The 10 Safest Cities In Pennsylvania For 2023
The safest cities in Pennsylvania are Luzerne and Buckingham for 2023.
Pennsylvania calls to mind images of rich history and bustling cities like Pittsburgh and, let's not forget, a commitment to safety that equals the stability of its renowned Liberty Bell. In this guide, we will delve into the safest places to live in Pennsylvania, where a strong focus on security meets the charm of the state's picturesque towns and cities.
So, where does Pennsylvania stand on the national crime scale? We've ranked Pennsylvania as the 19th safest state in America. But you must be curious about the safest place to reside within the Keystone State's borders.
To determine Pennsylvania's safest places, we've relied on the latest FBI Crime data, scrutinizing property and violent crimes per capita.
As we tour the safest places in Pennsylvania, we'll focus on each location's unique appeal and amenities, from the tree-lined boulevards of Philadelphia suburbs to the quintessentially charming squares of small towns. Whether you're a city dweller or prefer the quiet allure of rural landscapes, we have a safe place for you.
Table Of Contents: Top Ten | Methodology | Table | References
Here are the 10 safest cities to live in Pennsylvania for 2023:
- Luzerne
- Buckingham
- Lower Salford
- Economy
- Dallas
- South Londonderry
- Northampton
- West Vincent
- West Cocalico
- Collegeville
What is the safest city in Pennsylvania to live? The safest place in Pennsylvania is Luzerne based on FBI crime data.
As a suburb of Pittsburgh, this little town's got a lot to offer.
Check where your favorite Pennsylvania city ranked and learn more about how we crunched the numbers for this year's ranking.
For more reading on safe places to live in and around Pennsylvania, check out:
- Safest States In America
- Safest Cities In America
- Best Places To Live In Pennsylvania
- Cheapest Places To Live In Pennsylvania
The 10 Safest Cities In Pennsylvania For 2023
Population: 5,896
Violent Crimes Per 100k: 0 (second safest)
Property Crimes Per 100k: 0 (safest)
Murders: 0
Murders Per 100k: 0
More on Luzerne: Real Estate
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Out in the middle of nowhere Pennsylvania, in what you could describe as a Scranton suburb, you'll find Luzerne, the safest place in Pennsylvania for 2023.
It's hard to find a place less violent or more different than Philly, considering Luzerne recorded 0 violent crimes in the last reporting year -- basically, the way life should be.
On top of that, Luzerne had the safest lowest property crime rate in Pennsylvania. In other words, there's a better chance of a stray Hersey chocolate breaking your window than a burglar.
Population: 20,279
Violent Crimes Per 100k: 0 (second safest)
Property Crimes Per 100k: 315 (ninth safest)
Murders: 0
Murders Per 100k: 0
More on Buckingham: Real Estate
Buckingham, located in Buckingham Township at the crossroads of U.S. Route 202 and Pennsylvania Routes 263 and 413, maintains an overall crime rate of 315/100k people, with minimal violent crime. Ranking as the second safest city in the state, its violent crime rate of 0/100k people and property crime rate of 315/100k people are well below Pennsylvania levels.
The city's second safest position for violent crime prevention and ninth safest in property crime across Pennsylvania makes it palacially safe.
Population: 15,534
Violent Crimes Per 100k: 0 (second safest)
Property Crimes Per 100k: 366 (14th safest)
Murders: 0
Murders Per 100k: 0
More on Lower Salford: Real Estate
Lower Salford, part of Westmoreland County, is the third safest city in the state as of 2023. The town's crime rates are remarkably low, with only 0 violent crimes and 57 property crimes reported by local law enforcement.
Per capita rates further emphasize safety, with 0/100k people for violent crimes and 366/100k people for property-related offenses. Lower Salford ranks as the second safest for violent crime. It's hard to push crime rates much lower than in Lower Salford.
Population: 9,024
Violent Crimes Per 100k: 22 (11th safest)
Property Crimes Per 100k: 277 (sixth safest)
Murders: 0
Murders Per 100k: 0
More on Economy: Data | Crime | Real Estate
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Economy, a borough in Beaver County, Pennsylvania, is safer than you'll be in any car rental. With only 2 violent crimes and 25 property crimes reported in the last year, it's a value package.
Part of the Pittsburgh metropolitan area, Economy is ranked fourth among Pennsylvania's safest places, offering residents a secure suburban setting safety outside of Pittsburgh's scarier walls. Some might say the real currency in Economy is safety.
Population: 9,354
Violent Crimes Per 100k: 10 (fifth safest)
Property Crimes Per 100k: 406 (19th safest)
Murders: 0
Murders Per 100k: 0
More on Dallas: Real Estate
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We ranked Dallas, located in Pennsylvania within Luzerne County, as the fifth safest city in the state for 2023 based on Saturday Night Science. The town reported a violent crime rate of 10/100k people, ranking it fifth safest among the cities in Pennsylvania. Despite its population of 9,354, Dallas has impressively low violent crime rates.
While there might not be as much oil in this Dallas, there's also much less property crime. The city had a property crime rate of 406/100k people, earning it a 19th safest place standing.
Population: 8,833
Violent Crimes Per 100k: 22 (12th safest)
Property Crimes Per 100k: 350 (13th safest)
Murders: 0
Murders Per 100k: 0
More on South Londonderry: Real Estate
The odds that you will not fall victim to criminal activity in South Londonderry look surprisingly good. South Londonderry ranks as the sixth safest place to live in Pennsylvania for 2023.
The town's crime rates for 2023 indicate 2 violent offenses, making it the 12th safest in the state for such crimes, and 31 property crimes, ranking it 13th safest.
Population: 39,171
Violent Crimes Per 100k: 17 (ninth safest)
Property Crimes Per 100k: 390 (17th safest)
Murders: 0
Murders Per 100k: 0
More on Northampton: Data | Real Estate
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You might think you've ended up in the Hamptons with this level of safety, but you haven't. Northampton, part of the Lehigh Valley in Northampton County, is the seventh safest spot in Pennsylvania. Most definitely not those Hamptons.
The city secured the ninth safest place spot for violent crimes statewide. Additionally, the property crime rate in Northampton ranked as the 17th safest lowest in Pennsylvania. Known for its historical role in the cement industry, Northampton offers all the safety of the Hamptons without the additional cost.
Sorry, couldn't stop that pun train.
Population: 5,887
Violent Crimes Per 100k: 33 (19th safest)
Property Crimes Per 100k: 305 (eighth safest)
Murders: 0
Murders Per 100k: 0
More on West Vincent: Real Estate
West Vincent Township, one of the safest cities in Pennsylvania, is located off of Pennsylvania Route 100 and 401. Home to notable figures like naturalist Graceanna Lewis and Supreme Court Justice Owen J. Roberts, the township has a rich history. Low crime rates, with 33 violent crimes per 100k and 305 property crimes per 100k, make it a secure haven for those looking to move to Pennsylvania.
Population: 7,446
Violent Crimes Per 100k: 40 (24th safest)
Property Crimes Per 100k: 241 (fourth safest)
Murders: 0
Murders Per 100k: 0
More on West Cocalico: Real Estate
Population: 5,115
Violent Crimes Per 100k: 19 (tenth safest)
Property Crimes Per 100k: 410 (21st safest)
Murders: 0
Murders Per 100k: 0
More on Collegeville: Data | Crime | Real Estate
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Welcome to Collegeville, a borough in Montgomery County that's much safer than your average college campus. Wanna go longboarding through Perkiomen Park? Be sure to wear a helmet, because falling is the only way you could get hurt here. With zero violent crimes reported in 2022, it certainly won't be a criminal that gets you. Collegeville wasn't even in the top twenty safest cities in Pennsylvania last year, so its new tenth ranking is quite the achievement.
And Collegeville is no stranger to the Homesnacks spotlight; the borough already ranked as the fifth best and second richestcity in Pennsylvania back in 2019. We just can't say enough good things about Collegeville.
Methodology: How we calculated the safest cities in Pennsylvania for 2023
While there are surveys and public polls on what cities in Pennsylvania are the safest, we wanted to rely on something other than speculation and opinion. Instead, we looked at the hard numbers from the FBI's most recent crime report in Pennsylvania.
Specifically, we used Saturday Night Science to analyze the FBI's Uniform Crime Report, which summarizes the number of property and violent crimes in each city annually. We used two criteria:
- Violent crimes per capita (murders, assaults, rapes, armed robberies)
- Property crimes per capita (thefts, burglaries, motor vehicle thefts)
For example, there were 0 crimes committed in Luzerne, with a reported population of 5,896. That means the number of crimes per capita is 0.0, which translates into a 1 in 12000 chance of being the victim of a crime.
We only looked at Pennsylvania cities that have populations of more than 5,000. This filter left us with 140 of the biggest cities in Pennsylvania to rank.
We ranked each city for each criterion from 1 to 140 where 1 in any particular category is the safest.
Next, we averaged each place's two criteria to create a Safety Index. We crowned the place with the lowest overall Safety Score, "The Safest Place In Pennsylvania," with any ties going to the bigger city.
The safest city in Pennsylvania, based on our criteria, is Luzerne. The most dangerous city in Pennsylvania? Philadelphia, where residents had a 1 in 18 chance of being the victim of a crime.
This article has been update for 2023. This report marks our tenth time ranking the safest places to live in Pennsylvania. All the data comes from the FBI's Crime In The USA 2022 report.
Summary: The Safest Cities In The Keystone State
Looking at the data, you can tell that Luzerne is as safe as they come in Pennsylvania, according to science and data.
But as most Pennsylvania residents would agree, almost every place here has its safe and not safe parts. So just make sure you're informed ahead of time.
Here's a look at the most dangerous cities in Pennsylvania according to the data:
- Philadelphia
- Chester
- Mckeesport
- Best Places To Raise A Family In Pennsylvania
- Best Places To Buy A House In Pennsylvania
- Best Places To Retire In Pennsylvania
Where Are The 10 Safest Cities In Pennsylvania For 2023?
| Rank | City | Population | Violent Crimes Per 100k | Property Crimes Per 100k | Murders Per 100k | Murders |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Luzerne, PA | 5,896 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2 | Buckingham, PA | 20,279 | 0 | 315 | 0 | 0 |
| 3 | Lower Salford, PA | 15,534 | 0 | 366 | 0 | 0 |
| 4 | Economy, PA | 9,024 | 22 | 277 | 0 | 0 |
| 5 | Dallas, PA | 9,354 | 10 | 406 | 0 | 0 |
| 6 | South Londonderry, PA | 8,833 | 22 | 350 | 0 | 0 |
| 7 | Northampton, PA | 39,171 | 17 | 390 | 0 | 0 |
| 8 | West Vincent, PA | 5,887 | 33 | 305 | 0 | 0 |
| 9 | West Cocalico, PA | 7,446 | 40 | 241 | 0 | 0 |
| 10 | Collegeville, PA | 5,115 | 19 | 410 | 0 | 0 |
| 11 | West Mifflin, PA | 19,122 | 41 | 329 | 0 | 0 |
| 12 | Hampden, PA | 34,244 | 46 | 286 | 0 | 0 |
| 13 | East Brandywine, PA | 9,123 | 54 | 197 | 0 | 0 |
| 14 | Mount Lebanon, PA | 33,188 | 42 | 337 | 0 | 0 |
| 15 | New Britain, PA | 11,444 | 17 | 550 | 0 | 0 |
| 16 | Swarthmore, PA | 6,428 | 31 | 544 | 0 | 0 |
| 17 | Shaler, PA | 27,427 | 29 | 634 | 0 | 0 |
| 18 | Upper Allen, PA | 23,290 | 51 | 386 | 0 | 0 |
| 19 | Chartiers, PA | 8,031 | 37 | 510 | 0 | 0 |
| 20 | North Middleton, PA | 11,713 | 42 | 426 | 8 | 1 |
| 21 | Upper Dublin, PA | 26,624 | 30 | 646 | 11 | 3 |
| 22 | East Earl, PA | 8,142 | 36 | 638 | 0 | 0 |
| 23 | Upper St. Clair, PA | 19,741 | 5 | 881 | 0 | 0 |
| 24 | McDonald Borough, PA | 7,527 | 66 | 398 | 0 | 0 |
| 25 | Forest Hills, PA | 6,257 | 31 | 751 | 0 | 0 |
| 26 | North Strabane, PA | 16,162 | 117 | 235 | 0 | 0 |
| 27 | Cranberry, PA | 34,468 | 17 | 884 | 0 | 0 |
| 28 | Lower Heidelberg, PA | 6,192 | 129 | 242 | 0 | 0 |
| 29 | Newport, PA | 5,386 | 55 | 594 | 0 | 0 |
| 30 | Canonsburg, PA | 8,789 | 91 | 409 | 0 | 0 |
| 31 | Hatboro, PA | 8,228 | 48 | 668 | 0 | 0 |
| 32 | East Pennsboro, PA | 21,146 | 70 | 524 | 0 | 0 |
| 33 | Old Forge, PA | 7,891 | 88 | 456 | 0 | 0 |
| 34 | Doylestown, PA | 17,397 | 86 | 592 | 0 | 0 |
| 35 | Forks, PA | 15,741 | 31 | 1,048 | 0 | 0 |
| 36 | Silver Spring, PA | 20,806 | 57 | 740 | 0 | 0 |
| 37 | Baldwin Borough, PA | 20,941 | 148 | 372 | 0 | 0 |
| 38 | Whitpain, PA | 19,294 | 57 | 798 | 0 | 0 |
| 39 | Elizabeth, PA | 12,643 | 94 | 593 | 0 | 0 |
| 40 | New Cumberland, PA | 7,588 | 65 | 764 | 13 | 1 |
| 41 | Camp Hill, PA | 8,203 | 48 | 889 | 0 | 0 |
| 42 | Brentwood, PA | 9,819 | 91 | 651 | 0 | 0 |
| 43 | Grove City, PA | 7,840 | 140 | 459 | 12 | 1 |
| 44 | Nazareth, PA | 5,717 | 34 | 1,241 | 0 | 0 |
| 45 | West Brandywine, PA | 7,508 | 66 | 839 | 0 | 0 |
| 46 | Palmyra, PA | 7,714 | 77 | 829 | 0 | 0 |
| 47 | North Sewickley, PA | 5,392 | 148 | 574 | 0 | 0 |
| 48 | Moon, PA | 25,647 | 62 | 947 | 0 | 0 |
| 49 | Salisbury, PA | 13,991 | 57 | 1,036 | 0 | 0 |
| 50 | Marple, PA | 23,859 | 33 | 1,554 | 0 | 0 |
| 51 | Ridley Park, PA | 7,046 | 113 | 780 | 0 | 0 |
| 52 | Warrington, PA | 24,607 | 117 | 780 | 0 | 0 |
| 53 | St. Marys City, PA | 12,602 | 111 | 809 | 23 | 3 |
| 54 | Sunbury, PA | 9,624 | 166 | 561 | 51 | 5 |
| 55 | North Coventry, PA | 8,004 | 12 | 1,861 | 0 | 0 |
| 56 | Hilltown, PA | 15,589 | 102 | 865 | 0 | 0 |
| 57 | Hellam, PA | 10,910 | 155 | 696 | 0 | 0 |
| 58 | Montgomery, PA | 26,158 | 53 | 1,414 | 0 | 0 |
| 59 | Warminster, PA | 32,293 | 105 | 1,028 | 0 | 0 |
| 60 | Limerick, PA | 20,764 | 62 | 1,285 | 0 | 0 |
| 61 | Ross, PA | 32,854 | 45 | 1,677 | 0 | 0 |
| 62 | State College, PA | 58,633 | 115 | 1,093 | 6 | 4 |
| 63 | California, PA | 5,852 | 205 | 717 | 0 | 0 |
| 64 | Palmerton, PA | 5,334 | 37 | 1,949 | 0 | 0 |
| 65 | Kingston, PA | 14,232 | 84 | 1,454 | 7 | 1 |
| 66 | Monongahela, PA | 9,795 | 153 | 990 | 0 | 0 |
| 67 | North Versailles, PA | 12,034 | 324 | 457 | 0 | 0 |
| 68 | Lower Merion, PA | 59,796 | 60 | 1,710 | 0 | 0 |
| 69 | Shamokin, PA | 6,874 | 189 | 814 | 14 | 1 |
| 70 | Jefferson Hills Borough, PA | 11,211 | 276 | 642 | 0 | 0 |
| 71 | Shippensburg, PA | 5,521 | 126 | 1,285 | 0 | 0 |
| 72 | Jeannette, PA | 8,636 | 752 | 347 | 11 | 1 |
| 73 | Bellevue, PA | 8,091 | 160 | 1,112 | 12 | 1 |
| 74 | Ephrata, PA | 10,483 | 95 | 1,659 | 0 | 0 |
| 75 | Wilson, PA | 8,192 | 146 | 1,428 | 0 | 0 |
| 76 | Wilkins, PA | 6,109 | 163 | 1,244 | 0 | 0 |
| 77 | Lower Burrell, PA | 11,077 | 180 | 1,110 | 0 | 0 |
| 78 | West Caln, PA | 9,113 | 373 | 658 | 0 | 0 |
| 79 | Lansdale, PA | 16,759 | 173 | 1,235 | 0 | 0 |
| 80 | Berwick, PA | 10,360 | 164 | 1,303 | 19 | 2 |
| 81 | West Whiteland, PA | 18,389 | 59 | 2,370 | 0 | 0 |
| 82 | Cumru, PA | 15,496 | 129 | 1,748 | 0 | 0 |
| 83 | Valley, PA | 7,934 | 214 | 1,134 | 0 | 0 |
| 84 | Lower Allen, PA | 19,650 | 167 | 1,516 | 0 | 0 |
| 85 | Pequea, PA | 5,108 | 215 | 1,174 | 0 | 0 |
| 86 | Coraopolis, PA | 5,405 | 296 | 999 | 0 | 0 |
| 87 | Bangor, PA | 5,234 | 363 | 840 | 0 | 0 |
| 88 | New Sewickley, PA | 7,175 | 209 | 1,310 | 0 | 0 |
| 89 | Waynesboro, PA | 10,925 | 247 | 1,226 | 27 | 3 |
| 90 | Latrobe, PA | 7,934 | 491 | 806 | 0 | 0 |
| 91 | Carlisle, PA | 20,237 | 222 | 1,403 | 9 | 2 |
| 92 | Tyrone, PA | 5,160 | 213 | 1,550 | 0 | 0 |
| 93 | East Lampeter, PA | 26,642 | 165 | 1,790 | 0 | 0 |
| 94 | Newberry, PA | 15,885 | 163 | 1,875 | 0 | 0 |
| 95 | Rostraver, PA | 11,368 | 149 | 2,058 | 17 | 2 |
| 96 | Bristol, PA | 53,508 | 220 | 1,644 | 1 | 1 |
| 97 | Dubois, PA | 7,319 | 232 | 1,557 | 0 | 0 |
| 98 | Mechanicsburg, PA | 8,994 | 177 | 1,867 | 0 | 0 |
| 99 | Aliquippa, PA | 8,780 | 432 | 1,150 | 22 | 2 |
| 100 | Upper Chichester, PA | 16,925 | 206 | 1,831 | 0 | 0 |
Breaking Down Crime In The Safest And Most Dangerous Cities In Pennsylvania
Chris Kolmar has been in the real estate business for almost ten years now. He originally worked for Movoto Real Estate as the director of marketing before founding HomeSnacks.
He believes the key to finding the right place to live comes down to looking at the data, reading about things to do, and, most importantly, checking it out yourself before you move.
If you've been looking for a place to live in the past several years, you've probably stumbled upon his writing already.
You can find out more about him on LinkedIn.
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