Finance: The 25 safest American cities to live in

A new report looks at the cities with the lowest violent and property crime rates in the US.

Crime levels have declined sharply in the US over the past two decades. According to FBI statistics, the rate of violent crime fell 50% between 1993 and 2015, the most recent full year available.

However, public perceptions about crime don't always align with the data. In 21 Gallup surveys since 1989, the majority of Americans said there was more crime compared to the year before, despite the downward trend in both violent and property crime rates in the US during that period.

Niche, a company that researches and collects reviews on cities, recently pinpointed the safest cities in the country in a 2017 ranking.

The researchers analyzed public crime data — including larceny, vehicular theft, and homicide rates — from sources like the US Census and the FBI. They also considered over 100 million reviews from users, who rated how safe they feel in their cities. The ranking suggests that California, with nine of the top 25 cities, is one of the safest states in the nation.

One caveat: the cities below have relatively low population numbers. As The Atlantic notes, cities with higher densities tend to have more crime. But within a city, high traffic areas are generally safer than low-traffic areas. (The more foot traffic, the riskier an assault becomes for the assaulter.)

Check out the 25 safest cities in America, according to Niche:

25. McAllen, Texas

Population: 136,993

Annual violent crimes (e.g. assault, homicide) per 100,000:107

Annual property crimes (e.g. burglary, motor vehicle theft) per 100,000: 3,298

24. Boulder, Colorado

Population: 103,919

Annual violent crimes per 100,000: 208

Annual property crimes per 100,000: 2,645

23. Bellevue, Washington

Population: 134,630

Annual violent crimes per 100,000: 110

Annual property crimes per 100,000: 3,127

22. Torrance, California

Population: 147,589

Annual violent crimes per 100,000: 143

Annual property crimes per 100,000: 1,930

21. College Station, Texas

Population:101,141

Annual violent crimes per 100,000: 222

Annual property crimes per 100,000: 2,319

20. Santa Clara, California

Population: 121,374

Annual violent crimes per 100,000: 126

Annual property crimes per 100,000: 2,897

19. Rochester, Minnesota

Population: 110,275

Annual violent crimes per 100,000: 176

Annual property crimes per 100,000: 2,263

18. Boise, Idaho

Population: 214,196

Annual violent crimes per 100,000: 308

Annual property crimes per 100,000: 2,275

17. Fort Collins, Colorado

Population: 153,292

Annual violent crimes per 100,000: 196

Annual property crimes per 100,000: 2,516

16. Richardson, Texas

Population: 106,123

Annual violent crimes per 100,000: 151

Annual property crimes per 100,000: 2,004

15. Burbank, California

Population: 104,725

Annual violent crimes per 100,000: 150

Annual property crimes per 100,000: 2,510

14. Overland Park, Kansas

Population: 181,464

Annual violent crimes per 100,000: 214

Annual property crimes per 100,000: 1,842

13. Temecula, California

Population: 107,153

Annual violent crimes per 100,000: 102

Annual property crimes per 100,000: 2,612

12. Glendale, California

Population: 196,984

Annual violent crimes per 100,000: 95

Annual property crimes per 100,000: 1,736

11. Plano, Texas

Population: 275,645

Annual violent crimes per 100,000: 152

Annual property crimes per 100,000: 1,799

10. Cape Coral, Florida

Population: 165,843

Annual violent crimes per 100,000: 116

Annual property crimes per 100,000: 1,804

9. Sunnyvale, California

Population: 148,178

Annual violent crimes per 100,000: 104

Annual property crimes per 100,000: 1,545

8. Port St. Lucie, Florida

Population: 172,054

Annual violent crimes per 100,000: 147

Annual property crimes per 100,000: 1,364

7. Carlsbad, California

Population: 110,830

Annual violent crimes per 100,000: 151

Annual property crimes per 100,000: 1,873

6. Ann Arbor, Michigan

Population: 116,194

Annual violent crimes per 100,000: 192

Annual property crimes per 100,000: 1,992

5. Round Rock, Texas

Population: 109,690

Annual violent crimes per 100,000: 132

Annual property crimes per 100,000: 1,924

4. Provo, Utah

Population: 115,345

Annual violent crimes per 100,000:133

Annual property crimes per 100,000: 2,040

2. Thousand Oaks, California

Population: 128,565

Annual violent crimes per 100,000: 105

Annual property crimes per 100,000: 1,213

2. Irvine, California

Population: 238,474

Annual violent crimes (assault, homicide, etc.) per 100,000:55

Annual property crimes per 100,000: 1,499

1. Naperville, Illinois

Population: 144,058

Annual violent crimes per 100,000: 87

Annual property crimes per 100,000: 1,122

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