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Which US Cities are the Safest?

ALiberalModerate said:
The murder rate in some cities is much higher. St. Louis has a murder rate of 69.4 per 100,000, Memphis is 27.1, Baltimore is 51.1.
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Here's more info to illustrate my point. Here's what the legal boundaries of the "city" of Anchorage look like:

1656708052907.png
As you can see, a huge chunk of it is a state park that doesn't even have any roads significant enough to show up at that scale. In this picture, below, everything you see is technically in the "city" of Anchorage:

1656708183733.png

It just doesn't make sense to define a "city" that way and then measure the crime in that entire unit, and compare it to the crime in some other area where the "city" includes nothing but a dense urban core. DC is another good example, where the legally defined city ends abruptly at a point where the high-rises keep going. Same with Chicago, where places like Evanston are technically outside the city. MSA's get around that by defining the urban areas statistically, rather than based on wherever the historical dividing line between communities happened to be drawn.
 
EMNofSeattle said:
Rent control makes rent higher for people trying to move to the city that has it.
Click to expand...

And taking rent control away will make it unaffordable to those already established in the city with jobs and families.

And to be clear, I'm not really a proponent of rent control, it has many problems. For years, I have made clear my preference is a georgist policy to get to the root of the issue and target land speculation.
 
Mina said:
I was curious what the safest big cities in the US are. For that, I took the most recent FBI Uniform Crime Report, looked at only the metropolitan statistical areas with at least 750,000 residents, and sorted them from lowest murder rate to highest. Here are the 15 safest:

CityMurder RatePopulation
Albany-Schenectady-Troy, NY M.S.A.
1.6​
879862​
Raleigh-Cary, NC M.S.A.3
1.7​
1392882​
Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH M.S.A.3, 5
1.9​
4880689​
Worcester, MA-CT M.S.A.3
2.0​
870501​
Grand Rapids-Kentwood, MI M.S.A.4
2.2​
1079969​
McAllen-Edinburg-Mission, TX M.S.A.3
2.2​
871926​
San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA M.S.A.
2.3​
2002715​
Providence-Warwick, RI-MA M.S.A.
2.3​
1620927​
Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA M.S.A.
2.4​
2500376​
Austin-Round Rock-Georgetown, TX M.S.A.3
2.5​
2217312​
San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA M.S.A.
2.6​
3346196​
Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI M.S.A.3
2.7​
3643083​
Urban Honolulu, HI M.S.A.
2.8​
974902​
Oxnard-Thousand Oaks-Ventura, CA M.S.A.
2.8​
847049​
Bridgeport-Stamford-Norwalk, CT M.S.A.
3.0​
929479​

Here are the 15 most dangerous:

CityMurder RatePopulation
Memphis, TN-MS-AR M.S.A.2, 3
17.6​
1344796​
New Orleans-Metairie, LA M.S.A.
15.9​
1273092​
Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD M.S.A.
15.5​
2800231​
Baton Rouge, LA M.S.A.
14.1​
852152​
Albuquerque, NM M.S.A.4
10.1​
918114​
Greensboro-High Point, NC M.S.A.3
9.7​
772854​
Bakersfield, CA M.S.A.
9.4​
896356​
Jacksonville, FL M.S.A.
9.2​
1549030​
Charleston-North Charleston, SC M.S.A.
8.9​
804618​
Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MI M.S.A.
8.4​
4320314​
Columbia, SC M.S.A.
8.4​
841451​
Richmond, VA M.S.A.
8.3​
1287449​
Louisville/Jefferson County, KY-IN M.S.A.
8.3​
1269402​
Tulsa, OK M.S.A.
8.2​
998117​
Virginia Beach-Norfolk-Newport News, VA-NC M.S.A.3
8.0​
1761473​

I think this is consistent with my perception that, generally speaking, big cities in liberal regions do better than the ones in conservative regions (probably due in part to the impact of loose gun control in surrounding areas). 11 of the 15 most dangerous are located within regions I'd describe as conservative, while 12 of the 15 safest are located within region's I'd describe as liberal.

Of course, all these cities are quite dangerous relative to what we see in many other wealthy nations. For example, London's murder rate is 1.6, which would tie with the best of the US cities, despite being vastly larger and denser.
Click to expand...

Please link your data source.
 
Things most of these lists and polls don't really articulate.

I've lived in Baltimore 23 years, DC Metro area and DC for most of the rest of my life. Most of the crime that happens in these cities...happen in certain areas of the city, NOT the whole city.

Basically, in order to be a victim of a violent crime, especially murder, you have to go to the places where they happen. In most cities, that is gang-related. So, you need to be a drug dealer or a user, and you have to travel to bad parts of town if you don't already live there. Otherwise, the rest of the city is fine. Now, I'm not saying that bad things don't happen outside of the bad parts of town, but the odds are against it. As I said in another post: if I am shot and killed, it will be in a movie theater in suburbia by someone who got their firearm legally as opposed to a gangbanger who got his illegally. Speaking of firearms...over 30% of the arms used in violent crimes came from illegally/legally from one store. It was located outside of the city. In fact, most illegally bought firearms are brought into the city from the suburbs.

One of the things I enjoy most when I entertain friends who have never to Baltimore or have never left the Inner Harbor or Fort McHenry areas, and I take them to where I live...their jaws drop and they always say, "I didn't know all of THIS was here!" Gardens, breweries, restaurants, museums, historic landmarks and buildings, quiet and beautiful neighborhoods...they are surprised because all they know about Baltimore is when folks like FOX or OAN talk up the smaller, bad parts of town as if it were the whole city...or they watched "The Wire" and think they are experts (I love it when Wire fans try to tell me what's what about Baltimore...).
 
Crovax said:
If you asked the average citizen what is the common thing between Memphis, New Orleans and Baltimore I doubt the answer would be conservative, southern, or lax gun control.
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I thought the analysis was interesting. The problem, of course, is that cities like Memphis or New Orleans are in red states but are themselves blue since they have democrat management. There is nothing conservative about Baltimore or Maryland. My state of Indiana is a red state but the three largest cities are true blue with democrat mayors. So basically I reject the analysis despite the effort put into it. Reality is that democrats are found most often in cities while republicans are found outside of cities. Out here in the agricultural area where I live, democrats are fairly rare.
 
Geoist said:
I never said they did. But how a state provides for its cities may explain why the worst crime/murder cities are overwhelmingly in red states.
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States don't manage cities. Local politicians manage them. While these cities are in red states they are anything but red themselves.
 
fmw said:
States don't manage cities. Local politicians manage them. While these cities are in red states they are anything but red themselves.
Click to expand...

How do you explain Jacksonville and Fort Worth having crime problem despite Republican mayors?
 
Mina said:
I was curious what the safest big cities in the US are. For that, I took the most recent FBI Uniform Crime Report, looked at only the metropolitan statistical areas with at least 750,000 residents, and sorted them from lowest murder rate to highest. Here are the 15 safest:

CityMurder RatePopulation
Albany-Schenectady-Troy, NY M.S.A.
1.6​
879862​
Raleigh-Cary, NC M.S.A.3
1.7​
1392882​
Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH M.S.A.3, 5
1.9​
4880689​
Worcester, MA-CT M.S.A.3
2.0​
870501​
Grand Rapids-Kentwood, MI M.S.A.4
2.2​
1079969​
McAllen-Edinburg-Mission, TX M.S.A.3
2.2​
871926​
San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA M.S.A.
2.3​
2002715​
Providence-Warwick, RI-MA M.S.A.
2.3​
1620927​
Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA M.S.A.
2.4​
2500376​
Austin-Round Rock-Georgetown, TX M.S.A.3
2.5​
2217312​
San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA M.S.A.
2.6​
3346196​
Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI M.S.A.3
2.7​
3643083​
Urban Honolulu, HI M.S.A.
2.8​
974902​
Oxnard-Thousand Oaks-Ventura, CA M.S.A.
2.8​
847049​
Bridgeport-Stamford-Norwalk, CT M.S.A.
3.0​
929479​

Here are the 15 most dangerous:

CityMurder RatePopulation
Memphis, TN-MS-AR M.S.A.2, 3
17.6​
1344796​
New Orleans-Metairie, LA M.S.A.
15.9​
1273092​
Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD M.S.A.
15.5​
2800231​
Baton Rouge, LA M.S.A.
14.1​
852152​
Albuquerque, NM M.S.A.4
10.1​
918114​
Greensboro-High Point, NC M.S.A.3
9.7​
772854​
Bakersfield, CA M.S.A.
9.4​
896356​
Jacksonville, FL M.S.A.
9.2​
1549030​
Charleston-North Charleston, SC M.S.A.
8.9​
804618​
Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MI M.S.A.
8.4​
4320314​
Columbia, SC M.S.A.
8.4​
841451​
Richmond, VA M.S.A.
8.3​
1287449​
Louisville/Jefferson County, KY-IN M.S.A.
8.3​
1269402​
Tulsa, OK M.S.A.
8.2​
998117​
Virginia Beach-Norfolk-Newport News, VA-NC M.S.A.3
8.0​
1761473​

I think this is consistent with my perception that, generally speaking, big cities in liberal regions do better than the ones in conservative regions (probably due in part to the impact of loose gun control in surrounding areas). 11 of the 15 most dangerous are located within regions I'd describe as conservative, while 12 of the 15 safest are located within region's I'd describe as liberal.

Of course, all these cities are quite dangerous relative to what we see in many other wealthy nations. For example, London's murder rate is 1.6, which would tie with the best of the US cities, despite being vastly larger and denser.
Click to expand...
This morning, people in Highland Park, IL probably felt they lived in one of the safest places in the country. Until they went to see a parade.
Statistics don't mean much if there is a mass shooting in your town.
 
jaypatriot said:
This morning, people in Highland Park, IL probably felt they lived in one of the safest places in the country. Until they went to see a parade.
Statistics don't mean much if there is a mass shooting in your town.
Click to expand...

What the hell kind of argument is this? Unstable MAGAts living literally everywhere in the country doesn't suddenly make all cities equally unsafe.
 
jaypatriot said:
This morning, people in Highland Park, IL probably felt they lived in one of the safest places in the country. Until they went to see a parade.
Statistics don't mean much if there is a mass shooting in your town.
Click to expand...
In the same sense, I could post stats confirming that deadly shark attacks are exceedingly rare, but then someone could counter by pointing out an incident where a person died that way and saying "statistics don't mean much if you're the victim of the shark attack." The same is true for, say, deadly reactions to COVID vaccines. Statistically, those reactions are exceedingly rare, such that the statistics tell us you're driving down your risk of dying significantly by getting vaccinated. But, if you happen to lose someone you love to one of those freak vaccine reactions, the statistics won't be a comfort. Still, I'll take the stats over cherry-picked anecdotes. The stats can meaningfully inform choices.
 
Geoist said:
How do you explain Jacksonville and Fort Worth having crime problem despite Republican mayors?
Click to expand...
I don't I didn't say every city on the list was run by the left.
 
Mina said:
I'll take the stats over cherry-picked anecdotes. The stats can meaningfully inform choices.
Click to expand...
I agree with you. Reliable stats can help understand what is happening to certain demographics in the country.
 
Geoist said:
What the hell kind of argument is this? Unstable MAGAts living literally everywhere in the country doesn't suddenly make all cities equally unsafe.
Click to expand...
I was making an opinion about shocked people who thought their town was safe until a mass shooting occurred.
That's the kind of argument it is.
And "Unstable MAGAts living literally everywhere in the country" can be a threat also - even "literally everywhere".
 
jaypatriot said:
I was making an opinion about shocked people who thought their town was safe until a mass shooting occurred.
That's the kind of argument it is.
And "Unstable MAGAts living literally everywhere in the country" can be a threat also - even "literally everywhere".
Click to expand...

I think the only people who get 'shocked' anymore by mass shootings are the people directly impacted, because of course it is a shocking and surreal experience. But for everyone else there is no shock anymore. Many of these shootings have been happening in suburbia for a while now.
 
PoS said:
Wrong as usual. Switzerland has an assault rifle in every house, but they dont go shooting each other. No, its culture- Western Europeans and Asians seem to have more respect for each other, while Americans are pretty confrontational.
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The differences are greater than that.

"The government gives all men between the ages of 18 and 34 deemed "fit for service" a pistol or a rifle and training on how to use them. After they've finished their service, the men can typically buy and keep their service weapons, but they have to get a permit for them."

www.businessinsider.com/switzerland-gun-laws-rates-of-gun-deaths-2018-2#most-swiss-men-are-required-to-learn-how-to-use-a-gun-3
 
Maidenrules29 said:
He said he never felt scared of being robbed or attacked, not shot. There is PLENTY of violence in this country that does not include guns. We have a people, violence, and culture problem here, not a gun problem.
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:poop:
 
PoS said:
Wrong as usual. Switzerland has an assault rifle in every house, but they dont go shooting each other. No, its culture- Western Europeans and Asians seem to have more respect for each other, while Americans are pretty confrontational.
Click to expand...
That is not how it works in Switzerland, men who choose the their required military service in the military rather than the civil service can keep their weapon after service with the appropriate permits, so they get proper training. It must be properly stored, they can only shoot it at ranges, and you cannot have ammunition for it. You cannot just carry it around either.
 
mrjurrs said:
The differences are greater than that.

"The government gives all men between the ages of 18 and 34 deemed "fit for service" a pistol or a rifle and training on how to use them. After they've finished their service, the men can typically buy and keep their service weapons, but they have to get a permit for them."

www.businessinsider.com/switzerland-gun-laws-rates-of-gun-deaths-2018-2#most-swiss-men-are-required-to-learn-how-to-use-a-gun-3
Click to expand...
Thanks for proving my point.

Carjosse said:
That is not how it works in Switzerland, men who choose the their required military service in the military rather than the civil service can keep their weapon after service with the appropriate permits, so they get proper training. It must be properly stored, they can only shoot it at ranges, and you cannot have ammunition for it. You cannot just carry it around either.
Click to expand...
So what? This isnt about open carry, so youre just deluding yourself.
 
PoS said:
Thanks for proving my point.


So what? This isnt about open carry, so youre just deluding yourself.
Click to expand...
There isn't a rifle in any home it is a choice for those who did military service, many don't do the military service or keep the gun. They can have the rifle, but they can't have ammunition for it. I am not expert on guns but I imagine they are pretty useless without ammunition. So what is your point?
 
PoS said:
Wrong as usual. Switzerland has an assault rifle in every house, but they dont go shooting each other. No, its culture- Western Europeans and Asians seem to have more respect for each other, while Americans are pretty confrontational.
Click to expand...
Sorry man...gotta disagree with the highlighted part.

It's more to do with wealth than culture.

And Switzerland has a high standard of living.
Hence, little, violent crime.

en.wikipedia.org

List of countries by GDP (nominal) per capita - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org en.wikipedia.org
 
PoS said:
Thanks for proving my point.


So what? This isnt about open carry, so youre just deluding yourself.
Click to expand...
You have no point.
 
Carjosse said:
There isn't a rifle in any home it is a choice for those who did military service, many don't do the military service or keep the gun. They can have the rifle, but they can't have ammunition for it. I am not expert on guns but I imagine they are pretty useless without ammunition. So what is your point?
Click to expand...
A pretty silly point since training wont stop people from killing others, and ammo can be gotten if one tries hard enough. Anders Breivik attended gun training classes before he went on a murder spree that killed 70 people.

The Work Outing said:
Sorry man...gotta disagree with the highlighted part.

It's more to do with wealth than culture.

And Switzerland has a high standard of living.
Hence, little, violent crime.

en.wikipedia.org

List of countries by GDP (nominal) per capita - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org en.wikipedia.org
Click to expand...
You think mass murders happen in the US because people are poor? Thats silly.

mrjurrs said:
You have no point.
Click to expand...
Projection. Good job.
 
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