In the last week, U.S. News & World Report released its Top 10 list of safest states and not surprisingly, Idaho ranked number five on the list. In fact, only two of the top ten states were in the west, with Wyoming coming in ninth. The balance of the top 10 safest states were on the east coast, with Maine being ranked number one in the country.
The public safety rankings were determined by looking at both violent crimes and property crimes in each state as measured by the FBI in 2017. Idaho has a low violent crime rank as well as a low property crime rank, which propels it to its number five position.
Taking a look at some of our neighbors and how they fared, Oregon is ranked 31st overall. The Golden State of California finds itself in the middle for property crime and in the top third of states for violent crimes, giving it a total ranking of 35th in the nation. Washington State was ranked 38th in the nation for safety. Utah was 24th, Montana 29th, and Nevada ranked 41st.
The least two safest states in the U.S., according to the data, are Alaska at number 49 and New Mexico is 50th.
With its appearance on yet another “Top” or “Best” list, Idaho is going to continue seeing growth as more and more people move here. And as demand continues to be strong for homes, and with inventories low, home prices will continue increasing. With high demand, low inventory, and low interest rates, the Treasure Valley housing market is expected to be booming in 2020. So if you’re looking to buy a home, there’s no better time than the present to start looking. Of course, if you’d like to sell, now would be a great time to get a jump on the competition.
