CA Among Most Dangerous States To Raise A Family: Ranking

CALIFORNIA — California is one of the most dangerous states to raise a family, according to a recent ranking.

The study used FBI crime data to create metrics for violent and property crime per 100,000 people, as well as a combined crime rate. The metrics include data for homicide, rape, robbery, aggravated assault, arson, burglary, theft and vehicle theft. The study was conducted by Omega Law Group.

California ranked eighth most dangerous, with a violent crime rate of 500 per 100,000 people, a property crime rate of 2,372 per 100,000 and a combined crime rate of 2,847 per 100,000, according to the study.

The Golden State fell between Tennessee, which ranked seventh most dangerous with a combined crime rate of 2,847 per 100,000, and Missouri, which was ninth with a rate of 2,820 per 100,000.

New Mexico was determined to be the most dangerous, ranked first with a combined crime rate of 3,763 per 100,000 and followed by Washington with a rate of 3,719 per 100,000, then Colorado with a rate of 3,617 per 100,000.

The study is a tool for identifying dangerous states, an Omega Law Group spokesperson said in a news release.

“For those already residing in these areas, such as New Mexico, Washington, and Colorado, it acts as a warning, prompting residents to check local neighborhood crime rates to ensure they live in the safest locations available,” the spokesperson said.

On the other end of the spectrum, the safest state to raise a family was New Hampshire with a combined crime rate of 1,131 per 100,000 people, followed by Idaho with a rate of 1,153 per 100,000, then Maine with a rate of 1,307 per 100,000.