Published 9 months ago • loading... • Updated 9 months ago
These are the safest big cities in the US for 2025: See the full list
San Jose ranked highest due to low violent crime, overdose deaths, and traffic fatalities, providing a comprehensive safety profile among the nation's 50 largest cities.
San Jose, California has been named America's safest big city in SmartAsset's 2025 study, ranking in the top 10 for all safety categories while serving about 1 million residents.
SmartAsset's 2025 analysis ranked cities using violent and property crime, fatal traffic accidents, drug overdose deaths and excessive drinking to help families, workers and retirees weigh tradeoffs amid public safety debates.
The city reported 5,185 violent crimes last year, an overdose death rate of 17 per 100,000, and fewer than seven traffic deaths per 100,000, reflecting strong safety metrics.
El Paso, Texas, stood out for combining safety with affordability, featuring average housing costs about $1,044 a month.
SmartAsset published a full ranked list of the nation's 50 largest cities, compiling data from the FBI's 2023 Uniform Crime Reporting database and 2025 County Health Rankings; Washington, D.C., placed 40th with an overdose death rate of 64.5 per 100,000 residents.