Most Dangerous States to Raise a Family. SOURCE: Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) Crime Data Explorer
Washington has landed in the top five of a new list ranking the most dangerous states for neighborhood safety. Oregon came in at number four. The study, conducted by the Omega Law Group, placed Washington 5th overall after analyzing crime rates in residential areas and public parks across the country.
THE DATA
The study utilized crime data from the Federal Bureau of Investigations (FBI) to create two metrics: ‘violent crimes’ and ‘property crimes’. The metrics include data from eight different types of crime: homicide, rape, robbery, aggravated assault, arson, burglary, larceny-theft, and motor vehicle theft.
In Washington, there were roughly 2,126 home-related crimes for every 100,000 residents. When it comes to parks, the study found about 76 crimes per 100,000 people. Although Washington is 5th overall, it actually has a higher home crime rate than Oregon and Utah, which ranked just above the state on the total index.
Meanwhile, in Oregon, there were 1,601 home-related crimes for every 100,000 residents, with a park crime rate of nearly 97, the highest park crime rate of any state in the top ten, according to the research.
HOW DOES WA STATE COMPARE TO THE REST OF THE WEST?
The West Coast and Rocky Mountain regions dominated the top of the list. New Mexico took the number one spot as the most dangerous state by a wide margin, followed by Colorado, Delaware, and Utah. Apparently, the Northeast appears to be the safest region in America. New Jersey was ranked as the safest state for neighborhoods, followed closely by Maine and West Virginia.
While the Northeast consistently stays at the bottom of the rankings due to different policing strategies and community investments, states in the West continue to struggle with higher rates of residential and park-related incidents.
Please contact my office if you, a friend or family member are charged with a crime. Hiring an effective and competent defense attorney is the first and best step toward justice.
