San Diego ranked as the safest among the 20 largest U.S. cities in a report released Monday by the financial services website WalletHub.
The ranking was based not only on the usual measures of crime, but also the risk of natural disaster and the level of financial security.
San Diego, the 8th largest U.S. city, ranked 43rd in the overall list of 182 cities, but well ahead of the next big city, 15th largest Charlotte at 67 in WalletHub’s ranking.
Cities were ranked by 41 criteria in three groups: home and community safety, natural-disaster risk, and financial safety. The first group included the usual measures of murder, rape, theft and other crimes. The second looked at earthquakes, wildfires and similar risks. The third measured financial criteria like unemployment, foreclosures, job security and economic growth.
San Diego did best in natural-disaster risk, followed by home and community safety, and then financial safety.
“When people think about safety in a city, their minds probably immediately go to things like the crime rate, auto fatality rate or risk of natural disasters,” said WalletHub analyst Chris Lupo. “The safest cities in America protect residents from these threats of bodily harm and property damage, but on top of that, they also help secure people’s financial safety.”
He said financial safety includes minimizing the risk of fraud and identity theft, keeping people employed and insured, and combating homelessness.
The report focused on cities alone, not their surrounding metropolitan areas, but two cities in the greater San Diego area were among the safest: Chula Vista at 23 and Oceanside at 27.
What were the least safe cities among the 20 largest? Dallas at 166, Houston at 171 and Philadelphia at 174.
