Mass. Ranked 2nd Safest State In U.S.

Massachusetts just landed second on WalletHub’s list of the safest states in the country for 2026. Vermont took first, and it was close. The personal-finance site scored all 50 states on 52 measures, from crime to bank accounts to how hard a storm hits. Vermont finished at 66.63.

Massachusetts came in at 66.58. Maine, New Hampshire, and Connecticut rounded out the top five, so New England basically ran the table, according to wallethub.com.

We talk about this on the air all the time, how lucky we are to live in a geographically safe state as well as relatively low levels of crime.

The part that jumps out is money. WalletHub says Massachusetts ranks third for households that set something aside for an emergency, and sixth for families saving for a kid’s college. It also has the 11th-smallest share of people with no bank account, and the fifth-fewest non-business bankruptcies per person. That is not flashy. It is the boring kind of safe. A car repair or a lost paycheck does not wipe somebody out as fast.

Crime is part of the score too. The state has the eighth-fewest thefts and the fourth-fewest murders and manslaughters per person. From 2024 through September 2026, it also had the 10th-fewest mass shootings. Sexual crimes and drug arrests sit on the low side as well. Parents seem to feel it. Massachusetts ranks first for the share of moms and dads of kids ages 6 to 17 who say they definitely agree their children are safe at school.

A few other marks helped. The state has the 23rd-most EMTs per person, and it is not sitting in a hurricane or earthquake alley. It also has the lowest traffic-death rate in the country per miles driven, and the highest share of residents with health insurance.

None of this means every street in every city feels the same. Rankings like this look at the whole state. Still, on the scorecard WalletHub used, Massachusetts is about as safe as it gets.