Safest and most dangerous states to raise a family, ranked by survey – NBC Los Angeles

There are a lot of things to consider when deciding where to raise a family, but safety is usually at the top of the list.

Safety can mean different things to different people, but factors like theft, drug crimes and environmental health all play a role.

A new nationwide study by personal injury lawyers Whitley Law Firm reveals which states are the most dangerous for raising a family in America. The firm analyzed 26 different safety factors across all 50 states to determine which ones pose the greatest risks for families.

Categories included violent and sexual crimes, firearm possession in schools, theft, drug crimes, environmental and infrastructure factors (air, water and road quality), birth complications, motor vehicle accidents and fatality rates in young people.

“These findings paint a concerning picture about the safety disparities for families across our country,” a representative from the law firm told TODAY.com.

“Parents in higher-risk states should take extra precautions to protect their families, such as researching healthcare options thoroughly before pregnancy, choosing communities with lower crime rates, and practicing enhanced road safety.”

If you’re looking for the best place to raise your family, or you want to know where in the ranking your current home falls, here are the study’s results for the 10 safest, and the 10 riskiest states.

Top 5 safest states to raise a family

5. Hawaii

With the lowest homicide rate (0.09 homicides per 100,000 people) and the fourth best air quality rating (26) in the country, it’s no surprise Hawaii cracks the top five safest states for families.

4. Vermont

This Northeastern state boasts the lowest assault rate across the U.S. (41.41 per 100,000 residents per month). Vermont also has low numbers of students bringing firearms to school (4.21 per 100,000 students) and a low annual infant death rate (1.44 per 100,000 children).

3. Rhode Island

Rhode Island proves you don’t have to come in first to be one of the best. The state had zero No. 1 rankings across the entire study, but with three No. 2 placements (homicide rate, child deaths and teen deaths), it still made its way to the top of the overall safest states list. It also received a 37.33 air quality ranking.

2. New Jersey

A monthly sexual assault rate of 2.47 cases per 100,000 people makes New Jersey the least risky state in the country for this category. And the same is true for drug crime rates, which are just 6.44 cases per 100,000 residents per month. The Garden State has a low monthly homicide rate of 0.28 per 100,000 residents, and a low rate of firearms in schools (0.52 per 100,000 students).

1. Massachusetts

The No. 1 safest state for families in the US is Massachusetts. In addition to its low homicide rate (0.22 per 100,000 residents per month), the New England state had the lowest number of maternal deaths in the country (0.19 per 100,000 people) and the lowest rates of child mortality. Its vehicle death rate was also the second best nationwide at just 4.18 per 100,000 people each year.

Top 5 riskiest states to raise a family

5. South Carolina

While South Carolina doesn’t rank as the worst state for any of the analyzed factors, it does have the fourth-highest drug crime rate in the country. The state also boasts a significant amount of vehicle deaths. Its residents see a monthly rate of 126.49 assaults per 100,000 residents, and a rate of 12.42 firearms per 100,000 students.

4. Mississippi

The study determined this state had the highest rates of child deaths among multiple age groups, including an annual rate of 4.65 infant deaths per 100,000 children. Mississippi scored a 43 on the air quality index and is revealed to have an annual assault rate of 78.60 per 100,000 residents.

3. Arkansas

A major factor in Arkansas’ rating is its perinatal care — the study revealed infants there are dying at a rate of 4.04 per 100,000 births each year. Sexual assault was also noted as an issue for the state, with 10.43 assaults per 100,000 residents.

2. New Mexico

At 162.10 assaults per 100,000 people, New Mexico had the highest rate in the category. Cyclist and pedestrian death rates were also high in this state (4.83 per 100,000 annually) as was the homicide rate of 1.22 per 100,000 people per month.

1. Louisiana

The No. 1 riskiest state for families is Louisiana. In addition to the country’s highest homicide rate (1.38 per 100,000 people per month), the Bayou State, according to the study, has the highest percentage of students who bring a gun with them to school (19.88 per 100,000 students). It also has high rates of death by drowning, suffocation and choking.

All 50 states ranked from safest to riskiest

Here’s the full list of the U.S. states ranked in order from safest to riskiest, according to the survey.

1. Massachusetts
2. New Jersey
3. Rhode Island
4. Vermont
5. Hawaii
6. Connecticut
7. New Hampshire
8. New York
9. Minnesota
10. Maine
11. Pennsylvania
12. California
13. Idaho
14. Oregon
15. Virginia
16. Iowa
17. Nebraska
18. Washington
19. Wisconsin
20. Utah
21. Illinois
22. Maryland
23. Florida
24. Michigan
25. North Dakota
26. Ohio
27. Nevada
28. Delaware
29. West Virginia
30. Colorado
31. Kansas
32. Kentucky
33. North Carolina
34. South Dakota
35. Indiana
36. Texas
37. Alaska
38. Arizona
39. Georgia
40. Montana
41. Missouri
42. Wyoming
43. Alabama
44. Tennessee
45. Oklahoma
46. South Carolina
47. Mississippi
48. Arkansas
49. New Mexico
50. Louisiana

This story first appeared on TODAY.com. More from TODAY: