2 Missouri & Illinois Cities Ranked as Top 20 Safest in America

I don't tend to put a lot of importance on internet lists, but there are a few that I pay close attention to and this is one of them. In a brand new safest cities list for 2024, you'll fine 2 Missouri and Illinois cities ranked among the 20 safest in the country.

One of the more respected sources for these "safest" and "most dangerous" lists is Safewise. They don't add editorial comments or narratives to their lists. It's simple data from FBI crime statistics that factors in how much violent crime and how much (or little) property crime a city has.

With all of the crime metrics crunched, two places in Missouri and Illinois ended up in the top 20 safest. Technically, both were in the top 16 which is saying something.

#16 safest - O'Fallon, Missouri

O'Fallon, Missouri only had a tiny violent crime rate of .8 which is barely anything. Property crime was higher at 7.4, but still not awful. It also has the famous Katy Trail nearby.

#12 safest - Naperville, Illinois

Naperville, Illinois only had a tiny violent crime rate of .5 while property crime was higher at 8.1, but overall still one of the safest cities in America. Naperville being declared so safe yet being so much a part of the Chicagoland area goes against the narrative of how violent Illinois is. Good for them.

No, these internet lists won't change life for anyone, but it's a positive thing to share the story of how Missouri and Illinois places aren't the dangerous havens they're sometimes described as either.