Report: NJ isn’t even close to being the safest state in the U.S.

⚫ A new study says the safest place to live is in the Northeast, but it's not NJ

⚫ 'Financial safety' brings down NJ's score

⚫ NJ still performs better than some neighboring states

New Jersey has a greater police presence than any other state, but it doesn't even make the top third in a new list of the safest states in the country.

In an analysis released Monday by the personal finance website WalletHub, New Jersey earned 53.54 points out of a possible 100 for the safety of its residents.

The report looked at 52 metrics across five key areas: personal and residential safety; financial safety; road safety; workplace safety; and emergency preparedness. The category of 'personal and financial safety,' which includes metrics such as thefts and assaults, was given the most weight in the scoring of states.

Is New Jersey a safe place to live?

On WalletHub's 2023 list, New Jersey ranks as the 18th safest state to live. New York ranks at No. 26, and Pennsylvania sits at No. 29.

Across the five broad categories, New Jersey had its best showing in 'personal and residential safety,' ranking at No. 7. The Garden State was 36th for 'financial safety,' 20th for 'road safety,' 29th for 'workplace safety,' and 24th for 'emergency preparedness.'

At 541, New Jersey tied with Wyoming for recording the highest number of law enforcement employees per 100,000 residents. That's 2.8 times higher than in Washington, the state with the fewest employees per capita.

Under the category of 'financial safety,' New Jersey tied with multiple states at No. 45 for its unemployment rate.

Vermont earned the recognition of the safest state in the country (68.27 points out of 100), followed by Maine, New Hampshire, Utah, and Massachusetts. Louisiana is considered to be the least safe state.

Report a correction 👈 | 👉 Contact our newsroom