Safest places to live

LOS ANGELES, June 15 /PRNewswire/ -- We all want to feel secure about

where we live, but where are the most secure places in America? According to

Farmers Insurance Group's ranking of the Top 25 Most Secure U.S. Places to

Live, the most secure location in the U.S. is the Provo-Orem, Utah area.

The rankings, compiled by database experts at http://www.bestplaces.net ,

took into consideration crime statistics, risk of natural disasters and job

loss numbers in 213 U.S. metropolitan areas with populations of 200,000 or

more.

"Feeling safe and secure is a basic human instinct," said Jeff Beyer,

senior vice-president, corporate communications for Farmers Insurance Group.

"To some people, feeling safe against crime is most important. To some, it's

financial security. And to others, it may be not worrying about losing their

home. We'd all like to find a place to live or work that allows us to feel

that security."

Located about 45 miles south/southeast of Salt Lake City, Provo lies in

the heart of the Utah Valley between Utah Lake and the Wasatch Mountain Range.

Settled by Mormon pioneers in 1849, the region was originally inhabited by the

Ute Indians.

Today, it is home to Brigham Young University and Utah Valley State in

nearby Orem. The region has a population of 387,817 and, along with ninth-

ranked Danbury, Conn., shares the lowest crime rate of the 213 areas studied.

Dutchess County, N.Y., located midway between New York City and Albany in

the rolling hills and forests of the Hudson River Valley, ranks second among

Farmers Insurance's most secure areas. Crime is low and unemployment even

lower in this affluent community of 287,752 of mainly professional and

technical workers.

The third-ranked Most Secure Place is Madison, Wis., the state capital of

Wisconsin and home to the University of Wisconsin. A cultural center

surrounded by dairy farms and cropland, Madison (pop. 437, 110) is often cited

as one of the nation's healthiest cities and among the best places to retire.

Rounding out the top five are Lancaster, Pa., located in the heart of the

Pennsylvania Dutch Region about 65 miles west of Philadelphia, and the Albany-

Troy-Schenectady, N.Y. area, with many activities revolving around the

functions of state government and a very low risk of natural disasters.

Among the remaining Most Secure Places, Olympia, Wash (#7) and Honolulu,

Hawaii (#15) received the highest ranks for having few natural disasters,

while Fayetteville-Springdale-Rogers, Ark. (#11) and Portland, Me. (#13) have

the lowest unemployment rates among the cities studied.

Two seemingly notable "surprises" on the top 25 list are a pair of Nevada

cities: Las Vegas (#21) and Reno (#25). In trying to shake its image of "Sin

City," Las Vegas has done much in the last five years to remake itself into a

family destination. And while crime remains an issue, steady employment and a

low risk of natural disasters helped boost its ranking.

Likewise, Reno, despite its plethora of casinos and gaming attractions,

has sought to diversify by bringing in new industry and has become one of the

fastest-growing areas in the U.S.

Here is the entire list, in order, of Farmers Insurance's Top 25 Most

Secure Cities in the United States:



1) Provo-Orem, Utah

2) Dutchess County, N.Y.

3) Madison, Wis.

4) Lancaster, Pa.

5) Albany-Troy-Schenectady, N.Y.

6) Portsmouth-Rochester, N.H.

7) Olympia, Wash.

8) Bremerton, Wash.

9) Danbury, Conn.

10) Appleton-Oshkosh-Neenah, Wis.

11) Fayetteville-Springdale-Rogers, Ark.

12) Green Bay, Wis.

13) Portland, Maine

14) Harrisburg-Lebanon-Carlisle, Pa.

15) Honolulu, Hawaii

16) Evansville, Ind.-Henderson, Ky.

17) Manchester, N.H.

18) Nassau-Suffolk, N.Y.

19) Asheville, N.C.

20) Knoxville, Tenn.

21) Las Vegas, Nev.

22) San Luis Obispo-Atascadero-Paso Robles, Calif.

23) Newburgh, N.Y.

24) Utica-Rome, N.Y.

25) Reno, Nev.