If Dallas is the safety lock of the United States then Boston is the bubble wrap, according to a new Gallup poll. The poll compared the 16 biggest cities in the United States on the metric of public opinion of safety. So to be clear, Boston and Dallas aren’t necessarily the safest big cities in the country but according to the Gallop poll they are considered the safest by Americans.
Gallop has been conducting public opinion polls for a mighty long time. Long enough to see trends, in fact. For example, comparing this question’s responses in 2023 to responses to the same question back in 2006 uncovers some trends in public opinions about safety in certain cities. In 2023 Americans scored Boston’s safety a 72 out of 100. In 2006 Boston scored a 69 on the same question, so it can be concluded that the public thinks Boston is getting safer. New Orleans took the biggest jump for the better. In 2006 it scored a 28. In 2023 it scores a 55. Chicago, on the other hand, took the worst slide. In 2006 Chicago came in with a 47 safety rating in the Gallop poll. In 2023 Chicago scored a 27. Sheesh.
So where does Boston rank? What did Americans rank as the safest and least-safe cities in the country? Let’s take a peek right now. I’ll give you the Top 4 and the Bottom 4. And if you want the rest of the rankings and methodology and so much more info that your brain may explode (this is a lovely problem for a data-head like myself) get Gallup’s full report RIGHT HERE!
Oh and by the way, we may be considered safe in Massachusetts but it does come at a price (like I needed to tell you that). Here’s how much more we pay for household bills than the US average. Buzz kill, I know. Sorry. Now on to the GOOD news!: