PROVIDENCE – Rhode Island is the eighth safest state in America, according to a report released today by the personal finance website WalletHub. The report relies on survey data comparing all 50 states across five key dimensions of safety, including personal and residential, financial, road, workplace, and emergency preparedness.
While RI ranked no. 8 overall, the state ranked first in the report’s road safety category, which took into account factors like driving-related fatalities, DUIs per capita, road quality, and traffic, and no. 11 overall in the emergency preparedness category, which relied on climate disaster data from the last four decades. RI ranked no.13 overall in personal and residential safety, no. 30 in financial safety, and no. 25 in workplace safety.
Here’s how the state fared in some other notable categories:
- 1st Fewest fatal occupational injuries per 100,000 full-time workers
- 3rd – Lowest bullying incidence rate
- 5th– Fewest sex offenders per capita
- 12th – Lowest share of population lacking health insurance
Vermont, Maine, and Massachusetts, ranked first, second, and third respectively in overall safety, while New Hampshire placed fifth and Connecticut ranked seventh, making Rhode Island the least safest state in New England, according to the report.
Liz Lee is a PBN contributing writer.
