Two national studies ranked Connecticut among the safest states in the country
Connecticut led the nation in personal and residential safety, a category covering crime, overdose deaths and the safety of neighborhoods and schools
A separate analysis ranked Connecticut among the top states for retirees, citing low rates of violent crime against seniors
Two recent studies reviewing safety in the United States reached the same conclusion: Connecticut ranked among the safest states in the country.
WalletHub’s annual survey of the “Safest States in America“ ranked Connecticut the fifth-safest state in the country. New England states took the top five spots, with Connecticut trailing only Vermont, Massachusetts, Maine and New Hampshire, while Rhode Island also placed in the top 10.
Connecticut’s high marks in that study came from one primary source, the study’s most important metric: it topped the nation when it comes to “personal and residential safety,” which weighed crime and violent crime rates, overdose deaths, first responder presence, elder abuse and safety of neighborhoods and schools.
Connecticut had the second-lowest rate of assaults per capita in the nation, behind only Maine.
The study also placed Connecticut 15th in emergency preparedness, with scores at or above the national average for residents’ financial, road and workplace safety.
Safety is a significant concern for families and residents, especially among older populations. According to analysis performed earlier this year by CareScout, Connecticut placed fourth nationally when it comes to the “safest states to retire in.”
That analysis tracked rates of elder fraud, crime, falls, roadway safety, access to hospitals and health care and public safety in determining the best states for retirement.
Connecticut trailed only New Jersey, New York and Rhode Island in the ranking. CareScout specifically cited the state for having some of the nation’s lowest violent crime rates against seniors and among the lowest rates of drivers over 65 involved in fatal car crashes.
The Nutmeg State also ranked 11th for hospital beds per 1,000 residents, one of the analysis’ measures of access to health care.
