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A New England city is the safest in the country, says WalletHub study. (No, not Boston.)

Though Boston ranked 31st on WalletHub’s 2025 list, it outpaced other large U.S. cities.

Burlington, Vermont, placed third in this year's ranking. Caleb Kenna for the Boston Globe, File

October 23, 2025

1 minute to read

Several New England communities earned a nod on WalletHub’s 2025 list of the safest cities in America, with one Rhode Island city taking home top marks.

WalletHub proclaimed Warwick, Rhode Island, the safest city in the U.S., touting its low risk of natural disasters and relatively low rates of aggravated assaults, thefts, and murders per capita.

Also cracking the top 10 were Burlington and South Burlington, Vermont, which came in third and seventh place, respectively. Lewiston, Maine, placed ninth, with Nashua, New Hampshire, two slots behind.

Though Boston ranked 31st, it outpaced other large U.S. cities like San Diego (No. 39); Seattle (No. 59); Austin, Texas (No. 74); and New York City (No. 117).

Boston did, however, rank as one of the cities with the most hate crimes per capita, according to WalletHub. Tied with Boston at the bottom of the list were Washington, D.C.; Portland, Oregon; and Vancouver, Washington. On the flip side, Boston tied for third among cities with the lowest rates of uninsured people.

WalletHub said its ranking compared 182 cities in all — the 150 most populated U.S. cities, plus at least two of the most populated cities in each state — on home and community safety, natural disaster risk, and 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,” WalletHub analyst Chip Lupo said in a statement. “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.”

Financial safety, Lupo explained, includes minimizing the risk of fraud and identity theft, combatting homelessness, and keeping people employed and insured.

A separate report from GoBankingRates recently deemed two Greater Boston towns — Lexington and Winchester — among the “safest and richest” in the country.