In this kind of place where people are choosing areas for them to settle down or even start a family, they need to be assured of their safety. It is generally known that Utah is one of the safest states in the USA, although the rate of crimes may vary significantly depending on the city. Using different statistics from the FBI's annual crime report I compared different rankings to define which of Utah’s cities had the lowest crime rate and thus could be considered as the safest for residents.
Finally, I realized that the city with the least of both violent and property crimes was Highland. Highland is in Utah County in north central Utah and according to the latest FBI Uniform Crime Reporting System demonstrated a violent crime rate of 0.60 per 1000 inhabitants as well as a property crime rate of 3.76 per 1000 inhabitants. This made it have the lowest overall crime rate in the state of California as well. Highland’s total crime rate of 19.2 was the lowest while Sandy City recorded a total crime rate of 19.3 which placed it only 0.1 higher than Highland but still behind it in the rankings.
To come up with these rankings, I used data for three major classifications; murder, violence (excluding murder), and property crimes. Firstly, there were no murders in Highland during the full reported year (2020) which is undoubtedly a great achievement. To provide a reference point, the number of murders in Utah in the year 2020 was low, to begin with in most cities.
In terms of violent crime excluding murder, these include robberies, rape, and assault. The rate was significantly low at Highland with only 0.60 incidence per 1000 people. So, the chances of being caught in one or the other are quite minimal given that there were 259 violent crimes other than murder recorded across the entire state in the year 2020 alone.
Last but not least are property crimes which comprise burglary, theft, and motor vehicle theft. Highland experiences a 3.76 property crime rate and this means that cases of break-ins and theft are low in this area and there is a comparison with other areas of the country. We estimate your risk of becoming a victim of a property crime in any given year in Highland to be below 0.4 percent. This might be especially true for states that have a low population and little or no crime in the first place; the slightest rise in crime rates can easily translate into a high percentage increase, but the actual numbers are still tiny.
It is observed that low crime rates are generally associated with high median income and low rate of unemployment in a given location. Highland also falls into the same category. Those living in Bountiful make a median annual income of $ 115,000, one of the highest in Utah, while only 1.8% are out of work. Thus, the financial security, population stability, and residents’ satisfaction may contribute to the idea that there are not many criminal activities. It seems there is no need or motivation to engage in unlawful behavior, let alone any rational or economic benefit in doing so.
In the same way, it has relatively low population numbers as opposed to other cities in the state. This often leads to such implications as better safety and fewer issues when fewer people are living in a concentrated area. Highland also has lots of parks and open grounds as the city provides residents with recreational areas as well as makes them feel that they are part of a particular environment.
It is also important to note that the local government and police force in Highland have done a brilliant job of creating policies and support programs that foster good relations between officers and civilians, thus reducing the rate of crime. Highland Police Department also has a large number of employees concerning the population, therefore they can react very quickly and have all the means to investigate the cases, if needed. Utah’s image as a family-oriented community in which people genuinely care for one another may also contribute to the favorable results.
To sum up, my investigation lets me conclude that Highland, UT is indeed the safest city to live in, at least if the crime rates are taken into consideration. The residents post low and constantly reducing rates of violent and property crimes, which indicates that your chances of experiencing a crime such as burglary, assault, or theft, while residing in the area is incredibly improbable. If you are looking for a safe community in Utah where you would like to invest and settle down, Highland brings additional advantages beyond natural beauty, excellent schools, and welcoming small-town attitudes. It is situated just twenty miles south of Salt Lake City: offering low-risk suburban living but without the undue isolation.
