A new study by the experts over at MoneyGeek has determined that Ventura County is home to two of the safest cities in America. Thousand Oaks has topped the list once again as the number one safest city in America, and neighboring city Simi Valley has ranked ninth on the list. This shouldn't come as much of a surprise to Thousand Oaks and Simi Valley natives who have felt this for a long time.
MoneyGeek conducts an annual analysis of the most recent crime statistics provided by the FBI to calculate the financial impact of crime in 302 cities in the US with populations exceeding 100,000. This analysis combines reported crime data with scholarly research on the societal expenses associated with various types of crimes in order to estimate the overall cost of crime for each city.
The Safest (and Most Dangerous) Cities in America
At the top of the list is Thousand Oaks, California, which is considered the safest city in the country, with a crime cost of only $241 per person. Following closely are Fishers, Indiana, with a cost of $296, and Pembroke Pines, Florida, with a cost of $322, placing them in the top three for low crime costs nationwide. Another Ventura County city, Simi Valley, ranks 9th on the list. Overall, California cities take five of the top fifteen spots on the list.
As for the most dangerous cities in America, California showed up on the 12th (Oakland, CA), and 13th (San Bernadino, CA) spots on the list. However, none of those cities were located within Ventura County, or the neighboring Los Angeles County. Which goes to show that our little spot here in Southern California is a nice, and safe place to live.
Safety and the Cost of Crime
The tangible financial burdens of crime on individuals and the community consist of expenses include victim medical and mental health care needs, as well as the destruction and theft of property, and the costs associated with law enforcement and rehabilitation. In addition to the immediate threat of crime, residents in areas with higher crime rates experience decreased property values and must shell out more money for essential necessities like home, renters, and car insurance.
MoneyGeek conducted an analysis of crime data to evaluate the most secure cities, taking into account various types of criminal activity such as murder, rape, aggravated assault, home burglary, and motor vehicle theft. The assessment involved determining the cost of crime in each city and ranking them according to the cost of crime per person. Additionally, the researchers also measured the financial impact of violent crimes in comparison to property crimes on a community.
"Behind all these averages that people like to cite about the crime rates in different communities are individual people and their decisions about how they choose to engage in their community," says Jesse Bruhn, Annenberg assistant professor of education and economics at Brown University who researches education issues and inner-city gang violence. "There's a lot more heterogeneity in these patterns that we just can't measure."
Despite genuine threats, Bruhn says, it may be surprising how safe people can feel in neighborhoods with high crime rates.
