SmartAsset came out with a study recently ranking the safest suburbs in the good ol' USA. The Bay Area made a strong showing. Palo Alto, Livermore, Pacifica, Mountain View, and San Mateo all landed on the list. Palo Alto was actually named the safest suburb in all of California! That's cool. Go venture capitalists!
To put it in perspective, there are roughly 5000-6000 suburbs in the U.S. that fit the criteria. So, making this list basically puts these neighborhoods somewhere in the top 5% of safest suburbs in the country.
The study looked at suburbs within 15-45 minutes of major cities and pulled data from the FBI, U.S. Census Bureau, and County Health Rankings. Each suburb’s score was based on a mix of factors:
- Violent and property crime rates
- Drug overdose and traffic death rates
- Adults reporting excessive drinking/substance use
- Median household income and housing costs
In other words, safety wasn’t measured by just crime alone, but also health and affordability-giving a fuller picture of what it’s like to actually live there. Orrrrrrrr, so says the study.
Palo Alto grabbed the top spot in California, with Livermore, Pacifica, and Mountain View following close behind. To see more Bay Area and Northern California cities that ranked nationally, check out the list below:
27. Palo Alto, CA
37. Livermore, CA
39. Pacifica, CA
41. Mountain View, CA
59. San Mateo, CA
105. Brentwood, CA
121. Folsom, CA
140. Lodi, CA
142. Rocklin, CA
144. Clovis, CA
168. Sausalito, CA
202. Roseville, CA
203. Vacaville, CA
252. Capitola, CA
283. Santa Cruz, CA
310. Truckee, CA
312. Oakdale, CA
344. Marysville, CA
