News Summary
A recent study by SmartAsset highlights San Jose, California, as the safest large city in the U.S., recognizing its low crime rates and public health accomplishments. With a population of nearly 1 million, San Jose reported the third-lowest violent crime rate and a minimal overdose death rate. This ranking comes as public safety remains a pressing issue across the country, making the study’s insights valuable for potential residents considering safety and living conditions.
San Jose, California, has been distinguished as the safest big city in America by a comprehensive study conducted by SmartAsset, which analyzed a range of public safety metrics across the 50 largest cities in the United States. The findings emphasize the city’s low crime rates and public health successes, positioning San Jose as a model for urban safety in 2025.
The SmartAsset study evaluated key elements such as violent and property crime rates, traffic fatalities, drug overdose rates, and incidents of excessive drinking. San Jose has a population of approximately 1 million people and demonstrated impressive statistics across all categories examined, ranking within the top ten for nearly every evaluated aspect.
In 2024, San Jose reported 5,185 violent crimes, holding the third-lowest violent crime rate per capita among major U.S. cities. The property crime figures were equally promising, with 25,715 incidents recorded, significantly below the average for similar metropolitan areas. San Jose also reported a low overdose death rate of 17 per 100,000 residents, ranking it as one of the safest cities in terms of drug-related fatalities. Furthermore, the city’s traffic death rate was less than seven per 100,000 people, showcasing a strong record of road safety.
Other cities that made it into the top ten list include Los Angeles, which ranked second, followed by Omaha, Nebraska in fourth place, Virginia Beach, Virginia in fifth, Las Vegas in sixth, and Charlotte and Raleigh in ninth and tenth, respectively. Notably, three cities from Texas—Fort Worth (No. 3), Arlington (No. 7), and El Paso (No. 8)—also scored well in the rankings, praised for their moderate crime rates and low overdose fatalities. El Paso stood out not only for its public safety but also for its affordability, with average housing costs around $1,044 per month.
As debates around public safety intensify across the United States, these rankings come at a crucial time for many communities. For instance, Washington, D.C. ranks 40th in the study, which included an alarmingly high overdose death rate of 64.5 per 100,000 residents. The rising discussions surrounding crime rates and public safety challenges across the country highlight the need for collaborative safety data to better gauge the quality of life in urban areas.
The methodology used by SmartAsset drew upon both federal and local datasets, employing the FBI’s Uniform Crime Reporting database as well as the 2025 County Health Rankings to analyze safety across various domains. While the study provided context around housing costs and income levels in its rankings, these factors did not influence the safety scores.
This research serves as a valuable resource for families, professionals, and retirees who are assessing living conditions in diverse cities. The data can help potential residents make informed decisions about relocation based on safety, health outcomes, and overall quality of life. By highlighting safe urban environments like San Jose, the findings underline pathways to safer living conditions and better public health across the nation.
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Additional Resources
- SmartAsset: America’s Safest Cities 2025
- King 5 News: Safest Big Cities in the US 2025
- NBC Bay Area: San Jose Safe Sleeping Site 4
- ABC7 News: Safety Improvements in East San Jose
- Encyclopedia Britannica: Crime
Author: STAFF HERE VIRGINIA BEACH WRITER
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