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 16 cities are in this year's survey that were not considered last year. In addition, 12 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. Remember, cities with a score of zero have crime that averages out to the national average. Cities with scores below zero (i.e. a negative number) have crime below the national average. Cities with scores above zero have crime higher than the national average.
|
Most Improved Cities |
Cities With Biggest Drops |
||||||||
|
Scores: |
This Year |
Last Year |
Change |
Scores: |
This Year |
Last Year |
Change |
||
|
1 |
Wilmington, NC |
73.83 |
152.26 |
78.43 |
1 |
Lafayette, LA |
165.56 |
47.95 |
(117.61) |
|
2 |
Louisville, KY |
11.55 |
75.97 |
64.42 |
2 |
Camden, NJ |
375.84 |
268.66 |
(107.18) |
|
3 |
Longview, TX |
65.53 |
118.68 |
53.15 |
3 |
Hartford, CT |
254.82 |
187.25 |
(67.57) |
|
4 |
Youngstown, OH |
152.04 |
203.34 |
51.30 |
4 |
Evansville, IN |
46.42 |
(10.47) |
(56.89) |
|
5 |
Miramar, FL |
(15.10) |
33.75 |
48.85 |
5 |
Birmingham, AL |
243.93 |
192.96 |
(50.97) |
|
6 |
St. Louis, MO |
277.54 |
323.74 |
46.20 |
6 |
Rochester, NY |
166.82 |
120.35 |
(46.47) |
|
7 |
Compton, CA |
210.48 |
252.94 |
42.46 |
7 |
San Bernardino, CA |
210.84 |
166.76 |
(44.08) |
|
8 |
Dayton, OH |
204.01 |
243.44 |
39.43 |
8 |
Fall River, MA |
83.75 |
43.20 |
(40.55) |
|
9 |
Ogden, UT |
15.45 |
53.70 |
38.25 |
9 |
Richmond, CA |
229.47 |
189.24 |
(40.23) |
|
10 |
Pompano Beach, FL |
12.80 |
50.90 |
38.10 |
10 |
Gary, IN |
275.88 |
236.38 |
(39.50) |
This is the eleventh 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. Six years ago we lowered the population threshold to 75,000, which added approximately 100 cities. Therefore the rankings are not comparable beyond the last six years.
Because of interest in the previous years' 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.
November 25, 2003 Press Release
November 26, 2002 Press Release
December 21, 2001 Press Release
December 22, 2000 Press Release
November 22, 1999 Press Release
December 30, 1998 Press Release
