Utah: A National Leader In Safety And Quality Living Standards

In Utah, murder occurs at a rate of 2.2 homicides per 100,000 people per year. That's the third lowest rate in the United States (New Hampshire is 1.8 and Rhode Island is 2.0. Amazingly Vermont didn't have a murder in 2018, but has seen more than 20 per year since).

So just how safe is Utah? Very safe, actually.

Utah has a high safety rating, and this despite the fact that the state has the third-lowest number of police officers per capita.

Utah scored second overall in two categories: financial safety and workplace safety. The Beehive State also did well in Emergency Preparedness (fifth overall) and road safety (seventh).

Utah was also rated "Best State" by US News and World Report. This poll took into account Utah's relatively crime-free environment.

We also scored well in education (No. 2), economy (No. 3), infrastructure (No. 3), fiscal stability (No. 6), and health care (No. 14).

While Southern Utah is known for clear skies and clean water, USNWR gave the state an overall bad rating when it comes to natural environment (No. 46 of the 50 states).

Northern Utah, and especially the Wasatch Front, is known for its atmospheric inversions, which trap smoke and smog in the valleys, poisoning the air and water.

The worst state, according to USNWR, is Louisiana, which finished in the bottom 10 in every single category, and was dead last in crime and corrections.

The top five best states were Utah, New Hampshire, Nebraska, Minnesota and Idaho. The bottom five were West Virginia, Arkansas, Mississippi, New Mexico and Louisiana.

See the full report here.