Vermont’s 10 Safest Cities of 2018

There’s more to safety in the Green Mountain State than violent and property crimes (although there’s still plenty to be proud of there). We’ve recognized Vermont on four different lists ranging from how pet-friendly the state is to how tough it is on using cellphones while driving.

In addition to having the second-lowest violent crime rate in the country, Vermont ranks seventh for the fewest child fatalities due to car accidents. And continuing the safe driving trend, this state also landed on our overall top ten safest states for driving—claiming the ninth spot. It can’t hurt that law enforcement can pull drivers over for talking on their cellphone. Most states only allow tickets for handheld cellphone use if the driver is committing another infraction.

And let’s not forget Vermont’s four-legged citizens. This state was named the twenty-first most pet-friendly state. With the most veterinarians per 1,000 residents and liberal pet policies at hotels, Vermont is rolling out the welcome mat for all residents and visitors (furry, scaly, or human).

It’s no surprise that a state with such a stellar track record for safety would be home to the outstanding communities we’ve named the safest in Vermont, based on the FBI’s most recent crime report. Compared to the national violent crime rate, 90% of Vermont’s safest cities are below that average. And your odds of being a violent crime victim are less than one in 1,000 in eight of the cities we’ve recognized.

Property crime is also rare. In every city on our list, your chances of experiencing a property crime are fewer than thirty in 1,000. But we weren’t surprised—the state has the seventh lowest incidence of property crime in the country.

Find out if your favorite Green Mountain city made the cut this year, and learn more about improving safety wherever you are with our Vermont Safety Directory.

10 Safest Cities in Vermont

How We Chose the Safest Cities in Vermont

To identify the ten safest cities in Vermont, we reviewed the 2016 FBI crime report statistics and population data. Cities that fell below identified population thresholds or that failed to submit a complete crime report to the FBI were excluded from the ranking system.

Our evaluation is based on the number of reported violent crimes (aggravated assault, murder, rape, and robbery) in each city. If there was a tie, we also factored in the number of property crimes (burglary, arson, larceny-theft, and motor vehicle theft). To level the playing field, we calculated the rate of crimes per 1,000 people in each city. This makes it easier to directly compare the likelihood of these crimes occurring in cities with vastly different populations.

Learn more about how we rank our Safest Cities reports.

How to Make a Safe Home Anywhere

Wherever you live, feeling safe in your home can bring greater peace of mind and happiness. Whether your city made our list or not, we recommend adding extra security to your home with monitored security services provided by the nation’s leading home security providers.

To learn more about the home security options available to you, check out SafeWise’s picks for  Best Home Security Systems of 2018.

If you would like to contact a SafeWise Safest Cities Analyst, please email info@safewise.com.