WBOB Original Reads

RI Ranked 6th Safest State in the U.S.

6/17/2014

When it comes to safety, Rhode Island is among the nation's leaders according to research conducted by WalletHub.

WalletHub's research considered 26 factors to determine the ranking for each of the 50 states and the District of Columbia. These rankings however are not referring exclusively to protection from violence and crime. The term encompasses various categories, among them workplace safety, natural disasters, home and community stability, traffic safety and, of course, financial security.

While Rhode Island ranked sixth when compared to the rest of the nation, regionally Massachusetts (1) and New Hampshire (2) are considered to be much safer. When it comes to Financial Safety, the Ocean State fared toward the bottom of the list; 30th.

Here are the safest, and least safe states according to WalletHub:

2014’s Safest States
1. Massachusetts
2. New Hampshire
3. Minnesota
4. Hawaii
5. District of Columbia
6. Rhode Island
7. Iowa
8. Illinois
9. Connecticut
10. New York

2014’s Least Safe States
42. Louisiana
43. Mississippi
44. New Mexico
45. Arizona
46. Missouri
47. Texas
48. Oklahoma
49. Tennessee
50. Arkansas
51. Nevada

Safety Around the U.S.

In Mississippi, there are 8 times more unbanked households than in New Hampshire.
In Nevada or Hawaii, the percentage of people who spend more than they make is almost 2 times higher than in Maryland or West Virginia.
North Dakota has 140 times more “under the influence” traffic violations per capita than Alabama.

In Massachusetts, there are 14 times less fatal occupational injuries per total employees than in North Dakota.
North Dakota has suffered 290 times less property losses from disasters (estimates of insured property losses resulting from catastrophes) between 2010 and 2013 than New York.
There are 279 times more murder and non-negligent manslaughter per capita in North Carolina than in Alabama.