Morgan Quitno Press' 6^th Annual Safest Metro Award

Most Dangerous Order

Safest Order

Metro Area

Score

1998 Population

1

247

Pine Bluff, AR

188.72

82,748

2

246

Miami, FL

112.08

1,708,207

3

245

New Orleans, LA

95.96

1,313,102

4

244

Myrtle Beach, SC

82.29

172,598

5

243

Albuquerque, NM

81.54

677,816

6

242

Jackson, MS

80.13

429,157

7

241

Flint, MI

77.15

437,229

8

240

Gainesville, FL

73.35

201,872

9

239

West Palm Beach-Boca Raton, FL

69.22

1,036,734

10

238

Baltimore, MD

68.30

2,494,963

11

237

Lakeland-Winter Haven, FL

66.00

456,667

12

236

Jackson, TN

64.58

100,484

13

235

Las Vegas, NV-AZ

61.76

1,312,825

14

234

Greenville, NC

61.50

121,211

15

233

Tacoma, WA

60.35

674,773

16

232

Baton Rouge, LA

57.11

572,392

17

231

Detroit, MI

56.87

4,486,023

18

230

Monroe, LA

56.18

147,629

19

229

Tucson, AZ

54.83

799,675

20

228

Jacksonville, FL

52.08

1,053,156

21

227

Tallahassee, FL

49.11

265,270

22

226

Los Angeles-Long Beach, CA

44.96

9,257,996

23

225

Fresno, CA

43.27

879,444

24

224

Charlotte-Gastonia-Rock Hill, NC-SC

42.14

1,372,645

25

223

Shreveport-Bossier City, LA

41.73

380,217

26

222

Atlanta, GA

39.56

3,702,527

27

221

Dallas, TX

38.47

3,073,484

28

220

Waco, TX

38.30

206,335

29

219

Savannah, GA

37.01

290,010

30

218

Alexandria, LA

36.71

126,985

31

217

Phoenix-Mesa, AZ

36.56

2,910,641

32

216

New York, NY

35.97

8,653,748

33

215

Springfield, MA

35.74

505,110

34

214

Pueblo, CO

33.53

135,564

35

213

Little Rock-North Little Rock, AR

32.90

555,662

36

212

Wilmington, NC

31.75

217,061

37

211

Fort Myers-Cape Coral, FL

31.24

394,012

38

210

Indianapolis, IN

31.12

1,512,798

39

209

Stockton-Lodi, CA

31.09

549,212

40

208

Houston, TX

30.80

3,914,915

41

207

Oakland, CA

29.95

2,298,398

42

206

Lubbock, TX

28.80

233,660

43

205

Montgomery, AL

28.77

324,278

44

204

Modesto, CA

27.96

427,034

45

203

Beaumont-Port Arthur, TX

27.37

381,183

46

202

Jersey City, NJ

27.22

555,697

47

201

Tuscaloosa, AL

27.12

161,946

48

200

Oklahoma City, OK

26.81

1,039,904

49

199

Macon, GA

26.70

322,664

50

198

Gary, IN

26.10

595,172

51

197

Columbia, SC

26.09

514,392

52

196

Columbus, OH

25.08

1,461,411

53

195

Albany, GA

24.06

120,126

54

194

Sumter, SC

23.98

108,743

55

193

Yakima, WA

23.92

220,398

56

192

Fayetteville, NC

23.88

288,676

57

191

Merced, CA

22.73

198,548

58

190

Charleston-North Charleston, SC

22.67

520,162

59

189

Florence, SC

22.61

126,893

60

188

Sacramento, CA

22.42

1,521,655

61

187

Tulsa, OK

22.15

771,310

62

186

Orlando, FL

22.02

1,311,747

63

185

Mobile, AL

21.96

531,145

64

184

Galveston-Texas City, TX

21.64

246,991

65

183

Philadelphia, PA-NJ

20.05

4,944,642

66

182

Anchorage, AK

19.50

254,250

67

181

Riverside-San Bernardino, CA

18.29

3,082,283

68

180

Pensacola, FL

17.75

404,185

69

179

South Bend, IN

17.63

259,596

70

178

Richmond-Petersburg, VA

17.14

951,250

71

177

Daytona Beach, FL

17.06

474,256

72

176

Greenville-Spartanburg-Anderson, SC

16.80

924,142

73

175

Lake Charles, LA

16.72

179,573

74

174

Tyler, TX

16.14

169,397

75

173

Rocky Mount, NC

15.91

148,572

76

172

Newark, NJ

15.69

1,958,610

77

171

Las Cruces, NM

15.53

167,750

78

170

Bakersfield, CA

12.50

636,378

79

169

Augusta-Aiken, GA-SC

11.79

466,660

80

168

Raleigh-Durham-Chapel Hill, NC

11.69

1,066,464

81

167

Omaha, NE-IA

11.60

690,063

82

166

Laredo, TX

11.50

186,245

83

165

Seattle-Bellevue-Everett, WA

11.12

2,299,063

84

164

Greensboro-Winston-Salem-High Pt, NC

10.55

1,172,269

85

163

Fort Lauderdale, FL

10.32

1,206,383

86

162

Visalia-Tulare-Porterville, CA

10.29

357,542

87

161

Spokane, WA

9.68

410,348

88

160

Birmingham, AL

8.96

906,749

89

159

Vineland-Millville-Bridgeton, NJ

8.90

141,992

90

158

Louisville, KY-IN

8.78

1,000,093

91

157

McAllen-Edinburg-Mission, TX

8.59

519,359

92

156

San Antonio, TX

8.33

1,536,344

93

155

Ocala, FL

7.73

241,551

94

154

Houma, LA

7.16

191,974

95

153

Toledo, OH

6.87

613,063

96

152

Fort Worth-Arlington, TX

6.03

1,678,768

97

151

Atlantic City-Cape May, NJ

5.42

337,270

98

150

Redding, CA

5.15

165,196

99

149

Bridgeport, CT

4.06

450,935

100

148

Fort Pierce-Port St. Lucie, FL

4.05

300,932

101

147

Washington, DC-MD-VA-WV

3.22

4,629,510

102

146

Longview-Marshall, TX

3.09

214,265

103

145

Texarkana, TX-AR

3.01

124,998

104

144

Corpus Christi, TX

2.93

394,488

105

143

Lawton, OK

2.58

114,988

106

142

San Francisco, CA

1.92

1,682,556

107

141

New Bedford, MA

1.48

176,602

108

140

Portland-Vancouver, OR-WA

0.98

1,812,321

109

139

Amarillo, TX

(0.07)

211,603

110

138

Panama City, FL

(0.79)

148,837

111

137

Melbourne-Titusville-Palm Bay, FL

(1.56)

469,219

112

136

Lafayette, LA

(2.55)

373,480

113

135

Reno, NV

(2.59)

318,556

114

134

Salinas, CA

(2.86)

366,382

115

133

Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FL

(3.44)

1,628,331

116

132

Greeley, CO

(3.51)

158,717

117

131

Eugene-Springfield, OR

(3.58)

315,100

118

130

Elkhart-Goshen, IN

(3.66)

171,744

119

129

Denver, CO

(3.77)

1,929,700

120

128

Goldsboro, NC

(4.22)

113,806

121

127

Wichita Falls, TX

(4.40)

139,367

122

126

Saginaw-Bay City-Midland, MI

(4.48)

404,722

123

125

Yolo, CA

(5.20)

154,686

124

124

San Diego, CA

(5.54)

2,756,316

125

123

Lansing-East Lansing, MI

(6.25)

449,318

126

122

Naples, FL

(6.34)

199,230

127

121

Enid, OK

(6.99)

57,212

128

120

Jackson, MI

(7.06)

156,029

129

119

Sarasota-Bradenton, FL

(8.44)

548,416

130

118

Norfolk-Va Beach-Newport News, VA-NC

(8.61)

1,558,156

131

117

Vallejo-Fairfield-Napa, CA

(8.71)

496,352

132

116

Yuba City, CA

(8.93)

141,037

133

115

Trenton, NJ

(9.34)

332,325

134

114

Athens, GA

(10.62)

141,404

135

113

Fort Walton Beach, FL

(10.66)

170,576

136

112

Waterbury, CT

(10.99)

185,995

137

111

Sioux City, IA-NE

(11.09)

121,249

138

110

Killeen-Temple, TX

(11.14)

304,690

139

109

Victoria, TX

(11.85)

83,378

141

107

Colorado Springs, CO

(11.93)

489,659

141

107

Columbus, GA-AL

(11.93)

279,624

142

106

Grand Rapids-Muskegon-Holland, MI

(13.02)

1,018,110

143

105

Rapid City, SD

(13.10)

87,190

144

104

Minneapolis-St. Paul, MN-WI

(13.19)

2,818,088

145

103

Lima, OH

(13.35)

155,263

146

102

El Paso, TX

(13.43)

713,161

147

101

Brockton, MA

(13.72)

249,817

148

100

Charleston, WV

(13.84)

252,666

149

99

Bryan-College Station, TX

(13.99)

135,204

151

97

Brownsville-Harlingen-San Benito, TX

(14.09)

323,425

151

97

Worcester, MA-CT

(14.09)

483,458

152

96

Abilene, TX

(14.91)

123,462

153

95

Huntsville, AL

(15.45)

335,537

154

94

Bellingham, WA

(16.38)

156,421

155

93

Sherman-Denison, TX

(16.52)

103,218

156

92

Salt Lake City-Ogden, UT

(17.19)

1,272,244

157

91

Jonesboro, AR

(17.73)

77,389

158

90

Chico-Paradise, CA

(17.75)

196,561

159

89

Lincoln, NE

(17.88)

234,164

160

88

Salem, OR

(18.18)

329,164

161

87

New Haven-Meriden, CT

(18.44)

557,162

162

86

Hamilton-Middletown, OH

(18.69)

327,386

163

85

Austin-San Marcos, TX

(21.10)

1,088,710

164

84

Flagstaff, AZ

(21.22)

122,509

165

83

Odessa-Midland, TX

(21.77)

247,408

166

82

Waterloo-Cedar Falls, IA

(22.38)

121,928

167

81

Fort Wayne, IN

(22.60)

480,387

168

80

San Angelo, TX

(23.75)

104,343

169

79

Hickory-Morganton-Lenoir, NC

(24.45)

323,557

170

78

Richland-Kennewick-Pasco, WA

(24.49)

185,373

171

77

Danville, VA

(25.46)

109,521

172

76

Roanoke, VA

(26.82)

230,468

173

75

Honolulu, HI

(27.25)

874,736

174

74

Iowa City, IA

(27.62)

102,677

175

73

Bremerton, WA

(27.64)

237,914

176

72

Asheville, NC

(27.80)

214,727

177

71

Fort Smith, AR-OK

(28.01)

193,654

178

70

Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA

(28.28)

243,462

179

69

Medford-Ashland, OR

(29.24)

173,016

180

68

Fort Collins-Loveland, CO

(29.84)

230,550

181

67

Olympia, WA

(30.43)

203,183

182

66

Hartford, CT

(30.55)

1,045,559

183

65

Des Moines, IA

(30.86)

430,798

184

64

Santa Rosa, CA

(30.87)

433,909

185

63

San Jose, CA

(30.97)

1,628,933

186

62

Casper, WY

(31.05)

63,771

187

61

Reading, PA

(31.51)

353,497

188

60

San Luis Obispo-Atascadero, CA

(32.78)

236,176

189

59

Boulder-Longmont, CO

(33.18)

266,841

190

58

Rochester, NY

(33.46)

1,086,446

191

57

Ann Arbor, MI

(33.54)

538,465

192

56

Columbia, MO

(33.90)

129,188

193

55

Providence-Fall River-Warwick, RI-MA

(34.00)

948,985

194

54

Grand Junction, CO

(34.66)

112,899

195

53

Orange County, CA

(35.43)

2,707,157

196

52

Boston, MA-NH

(35.71)

3,468,653

198

50

Boise, ID

(36.07)

389,633

198

50

Jacksonville, NC

(36.07)

145,344

199

49

St. Joseph, MO

(36.11)

97,776

200

48

Springfield, MO

(36.71)

329,863

201

47

Santa Barbara-Santa Maria-Lompoc, CA

(36.81)

395,024

202

46

Decatur, AL

(38.30)

141,928

203

45

Bismarck, ND

(39.49)

90,618

204

44

Mansfield, OH

(39.69)

175,211

205

43

Charlottesville, VA

(40.70)

147,858

206

42

Lynchburg, VA

(40.95)

209,182

207

41

Rochester, MN

(41.11)

115,573

208

40

Ventura, CA

(41.27)

734,945

209

39

Pittsburgh, PA

(41.36)

2,363,888

210

38

Erie, PA

(42.88)

278,959

211

37

Johnson City-Kingsport-Bristol, TN-VA

(43.56)

464,976

212

36

Syracuse, NY

(43.88)

743,177

213

35

Barnstable-Yarmouth, MA

(43.98)

148,848

214

34

Elmira, NY

(45.26)

93,283

215

33

Cumberland, MD-WV

(45.37)

99,630

216

32

Lafayette, IN

(46.26)

145,195

217

31

Portland, ME

(46.36)

241,184

218

30

York, PA

(48.34)

369,932

219

29

Grand Forks, ND-MN

(48.82)

101,641

220

28

Florence, AL

(49.55)

138,337

221

27

Manchester, NH

(49.77)

179,671

222

26

Utica-Rome, NY

(50.05)

297,301

223

25

Kokomo, IN

(50.25)

100,578

224

24

Williamsport, PA

(50.42)

118,218

225

23

Bergen-Passaic, NJ

(50.43)

1,345,674

226

22

Cheyenne, WY

(50.68)

78,893

227

21

Pocatello, ID

(51.16)

75,010

228

20

Burlington, VT

(51.78)

148,107

229

19

Dutchess County, NY

(52.36)

265,243

230

18

Brazoria, TX

(52.96)

229,128

231

17

Stamford-Norwalk, CT

(54.35)

333,124

232

16

Altoona, PA

(54.47)

130,716

233

15

Sioux Falls, SD

(54.58)

164,548

234

14

Dubuque, IA

(54.77)

88,432

235

13

Hagerstown, MD

(55.63)

129,186

236

12

Fargo-Moorhead, ND-MN

(55.64)

166,404

237

11

Middlesex-Somerset-Hunterdon, NJ

(56.53)

1,114,033

238

10

Lewiston-Auburn, ME

(56.97)

101,208

239

9

Parkersburg-Marietta, WV-OH

(57.43)

150,532

240

8

Provo-Orem, UT

(58.36)

334,676

241

7

Bangor, ME

(59.01)

65,068

242

6

St. Cloud, MN

(59.56)

162,552

243

5

Punta Gorda, FL

(61.40)

136,071

244

4

Glens Falls, NY

(62.32)

122,839

245

3

Monmouth-Ocean, NJ

(63.24)

1,085,263

246

2

Danbury, CT

(67.14)

167,952

247

1

Pittsfield, MA

(70.05)

97,349