Every parent wants the same thing: a place where kids can ride bikes down the street, where schools actually deliver, and where locking the front door at night feels like a formality rather than a necessity. Finding that place is harder than it sounds. America has nearly 20,000 incorporated cities, towns, and villages, and choosing among them can feel overwhelming.
After analyzing over 850 U.S. cities, researchers consistently find that murder and property crime rates per 100,000 people, drawn directly from FBI crime reports, are among the most reliable indicators of how safe a city truly is for families. The good news? Reported levels of 11 of the 13 offense categories tracked by the Council on Criminal Justice were lower in 2025 than in 2024, with nine of those offenses declining by 10 percent or more. That’s a trend worth knowing about. Let’s dive in.
#10 – Gilbert, Arizona: The Desert Suburb That Keeps Surprising Everyone
Honestly, Gilbert doesn’t get nearly enough credit. Once a quiet farming community on the edge of Phoenix, it has transformed into one of the fastest-growing and safest mid-sized cities in the American Southwest. Gilbert, AZ reports violent crime rates well below the national average of 361 per 100,000 people, which is remarkable for a city that has been absorbing tens of thousands of new residents each decade.
Many of the top safest cities, like Gilbert, Arizona and Overland Park, Kansas, are characterized by strong economies and highly-educated populations, with research suggesting a clear correlation between these factors and lower crime rates. It’s not just about policing. It’s about community investment, and Gilbert delivers. Gilbert, Arizona came in at rank 21 among the safest cities for families in SafeWise’s analysis, making it a consistent presence on national safety lists.
#9 – Fishers, Indiana: Where Small-Town Safety Meets Big-City Convenience
Fishers, Indiana, ranks as the second safest city in America according to HomeSnacks, with only 98 violent crimes per 100,000 residents and a property crime rate among the lowest in the nation. Locals describe it as the kind of place kids can run around during the day without adult supervision. You had just a 1 in 164.1 chance of being a victim of property crime there. Those are extraordinary numbers for a city of over 100,000 people.
Fishers is a safe, growing suburb with parks, schools, and family-oriented programs that appeal directly to young parents looking for structure and community. It sits about 30 minutes from downtown Indianapolis, so big-city amenities are never out of reach. Fishers, Indiana ranked fourth on MoneyGeek’s 2025 list of safest U.S. cities, cementing its reputation as a perennial standout for families.
#8 – Frisco, Texas: The Boomtown That Refuses to Let Crime Grow With It
One of Dallas’s buzziest suburbs is also one of the safest in the U.S. Frisco was declared the second safest city in America for 2025 in a study by personal finance advisors MoneyGeek. What makes this especially impressive is that Frisco has been one of the fastest-growing cities in the country for over a decade. Growth and safety don’t always go together. Here, somehow, they do.
The estimated societal cost of crime per resident in Frisco was a mere $287, far lower than the national crime cost of $2,178 per resident. Frisco logged the third-lowest rate of violent crime in the study, with only 86 crimes committed for every 100,000 residents. With safe neighborhoods, professional sports organizations, a growing museum district, and extensive retail and dining spaces, Frisco provides a welcoming community for families seeking a secure and vibrant place to call home.
#7 – Cary, North Carolina: The Research Triangle’s Most Underrated Gem
Cary is one of the largest cities in North Carolina, with approximately 191,000 residents, yet it maintains remarkably low crime rates. Located in the heart of North Carolina’s Research Triangle Park, Cary combines high-tech economic opportunities with family-friendly neighborhoods and exceptional public safety. Think of it as a city that has somehow managed to grow up without losing its neighborhood feel.
With a crime rate of 13.65 per 1,000 residents, Cary is a genuinely safe place to call home. The chance of becoming a victim of property crime in Cary is one in 79, and the chance of becoming a victim of violent crime is one in 938. Cary ranked sixth on MoneyGeek’s 2025 national safest cities list. For families who want quality schools, a strong job market, and nature trails in every direction, Cary belongs near the top of any serious list.
#6 – Plano, Texas: Safety in the Shadow of Dallas
Plano, part of the Dallas-Fort Worth metropolitan area, offers residents low violent crime rates and an overall sense of security. The city’s strong economy, highly ranked schools, and extensive community services help maintain a safe and welcoming environment. It’s one of those places that flies slightly under the radar nationally, while locals quietly understand they’ve landed somewhere special.
Plano, TX, is the third-best place to raise a family according to WalletHub, holding the tenth-lowest violent crime rate per capita as well as the 29th-lowest property crime rate per capita. Niche ranked Plano number six in their 2025 Best Cities to Live in America list, with A+ grades for both public schools and family-friendliness. No state income tax in Texas doesn’t hurt either, giving young families more money to work with each month.
#5 – Overland Park, Kansas: The Midwest’s Most Quietly Perfect City
Let’s be real: Kansas doesn’t exactly pop into most people’s heads when they think of ideal family cities. But that’s exactly why Overland Park keeps winning. Overland Park, Kansas, is the second-best place to raise a family in 2025 according to WalletHub. It has one of the lowest unemployment rates in the country, at 3.4 percent, along with one of the highest median family incomes at over $149,000 after adjusting for the cost of living.
Overland Park has the second-highest percentage of two-parent families in the country, over 81 percent, and the tenth-lowest separation and divorce rate nationally. To top things off, it has a low traffic fatality rate and the fifth-best public hospitals in the country. The city’s Blue Valley School District is rated number one in Kansas and in the top one percent of U.S. school districts, with all five public high schools among the state’s top ten. That is genuinely hard to beat.
#4 – Irvine, California: 18 Years of Being America’s Safest Large City
Eighteen consecutive years. That’s how long Irvine has held the lowest per-capita violent crime rate among major American cities. Irvine, California holds the lowest violent crime rate among major U.S. cities for 15 consecutive years, making it one of the safest places for families. The master-planned layout of the city isn’t just aesthetically pleasing. It’s designed, quite literally, with safety and livability in mind.
Irvine’s master-planned communities are full of parks, bike trails, and playgrounds, and families are plentiful. Homeownership sits around 44 percent due to a large number of apartments, but those who settle in Irvine tend to stay, drawn by amenities and excellent jobs in tech and education. Local incomes are high enough that despite costly California real estate, many families can manage, with a median household income around $120,000 or higher. Among large cities, Irvine leads with a crime cost of only $447 per resident, according to MoneyGeek’s 2026 analysis.
#3 – Carmel, Indiana: The Roundabout Capital That’s Also the Safest City in America
I know it sounds unlikely, but Carmel, Indiana, has repeatedly claimed the title of America’s safest city in multiple independent studies. Carmel, Indiana is the safest city in America, with an estimated annual crime cost of about $186 per resident, according to MoneyGeek’s 2026 analysis using FBI crime data. For context, the national average is well over ten times that figure.
Carmel takes the crown as the safest city in America for 2025, with only a 1 in 119.8 chance of being the victim of a property crime and a 1 in 1,716 chance of being the victim of violent crime. Carmel stands out for its unique traffic management with over 125 roundabouts, making it one of the safest cities for motor vehicle safety. Locals love the mature greenery and shared spaces like Central Park, which offer biking and walking paths, playgrounds, and event venues. With a low crime rate of 9 crimes per 1,000 people, Carmel provides a secure environment for families, complemented by cultural attractions and year-round community events.
#2 – Naperville, Illinois: Five Straight Years at the Top for a Reason
Naperville shines as the perfect place for families to call home. This fifth-largest city in Illinois sits 33 miles west of Chicago and has earned the title of “Best City to Raise a Family in America” for five straight years. Niche.com named it the “Best City to Live in America” for the second year running in 2025. Five years in a row. That’s not a fluke. That’s a system that works.
Naperville, Illinois consistently ranks as the top city for families in 2025, according to multiple studies including Niche and WalletHub. It offers A+ rated schools, crime rates 60 percent below the national average, excellent parks and recreation, and a strong sense of community. The city’s Police Department recently earned its 10th reaccreditation from the Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies in 2024. The Fire Department stands out globally as one of just two agencies to achieve accreditation six times in a row from the Center for Public Safety Excellence. That kind of institutional commitment to safety is rare.
#1 – Fremont, California: The Best City in America to Raise a Family
At the top of the list sits Fremont, a city in the San Francisco Bay Area that most Americans couldn’t locate on a map, yet consistently earns the highest marks of any mid-sized city for young families. Fremont, CA, is the best place to raise a family in 2025 according to WalletHub, due largely to economic factors. The city boasts one of the highest median family incomes after adjusting for the cost of living, at close to $130,000, and it has the third-lowest share of families living in poverty as well as the third-lowest share receiving food stamps.
Nearly 50 percent of families in Fremont have children under age 18, one of the highest rates in the country. The city excels in children’s education, with 58.3 percent of public schools rated at least a 7 out of 10, and many summer camp opportunities per capita. Only 1.6 percent of children lack health insurance, the fifth-lowest percentage in the country, and only 1.1 percent of the population lacks access to healthy food. The city also has the fifth-most parkland acres per capita, allowing for excellent outdoor recreation. It’s a remarkably complete picture of a city built for children to thrive.
The Bigger Picture: Why These Cities Keep Winning
SafeWise found that smaller or mid-sized cities tend to have better crime statistics than larger cities. On average, the property crime rate in the 50 safest cities was just 9.92 per 1,000 people, more than two times lower than the national average of 24.82. That pattern shows up consistently across every major ranking, from WalletHub to MoneyGeek to Niche.
To determine the safest cities in America, researchers typically analyze violent and property crime rates using data from the FBI and the Census Bureau. Other factors include the unemployment rate, access to health care, quality public schools, natural disaster risk, and the percentage of uninsured residents. Together, these indicators paint a picture of how well a city supports families, both in day-to-day life and in emergencies.
The rate of reported homicides was 21 percent lower in 2025 than in 2024 across 35 study cities, representing 922 fewer homicides. There were also 9 percent fewer reported aggravated assaults, 22 percent fewer gun assaults, and robbery fell by 23 percent while carjackings decreased by 43 percent. The overall direction of crime in America is encouraging. It’s just that some cities have always been ahead of the curve.
Which of these cities surprised you most? Drop your thoughts in the comments below.
