Delaware's safety rank compared to other U.S. states might come as a surprise to you

Krys'tal Griffin, Delaware News Journal
·3 min read

Most people hope to live in an area with low crime rates and safety measures that put their minds at ease when they are out in the community, but that isn’t always the case.

Have you ever wondered how safe Delaware actually is? Well, a new study from WalletHub ranked each state’s safety, and the Small Wonder’s standing might surprise you.

How safe is Delaware?

A view of the Roth Bridge over the Chesapeake and Delaware Canal as seen from the St. Georges Bridge Oct. 11, 2024.
A view of the Roth Bridge over the Chesapeake and Delaware Canal as seen from the St. Georges Bridge Oct. 11, 2024.

WalletHub compared the 50 states across the five key categories of personal and residential safety, financial safety, road safety, workplace safety and emergency preparedness. The categories encompassed 52 relevant metrics in total, individually weighted and graded on a 100-point scale. Each state’s weighted average across all metrics was then determined to calculate its overall score and rank among the final list of safest states in the United States. Safest States in America in 2024

Delaware ranks as the 20th safest state in the country with a total score of 52.84, according to the report.

While Delaware is just above the middle of the rankings overall, the state’s individual scores for the five key categories vary. The state ranked No. 7 for personal and residential safety and No. 12 for emergency preparedness.

Skyline shot of Wilmington
Skyline shot of Wilmington

Delaware’s financial safety was in the bottom half of the rankings, coming in at No. 28. The state’s rank for road safety is No. 40, with workplace safety following suit at No. 41.

As part of the metrics included in the five key categories, WalletHub found that Delaware ranked No. 1 for the lowest bullying incidence rate in the U.S., followed by Hawaii, Rhode Island, Virginia and Massachusetts. Delaware also performed well in the metric calculating the percentage of adults with rainy-day funds, coming in at No. 2 behind Hawaii and followed by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Rhode Island.

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Safest, most dangerous states in the U.S.

The top 10 safest states in the U.S., according to WalletHub, are:

  • Vermont at No. 1, with an overall score of 67.94.

  • New Hampshire at No. 2, with an overall score of 65.68.

  • Maine at No. 3, with an overall score of 64.19.

  • Massachusetts at No. 4, with an overall score of 63.59.

  • Utah at No. 5, with an overall score of 62.67.

  • Hawaii at No. 6, with an overall score of 60.11.

  • Connecticut at No. 7, with an overall score of 59.51.

  • Minnesota at No. 8, with an overall score of 59.04.

  • Rhode Island at No. 9, with an overall score of 57.45.

  • Wyoming at No. 10, with an overall score of 55.87.

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The top 10 most dangerous states in the U.S. are:

  • Louisiana at No. 1, with an overall score of 33.27.

  • Mississippi at No.2, with an overall score of 35.13.

  • Texas at No. 3, with an overall score of 36.41.

  • Arkansas at No. 4, with an overall score of 26.85.

  • Florida at No. 5, with an overall score of 37.66.

  • Oklahoma at No. 6, with an overall score of 39.92.

  • Alabama at No. 7, with an overall score of 41.85.

  • Colorado at No. 8, with an overall score of 42.

  • Georgia at No. 9, with an overall score of 42.92.

  • South Carolina at No. 10, with an overall score of 43.32.

Got a tip or a story idea? Contact Krys'tal Griffin at kgriffin@delawareonline.com. 

This article originally appeared on Delaware News Journal: Delaware's safety rank compared to other states in WalletHub study