.54 |
(57.50) |
|
3 |
Hawthorne, CA |
66.08 |
110.38 |
44.30 |
3 |
Modesto, CA |
44.38 |
1.53 |
(42.85) |
|
4 |
Carson, CA |
28.01 |
68.33 |
40.32 |
4 |
Lakeland, FL |
66.39 |
24.38 |
(42.01) |
|
5 |
Vallejo, CA |
52.49 |
92.44 |
39.95 |
5 |
Toledo, OH |
111.57 |
69.73 |
(41.84) |
|
6 |
West Palm Beach, FL |
206.21 |
245.54 |
39.33 |
6 |
Buffalo, NY |
163.58 |
122.38 |
(41.20) |
|
7 |
Shreveport, LA |
97.51 |
136.49 |
38.98 |
7 |
Hartford, CT |
182.81 |
146.94 |
(35.87) |
|
8 |
Salinas, CA |
35.80 |
73.94 |
38.14 |
8 |
Huntsville, AL |
51.38 |
16.24 |
(35.14) |
|
9 |
Baltimore, MD |
288.56 |
325.13 |
36.57 |
9 |
Brockton, MA |
85.73 |
51.65 |
(34.08) |
|
10 |
Elizabeth, NJ |
62.31 |
96.54 |
34.23 |
10 |
Fort Lauderdale, FL |
126.96 |
94.45 |
(32.51) |
This is the ninth year that we have issued these Safest City and Safest Metropolitan Area rankings. The first year we only ranked the nation's 100 largest cities. The second year we looked at cities of more than 100,000 but used a different method to determine the rankings. The third and fourth years we also examined cities of more than 100,000 in partnership with Money Magazine. Both used the same method as the past three years and this year except the weight given each crime differed slightly. Four years ago we lowered the population threshold to 75,000, which added approximately 100 cities. Therefore the rankings are not comparable beyond the last four years.
Because of interest in the previous year's rankings we have left those pages on our website. Click below to go to those pages. To return to this year's ranking you will need to return to our home page and click there on the connection to our new press release. The rankings from the first two years are not available on our website. Please call us at 785-841-3534 if you need those rankings.
December 21, 2001 Press Release
December 22, 2000 Press Release
November 22, 1999 Press Release
December 30, 1998 Press Release
