Washington named eighth most dangerous state in 2024 study

The latest study reveals Washington is the eighth most dangerous state, highlighting ongoing concerns over crime and safety. Washington state has a safety score of 59.6. The Larceny/Theft Rate in Washington is the highest (2133.6) per 100,000, revealing it as having a major issue with property crime compared to other states.

Legal experts at Simmrin Law Group examined crime statistics from the FBI and National Incident-Based Reporting System (NIBRS), assigning weight across ten critical crime types to identify 10 safest and most dangerous states, offering a clear snapshot of national safety landscapes.

New Jersey is the safest state, with the highest and most impressive safety score of 80, mainly due to its low crime rates. On the other hand, New Mexico comes out much worse, taking the bottom spot as the most dangerous state. With a safety score amounting to a very small 40, this reflects the challenges New Mexico faces with crime and safeguarding its residents.

Key Findings

New Jersey is the safest state with a safety score of 80, featuring the lowest assault rates at 430 and sex offenses at 25.2 per 100,000 residents, alongside minimal burglary at 81 and theft rates at 608.2, securing its place at the top of this study.
Vermont, ranking 2nd, shines bright with a safety score of 77.8 and is distinguished by a low extortion rate at 2.6 and a homicide rate at 2.3 per 100,000.
Maine, following closely, came in 3rd with a safety score of 77.2, contributed by low homicide offense at 2.2, kidnapping/abduction at 1.8, and motor vehicle theft at 65.2 per 100,000 residents.
New Mexico is sadly identified as the most dangerous state, scoring only 40. It struggles with the highest kidnapping at 63.9, vandalism at 1226, and sex offense rate at 129.4 per 100,000 residents.
Colorado, the second most dangerous state with a score of 49.2, has the second-highest larceny/theft rate of 2087.6 per 100,000 residents.
Pennsylvania is third from the bottom, marked by a score of 52.8 and challenged by the highest homicide rate of 25.2 per 100,000 residents.