Overall, Utah is considered one of the safest states in the country, and several cities have been ranked high among the safest cities in the United States. But, in this world, there is no safe place. However, if you are still considering the aspect of living in Utah, some safety concerns cannot be hounded down. Here are the things you should know.

Overall Crime Rates

The FBI Index Crime Report for 2020 ranked Utah at position 7 in the lowest rate of violent crime, and position 10 in the lowest rate of property crime. The violent crime rate is 237 cases per 100,000 population while the property crime rate is 1694 cases per 100,000 population. The mortality rates are significantly lower than the national mortality rates, which are also given below.

To this end, the following factors have been attributed to the safety of Utah: Latter Day Saints Church is a common religion among people and it encourages the formation of strong families and communities. it does not have high rates of poverty and very stringent laws when it comes to the possession of firearms.

Safest Cities in Utah

Various cities across Utah are considered exceptionally safe

  • Provo – This city is home to a college and has been ranked by Forbes as the safest midsize metro area in America. And the violent and property crime rates are below half of the national level.
  • Orem – This northern neighbor usually has one of the lowest rates of crime among other cities of its size. The response time of the police is also on an extremely high level.
  • Logan – The seventh safe College town is located in northern Utah. The violent crime is very low standing at 74/100k people.
  • St. George – Retirees have chosen southern Utah’s Dixie as a preferred retirement destination because of security. It is worth noting that in the 2020 account, there were only 62 violent crimes in the entire city of St. George which is home to almost 90k people.

The Wasatch Front

The Wasatch Front is the central populated area of the state of Utah, which ranges from Logan in the north down to Provo. This northern zone holds most of the Utah metropolitan areas on the Wasatch range of mountains. It covers the safer cities of Ogden, Layton, and Salt Lake City proper.

Nevertheless, more populated and occupying primarily urban areas, the Wasatch Front is characterized by a higher crime rate compared to the rest of the state of Utah. The crime rate concerning properties is higher than in rural areas of Utah, and thus, it is recommended to take reasonable measures. Automobile proclivities, home invasions, theft, and drug-related instances are preferred by burglars.

Rural Imaging of Utah & National Parks

As for the case of safety concerns, high risks are mostly associated with the urban areas of northern Utah; otherwise, the risks are comparatively low. Other areas of central and eastern Utah and surrounding the national parks in southern Utah could not be considered safe enough. Gang-related and other violent crimes are minuscule in these small agricultural communities and out-of-reach desert regions.

Nonetheless, tourists should be cautious when visiting Moab and Springdale. Indeed, occasionally some cars parked in the streets/lanes and hotel rooms get some of their property stolen. Nevertheless, violent crime remains an exception. The risk associated with certain geographical locations is usually larger when compared to the characterized extreme natural environments.

Taking Precautions

While Utah does enjoy stellar safety rankings, being smart about security will reduce your risks even further: 

  • It is important to lock your homes and vehicles at all times
  • It is not okay to leave expensive items inside vehicles.
  • Install security systems at home & lighting at the exterior part of the house
  • Talk to neighbors and look for signs of unusual behaviors
  • Travel during the day and at the same time, ensure you do not move around the dark areas during the night.

There is very little to worry about in Utah’s violent crime when you have to work in some of the most beautiful and peaceful towns with mountain ranges as backdrops. You will indeed wake up a happy man or woman knowing or rather having the peace of mind that property crime and risk of posing a threat to the public is relatively smaller compared to most other areas. However, practicing safe and commonsense personal safety measures keeps Utah one of the safest states in the United States.