What is the safest American state to live in?

The safest states in the U.S. consistently rank as Vermont, Massachusetts, and New Hampshire, often followed by Maine and Utah, according to recent 2025 data from sources like WalletHub and Eufy. These rankings consider factors like low violent/property crime rates, strong job security, disaster preparedness, and community safety, with Northeastern states dominating due to low crime and high neighborhood watch participation.

What is the cheapest but safest state to live in?

The cheapest and safest states often overlap in the Midwest and South, with Iowa, Kansas, Mississippi, and West Virginia frequently cited for low living costs (housing, groceries) and safety, while states like Vermont, New Hampshire, and Massachusetts rank high in overall safety but can have slightly higher costs, so a balance is key, with Mississippi often leading affordability and Iowa/Kansas offering great blends. 

What is the #1 crime state in America?

States with the highest and lowest crime rates

Alaska had the highest violent crime rate of any state in 2024, at 724.1 incidents per 100,000 residents, followed by New Mexico (717.1), Tennessee (592.3), Arkansas (579.4) and Louisiana (519.8).

What is the most peaceful state in the USA?

Maine is consistently ranked as the most peaceful state in the U.S., often followed closely by New Hampshire, based on metrics from the Global Peace Index (GPI) and other safety analyses, due to low violent crime, homicide rates, and incarceration levels, with Northeastern states generally leading peacefulness rankings. Other states frequently cited for high peacefulness and safety include Vermont, Idaho, and Connecticut, while Southern states tend to rank lower. 

What is the least safe state in the US?

Louisiana ranks as the most unsafe state with a 36.20 safety score and the nation's highest murder rate at 14.4 per 100,000 residents. Mississippi follows at 36.77, and Texas ranks third least safe at 38.14. When looking at violent crime rates alone, Alaska shows the highest at 1,194.3 per 100,000 residents.

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Which state is the friendliest?

WCCO CBS reported, "The study found that Minnesota is the friendliest state." This edged out Texas and other notoriously friendly-seeming states in that region (depending on who you ask).

What is the toughest state to live in?

There's no single "hardest" state, as it depends on individual priorities, but recent studies often point to New Mexico, Louisiana, and West Virginia as challenging due to high poverty, poor health/education, and crime. Other contenders include Alaska for extreme cost/remoteness and Mississippi, Arkansas, and Oklahoma for overall quality of life issues like low wages and health outcomes, making life tough for different reasons. 

What is the most happiest state in the USA?

Hawaii is the happiest state in America for the second year in a row. Hawaii landed the top spot on WalletHub's list with an overall score of 65.50. It ranked third for emotional and physical well-being, 16th for work environment and 13th for community and environment.

What is the freest state in the USA?

For the 24th time, New Hampshire is the freest state among all U.S. states, having scored 8.34 out of 10 in this year's report, which measures government spending, taxation, regulations and labor market restrictions using data from 2023, the most recent year of available comparable data.

What are the top 5 most murderous states?

Based on recent 2023 data, the U.S. states with the highest murder rates (homicides per capita) consistently include Mississippi, Louisiana, Alabama, New Mexico, and Tennessee, often followed by states like South Carolina and Maryland, though raw murder counts vary by population size, with Texas and California leading in total numbers. 

What is the safest big city in America?

Key Findings. San Jose is the safest major city. San Jose ranked among the top 10 for every safety metric considered. Relative to its adult population, San Jose had the third fewest violent crimes (5,185 total) and fifth fewest property crimes (25,715).

Which state is no. 1 in cyber crime?

Telangana has officially recorded the highest cyber crime rate in India, raising serious questions about digital safety, policing, and public awareness. From online loan app threats to investment scams, OTP frauds, hacking, identity theft and social media harassment — cyber crimes have skyrocketed in the state.

Which state is worth moving to?

The study found the best states to move to are Utah, New Hampshire, Idaho and Virginia. According to the list, worst states to move to are California, Louisiana, New Mexico and Oregon.

Where is the cheapest but nicest place to live in the US?

The cheapest best places to live in the U.S. often combine low housing costs with good amenities, with consistently affordable areas in states like Mississippi, Oklahoma, Arkansas, Texas, Illinois, Michigan, and Ohio, featuring cities such as Decatur (IL), Enid (OK), Fort Wayne (IN), Brownsville (TX), and Dayton (OH), offering lower expenses and decent quality of life, though "best" depends on lifestyle needs like job markets and culture. 

Where am I supposed to live if I can't afford rent?

If you can't afford rent, explore government assistance like Section 8 vouchers or public housing via HUD.gov, contact 211 for local help, consider shared housing, find work-exchange roles (caretaker, farmhand), or look into alternatives like tiny homes, RVs, or hostels. Focus on low-cost strategies like finding a roommate, renting a room, or live-in caretaking to significantly reduce expenses. 

What is the most stressful state to live in?

New Mexico tops the list of most stressed states in the U.S. as of 2025, with a stress score of 60.52 out of 100. This ranking considers stress factors related to work, money, family, and health and safety.

What state is #1 in quality of life?

There isn't one single answer, as it depends on the ranking organization, but Massachusetts often ranks #1 overall for best states to live due to health/education (WalletHub), while Vermont frequently takes the top spot specifically for Quality of Life (CNBC) for its low crime, good air, and inclusion. Other top contenders include Idaho, New Jersey, Wisconsin, and Minnesota, highlighting strong showings in the Northeast and Midwest for overall livability.
 

What is the unhappiest state in the US?

While rankings vary slightly by year and source, West Virginia and Louisiana consistently appear as the unhappiest states, often swapping the top spot, due to factors like high depression rates, low sleep quality, poor work environments, and safety concerns, according to WalletHub studies and related analyses. Other states frequently listed among the least happy include Arkansas, Alabama, Alaska, and Tennessee.
 

What is the #1 most violent city in the US?

While rankings vary by source and year, Memphis, Tennessee, frequently appears as the most dangerous city in the U.S. when considering violent crime rates per capita for larger cities, often followed by cities like Detroit and St. Louis. Some reports highlight Birmingham, AL, for murder rates or mention smaller towns with extremely high crime, but for major U.S. cities, Memphis often leads the list. 

What is the least friendly state in the US?

The least welcoming states are Missouri, Massachusetts, and Illinois. Most Americans greet strangers with a handshake (60%), smile (47%), or by making eye contact (25%). Over 1 in 5 Americans say they aren't comfortable with physical contact when greeting. 30% of Americans don't smile at strangers.

What is the most loved state in America?

Hawaii is Americans' favorite state. A new YouGov survey explored which states Americans are most likely to view favorably — and unfavorably. More Americans view Hawaii favorably — and very favorably — than any other state.

What is the most peaceful state to live in?

The scores for number of homicides per 100,000 people, number of violent crimes per 100,000 people, jailed population per 100,000 people, police officers per 100,000 people, and ease of access to small arms are weighted and combined to form a state's score. Maine scored as the most peaceful state both years.