A recent study by SmartAsset has identified Plano as the second safest large city in the United States, just behind Virginia Beach. This ranking highlights the safety of Texas cities, with Laredo also making the top 10 at sixth place.
The study evaluated 83 cities with populations exceeding 250,000, which represents over 90 percent of the country's larger urban areas. Plano outperformed cities such as Madison, Wisconsin; Honolulu; and Chesapeake, Virginia, which completed the top five.
The ranking methodology combined four different metrics to assess safety rather than focusing solely on crime rates. The first two metrics were drawn from the FBI's 2024 Crime in the United States report, measuring violent crimes and property crimes per 1,000 residents.
Additionally, the study included motor vehicle fatalities per 100,000 residents from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and a disaster risk assessment from FEMA's National Risk Index, which was converted to a five-point scale.
Plano's statistics showed 1.5 violent crimes per 1,000 residents, 14.7 property crimes per 1,000 residents, and 6.9 auto fatalities per 100,000 residents. However, the city's disaster risk was rated as "Relatively High," which negatively impacted its overall score, resulting in a second-place finish.
The disaster risk factor also influenced the rankings of other cities. For instance, Irvine, California, ranked 12th, and Santa Ana at 20th, both faced challenges due to earthquake and wildfire risks, despite having moderate crime rates. This indicates that the rankings are not purely based on crime statistics alone, as cities with similar crime rates can rank differently.
