Massachusetts Public Transportation Ranks Among Safest in the US – New Hampshire Tops List
If you looked at social media and at the plethora of headlines about MBTA horror stories and fires over the last handful of years you’d think that Massachusetts’ public transportation…
If you looked at social media and at the plethora of headlines about MBTA horror stories and fires over the last handful of years you'd think that Massachusetts' public transportation system is in the toilet. However, a new report paints a much rosier picture.
High Rise Legal Funding commissioned the study which put Massachusetts in the Top 10 as far as public transportation safety in the US. The Bay State proudly sits at #8 safest in the country. The report analyzed data on bus fatalities between 2010-2022 from the Bureau of Transport Statistics, as well as rail accident data for 2022 from the Federal Railroad Administration. The number of bus fatalities and rail accidents were then compared to the population of each state to find the number of public transportation accidents per 100,000 residents.
The news gets even better for our New England neighbor New Hampshire who tops the whole dang list, making New Hampshire the state with the safest public transportation in the entire United States. Congrats, Granite State! New Hampshire scored a perfect score of 100 in public transportation safety. The state recorded zero bus fatalities between 2010 and 2020 and zero rail accidents throughout 2022. If I could find the clappy hand emojis I'd insert a few here.
Montana finished last with a public transport safety score of only 12.81. Montana had 1.76 rail accidents per 100,000 residents. To put that into perspective, 1.76 per 100,000 is 183% above the national average.
Massachusetts did pretty well coming at #8 safest with an overall safety score of 56.52. Rhode Island and Maine took 3rd and 4th respectively.
We got even more safety news recently as the Bay State is well represented in NeighborhoodScout’s 2023 Top 100 Safest Cities in the U.S. list – Massachusetts has 4 of the Top 10 spots! Neighborhood Scout determined their top 100 by using each town/city’s population and total crime rate per one thousand residents to determine the chance of being a victim of crime there. The lower the chances of being a victim of crime, the safer (obviously).
When you've decided to settle down in a community and lay down some roots there are factors you need to consider. Invitation Homes says top things to keep in mind when choosing where to move include these 9 factors: Cost of living, Size of town or city, Housing, Traffic, Schools, Health needs (proximity to health care), Job Prospects, Entertainment and Social scene, and Safety.
A survey by OnePoll on behalf of Arlo found that 52% of people feel on edge about their personal safety every day.
Massachusetts just got some high praise for the safety of many of it's communities. The Bay State is well represented in NeighborhoodScout’s 2023 Top 100 Safest Cities in the U.S. list - Massachusetts has 4 of the Top 10 spots!
But while Massachusetts scored well in safety it does come at a price as Mass was named "One of the Most Expensive States To Live In For 2023." Click the link for that uplifting story. Please note sarcasm.
Back to the good news: Massachusetts has 4 of the Top 10 Safest Cities in the Country! *applause* Neighborhood Scout determined their top 100 by using each town/city's population and total crime rate per one thousand residents to determine the chance of being a victim of crime there. The lower the chances of being a victim of crime, the safer (obviously).
So let's count down the Top 10! We'll give you the city, it's population, it's crime rate (per 1,000 residents), and finally *gulp* the chances of being a victim of crime in the town/city. (I hate the sound of that.) Congratulations Massachusetts on 4 in the Top 10! And another New England state takes the #1 spot!
Safest Cities in the US - #10
Rexburg, ID
Population: 35,300
Total Crime Rate (per 1,000 residents): 3.9
Chance of being a victim of crime in Rexburg: 1 in 253
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8ZDxzai0VLA
Safest Cities in the US - #9
Muskego, WI
Population: 25,242
Total Crime Rate (per 1,000 residents): 3.8
Chance of being a victim of crime in Muskego: 1 in 265
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pVrQ2eNsEIk
Safest Cities in the US - #8
Lexington, MA
Population: 34,071
Total Crime Rate (per 1,000 residents): 3.7
Chance of being a victim of crime in Lexington: 1 in 270
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2-cCkXH10ts
Safest Cities in the US - #7
Zionsville, IN
Population: 31,702
Total Crime Rate (per 1,000 residents): 3.6
Chance of being a victim of crime in Zionsville: 1 in 275
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2wsKonUpXVY
Safest Cities in the US - #6
Fulshear, TX
Population: 25,169
Total Crime Rate (per 1,000 residents): 3.6
Chance of being a victim of crime in Fulshear: 1 in 276
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Alhi18ExWSg
Safest Cities in the US - #5
Arlington, MA
Population: 45,617
Total Crime Rate (per 1,000 residents): 3.4
Chance of being a victim of crime in Arlington: 1 in 292
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eyPjIOxZp7Q
Safest Cities in the US - #4
Marshfield, MA
Population: 25,869
Total Crime Rate (per 1,000 residents): 3.3
Chance of being a victim of crime in Marshfield: 1 in 300
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vYmOyOs821o
Safest Cities in the US - #3
Lake in the Hills, IL
Population: 28,945
Total Crime Rate (per 1,000 residents): 3.1
Chance of being a victim of crime in Lake in the Hills: 1 in 321
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u-73gQrkzAE
Safest Cities in the US - #2
Franklin, MA
Population: 33,036
Total Crime Rate (per 1,000 residents): 2.9
Chance of being a victim of crime in Franklin: 1 in 344
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PtfP8EQn7f0
Safest Cities in the US - #1
Ridgefield, CT
Population: 25,011
Total Crime Rate (per 1,000 residents): 1.9
Chance of being a victim of crime in Ridgefield: 1 in 510
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FpWlcn8-PMk
