Every New England state named among 10 safest in America. Where does Mass. rank?

BOSTON — New England dominates a new ranking of America’s safest states.

A new WalletHub study ranks all six New England states among the 10 safest places to live in the United States.

To identify the most secure states, the personal finance website says it compared all 50 states across 52 key metrics, ranging from assaults per capita and the total loss from climate disasters per capita to the unemployment rate.

“The safest states in America protect their residents from harm in a multitude of different ways, from keeping crime rates low and maintaining safe roadways to having strong economies and job markets that prevent people from falling into dangerous financial situations,” WalletHub analyst Chip Lupo wrote in the study. “They have high levels of occupational safety and disaster preparedness, too. In addition, states are made safer by efforts that individual residents take, such as forming a neighborhood watch or working in firefighting and EMT jobs at high rates.”

Vermont was crowned 2026’s safest state, with WalletHub highlighting neighborhood, financial, and road safety as major factors.

“Vermont is the safest state, and it’s especially good when it comes to neighborhood safety,” WalletHub wrote. “Nearly 76% of parents in Vermont believe they live in safe neighborhoods, the third-highest percentage in the country.”

Massachusetts ranked second, gaining major points for financial safety and low crime.

“Massachusetts is the second-safest state, and it really shines when it comes to financial safety,” WalletHub wrote. “It has the third-highest percentage of households that save for unexpected expenses or emergencies and sixth for the percentage of people setting aside money for their children’s college education.”

See more key metrics for the Bay State:

• 4th – murders & non-negligent manslaughter per capita
• 29th – assaults per capita
• 6th – loss amounts from climate disasters per capita
• 30th – job security
• 5th – fatal occupational injuries per 100,000 full-time workers
• 1st – fatalities per 100 million vehicle miles of travel
• 26th – law-enforcement employees per capita
• 5th – bullying incidence rate
• 3rd – sex offenders per capita
• 1st – share of uninsured population

Maine (3rd), New Hampshire (4th), and Connecticut (5th) rounded out WalletHub’s top five safest states. Rhode Island ranked 9th on the list.

Mississippi was named the least safe state in America.

Download the FREE Boston 25 News app for breaking news alerts.

Follow Boston 25 News on Facebook and Twitter. | Watch Boston 25 News NOW

©2026 Cox Media Group