• WalletHub released a report of the safest states in the US.
• It ranked states based on 52 safety indicators, including work safety and emergency preparedness.
• Louisiana came in last, followed by Mississippi and Texas.

Not all states are equal when it comes to safety.

And while FBI data from 2023 and 2024 indicates declining crime rates nationwide, what it means to be safe these days is not limited to reduced homicides, assaults, and robberies.

Some states feel safer than others due to stronger financial security or how well-prepared they are for natural disasters.

WalletHub released a report in October 2024 ranking the safest states in the US based on 52 factors in five key areas: personal and residential safety, financial safety, road safety, workplace safety, and emergency preparedness.

Each state was given an overall score out of 100 based on its average rating across the five categories, and all the states were then ranked based on these scores. From this list, Business Insider identified the 10 states with the lowest scores to determine the most unsafe states in the US.

The data used in the report was sourced from the US Census Bureau, Bureau of Labor Statistics, Federal Bureau of Investigation, TransUnion, and US Fire Administration, among other sources.

Here are the 10 most unsafe states in the US, according to WalletHub.

10. South Carolina

The Southern state ranked 42nd in personal and residential safety and 46th for road safety in WalletHub's report.

For financial safety and emergency preparedness, it ranked 32nd and 33rd, respectively. The state also has the most fatalities per 100 million vehicle miles of travel.

Despite its poor rankings in most categories, the state did well in workplace safety, ranking 18th out of all states.

According to a September 2024 report by the South Carolina Fraternal Order of Police, the state also saw a 5.8% decrease in violent crime between 2022 and 2023.

9. Georgia

The Peach State is the ninth most unsafe state in the US, according to WalletHub's report.

Georgia ranked 36th on the emergency preparedness scale, third lowest in financial safety, and 19th worst in road safety. It also has the third-highest share of the uninsured population.

However, the state fares better in personal residential and workplace safety, ranking 33rd and 25th, respectively.

8. Colorado

Colorado has maintained its ranking from 2023, retaining the eighth position.

The Centennial State scored poorly in two categories: personal residential safety, where it ranked 44th, and workplace safety, where it was 43rd overall.

According to the Council of Criminal Justice, Colorado Springs had a 56% increase in homicides — the largest jump among other cities in the US — between 2023 and 2024.

However, Colorado excelled in financial safety, ranking 16th, and is near the middle of the pack for emergency preparedness, in the 28th spot.

7. Alabama

Alabama, which ranked sixth in 2023, moved up a spot in 2024.

The state ranks ninth lowest in financial safety among all 50 states and eighth lowest on the emergency preparedness scale. It also ranked 37th overall for workplace safety and 32nd for personal residential safety.

While homicides declined across Alabama in 2024, Birmingham, the second-most populated city, saw a surge in shootings, surpassing 2023's total and nearing an all-time record of 148, last seen in 1933, per AL.com.

In terms of road safety, the state performed slightly better, ranking 26th overall.

6. Oklahoma

Oklahoma moved from seventh in 2023 to the sixth-most unsafe state in the US in 2024.

This is partly due to its weak performance in emergency preparedness, where it ranked 44th, and in road safety, where it ranked 38th.

The state also has the second-highest share of the uninsured population and the fourth-lowest percentage of adults with rainy-day funds alongside Arkansas.

In a separate WalletHub report, the Sooner State was also ranked one of the worst states for women in 2024.

5. Florida

Florida maintained its ranking from 2023.

The Sunshine State ranked the fourth worst state for emergency preparedness and was also in the bottom 10 in the financial (44th), road (41st), and workplace safety (43rd) categories. It performed better in personal residential safety, ranking 35th overall.

NBC 6 reported in September that Miami — among the most popular tourist destinations in Florida — had the highest rate of property crime: 8,557 incidents per 100,000 residents, based on FBI data from 2022.

4. Arkansas

Arkansas ranked the sixth lowest in personal residential and road safety. It was also the fifth-worst state in the US for workplace safety and ranked 36th in financial safety.

The state also has the fourth-most assaults per capita — alongside Tennessee, Alaska, and New Mexico — and the fourth-lowest percentage of adults with rainy-day funds.

3. Texas

WalletHub ranked Texas as the third least safe state to live in the US because of its low road safety and emergency preparedness.

The state has grappled with roadway fatalities in both rural and urban areas. Dallas, for example, experienced 207 traffic fatalities in 2024, an increase from the 205 deaths that were recorded in 2023, according to an analysis of Texas Department of Transportation data by NBC 5 Investigates.

The Lone Star State also has the highest share of the uninsured population.

However, it fared better in workplace safety, ranking 32nd.

2. Mississippi

Mississippi retained its spot as the second most unsafe state in the US.

It's the worst state for road safety and emergency preparedness, ranking 50th in each category. It's also the second worst for workplace safety.

Compared to other states, Mississippi, which has experienced extreme droughts, rising sea levels, and dangerous heat levels in recent years, has the fourth-highest total loss amount from climate disasters per capita. Yet it has a high share of uninsured people and the second-lowest percentage of adults with rainy day funds.

It also has the second most fatalities per 100 million vehicle miles of travel and the third most fatal occupational injuries per total workers.

1. Louisiana

For two years in a row, Louisiana has been the least safe state in the US, according to WalletHub.

The Pelican State continues to be at the bottom of the safety index, partly because it is the second-least safe regarding road safety and on the emergency preparedness scale. It is also the 11th worst in personal residential and workplace safety.

Positioned 33rd, it fared relatively better in road safety rankings.

Although it has the highest number of law enforcement employees per capita — a position it shares with Wyoming and New Jersey — Louisiana has the fifth-most assaults per capita.

Along with Mississippi and the Dakotas, the state ranked 47th for having one of the highest total per capita losses from climate disasters.

Matthew Barton, a Mississippi district attorney, is proposing a bill that would pay bounty hunters for assistance in deporting illegal immigrants. 

Under the terms of House Bill 1484, the state would create the Mississippi Illegal Alien Certified Bounty Hunter Program, which would pay a $1,000 reward to registered bounty hunters for each successful deportation they facilitate. 

"This legislation is about keeping Mississippi communities safe," said Republican state Rep. Justin Keen, who authored the bill. 

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"We’ve seen firsthand the danger posed by bad actors and violent criminals who enter this country illegally, like the innocent life of Laken Riley," he added. "President Trump’s administration has made it clear that deporting illegal immigrants is a priority, and we are proud to do our part here in Mississippi to help support his agenda and protect our citizens."

Funding for the proposed program would come from the general assembly and be administered by the state treasurer.

The intention, Keen said, is to encourage collaboration between law enforcement and private citizens in identifying illegal immigrants in the state. It would also alleviate financial burdens on Mississippi taxpayers, who bear the costs of illegal immigration, a press release states.  

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The bill comes as the Trump administration continues to tout tougher policies to combat illegal migration into the United States, as well as crime. Federal immigration authorities have made hundreds of arrests this week of illegal immigrants with criminal histories. 

"When President Trump took office this week, he immediately recognized the emergency at our borders, rolling out executive orders to combat illegal immigration and cartels," DeSoto County District Attorney Matthew Barton said in a statement. "This legislation builds upon that foundation, empowering local leaders and communities to support federal efforts in protecting our citizens." 

"Legal immigration is a cornerstone of America, and we must ensure that our borders are secure and that the safety of Mississippians comes first," Barton continued. 

A runoff election for the state Supreme Court in Mississippi is too close to call between state Sen. Jenifer Branning and incumbent Justice Jim Kitchens as of Wednesday morning. 

Although Mississippi judicial candidates run without party labels, Branning had the endorsement of the Republican Party, while Kitchens had several Democratic Party donors but did not receive an endorsement from the party. 

Branning, who has been a state senator since 2016, led Kitchens by 2,678 votes out of 120,610 votes counted as of Wednesday morning. Kitchens is seeking a third term and is the more senior of the court’s two presiding justices, putting him next in line to serve as chief justice. Her lead had been 518 just after midnight Wednesday.

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Around midnight Wednesday, The Associated Press estimated there were more than 11,000 votes still to be counted. In the Nov. 5 election, 7% of votes were counted after election night.

Branning had a substantial lead in the first round of voting with 42% compared to Kitchens' 36%. Three other candidates split the rest.

The victor will likely be decided by absentee ballots that are allowed to be counted for five days following an election in Mississippi, as well as the affidavit ballots, according to the Clarion Ledger.

Voter turnout typically decreases between general elections and runoffs, and campaigns said turnout was especially challenging two days before Thanksgiving. The Magnolia State voted emphatically for President-elect Donald Trump, who garnered 61.6% of the vote compared to Vice President Harris’ 37.3%.

Branning and Kitchens faced off in District 1, also known as the Central District, which stretches from the Delta region through the Jackson metro area and over to the Alabama border.

Branning calls herself a "constitutional conservative" and says she opposes "liberal, activists judges" and "the radical left." The Mississippi GOP said she was the "proven conservative," and that was why they endorsed her. 

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She has not previously held a judicial office but served as a special prosecutor in Neshoba County and as a staff attorney in the Mississippi Secretary of State’s Division of Business Services and Regulations, per the Clarion Ledger.

Branning voted against changing the state flag to remove the Confederate battle emblem and supported mandatory and increased minimum sentences for crime, according to Mississippi Today.

Kitchens has been practicing law for 41 years and has been on the Mississippi Supreme Court since 2008, and prior to that, he also served as a district attorney, according to the outlet.

He is endorsed by the Southern Poverty Law Center's Action Fund, which calls itself "a catalyst for racial justice in the South and beyond." Rep. Bennie Thompson, D-Miss., also backed Kitchens.

In September, Kitchens sided with a man on death row for a murder conviction in which a key witness recanted her testimony. In 2018, Kitchens dissented in a pair of death row cases dealing with the use of the drug midazolam in state executions.

Elsewhere, in the state’s other runoff election, Amy St. Pe' won an open seat on the Mississippi Court of Appeals. She will succeed Judge Joel Smith, who did not seek re-election to the 10-member Court of Appeals. The district is in the southeastern corner of the state, including the Gulf Coast.

The Associated Press contributed to this report. 

President-elect Trump flipped six highly competitive states in his election victory last week. But as a Fox News analysis showed last week, his gains with voters were not limited to the battlegrounds. 

This list covers the 10 states where Trump most outperformed his 2020 margins.

Notably, conservative strongholds aren’t the only states that made the list. The top 10 also includes deeply Democrat areas. Trump didn’t win these states, but they swung to the right.

Vote counting continues in some highly populated states on this list, including California and New York.

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Note: As of this writing, approximately 3% of ballots have not yet been counted in New York.

So far, New York has swung 11 points toward Trump.

The president-elect posted a 6.3-point improvement on his 2020 vote share, while his Democrat opponent, Vice President Harris, slipped by five points.

He gained across the state, with his largest swings in New York City and Long Island.

On election night, the Fox News Decision Desk projected that Harris would win the state. With 97% of the vote counted, she is winning by 12 points.

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Note: As of this writing, approximately 1% of ballots have not yet been counted in New Jersey.

So far, New Jersey has swung 10 points toward Trump.

The president-elect posted a 4.7-point improvement on his 2020 vote share, while Harris slipped by 5.3 points.

He gained across New Jersey, with his largest swings in the northeast corner of the state. Hudson and Passaic counties lead the pack.

On election night, the Fox News Decision Desk projected that Harris would win the state. With 99% of the vote counted, she is winning by six points.

Florida swung 10 points toward Trump.

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The president-elect posted a 4.9-point improvement on his 2020 vote share; Harris slipped by the same amount.

He gained across the state. The most notable swing was in Miami-Dade County, which flipped to the GOP for the first time since 1988.

On election night, the Fox News Decision Desk projected that Trump would win the state. With the results certified, he won by 13 points.

Massachusetts swung nine points toward Trump.

The president-elect posted a 4.2-point improvement on his 2020 vote share and Harris slipped by 4.6 points.

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He gained across the state, with double-digit swings in Suffolk County, which includes Boston, and Bristol County.

On election night, the Fox News Decision Desk projected that Harris would win the state. With 99% of the vote counted, she is winning by 25 points.

Note: As of this writing, approximately 5% of ballots have not yet been counted in California.

So far, California has swung nine points toward Trump.

The president-elect posted a 3.8-point improvement on his 2020 vote share as Harris slipped by 4.8 points.

He gained in many areas across the state, including the two most populated cities, Los Angeles and San Francisco.

On election night, the Fox News Decision Desk projected that Harris would win the state. With 95% of the vote counted, she is winning by 21 points.

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Texas swung eight points toward Trump.

The president-elect posted a 4.2-point improvement on his 2020 vote share; Harris slipped by roughly the same amount.

He gained across Texas, with the largest swings concentrated in the southern parts of the state. Webb County, for example, home to Laredo, moved 25 points toward Trump. That gave Republicans their first win there in over a century.

On election night, the Fox News Decision Desk projected that Trump would win the state. With 99% of the vote counted, he is winning by 14 points.

Note: As of this writing, approximately 2% of ballots have not yet been counted in Mississippi.

So far, Mississippi has swung eight points toward Trump.

The president-elect posted a four-point improvement on his 2020 vote share; Harris slipped by roughly the same amount.

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He gained across the state, including in Yazoo County, a majority-Black county that last voted for the GOP in 2004.

On election night, the Fox News Decision Desk projected that Trump would win the state. With 98% of the vote counted, he is winning by 24 points.

Rhode Island swung seven points toward Trump.

The president-elect posted a 3.3-point improvement on his 2020 vote share, while Harris slipped by four points.

He gained across the state, led by Providence, the city’s highest-populated area.

On election night, the Fox News Decision Desk projected that Harris would win the state. With 98% of the vote counted, she is winning by 14 points.

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Tennessee swung 6.5 points toward Trump.

The president-elect posted a 3.5-point improvement on his 2020 vote share, while Harris slipped by three points.

He gained across the state, including a double-digit swing in Trousdale County, a rural area outside the Nashville metropolitan area.

On election night, the Fox News Decision Desk projected that Trump would win the state. With 99% of the vote counted, he is winning by 30 points.

Note: As of this writing, approximately 1% of ballots have not yet been counted in Illinois.

So far, Illinois has swung six points toward Trump.

The president-elect posted a 3.4-point improvement on his 2020 vote share; Harris slipped by 2.9 points.

He gained across Illinois, with a notable eight-point swing in Cook County, home to Chicago.

On election night, the Fox News Decision Desk projected that Harris would win the state. With 99% of the vote counted, she is winning by 11 points.