The Safest Cities to Live In (2026): Crime Index Guide

The Safest Cities to Live In (2026) at a Glance

Using crime index scores (where a lower number means less reported crime and higher perceived safety), the safest cities to live in among the destinations listed for 2026 are Selva in Italy and Verbier in Switzerland, both with a crime index of 15. They are closely followed by Vail and Aspen in the United States at 18, and a group of eight cities with crime index scores of 20, including major hubs like Tokyo as well as smaller resort and university towns.

What this means for residents is not zero crime, but comparatively low risk in day‑to‑day life, especially for street crime and property crime. The crime index is best read alongside other data such as walkability and overall liveability to understand how safe and convenient a city may feel in practice.

How to Read Crime Index Scores

The crime index is a comparative indicator of how much crime residents report and how safe they feel. Lower scores mean fewer reported incidents and stronger perceptions of safety. While exact scales can vary, scores around 15–20 generally indicate low crime and a high sense of public safety compared with global norms.

For someone choosing among the safest cities to live, a shift from a crime index of 15 to 20 is relatively small in real‑world terms; both ranges are associated with low everyday risk. However, the difference can matter at the margins, for example in late‑night comfort, how safe people feel walking alone, and how often residents experience or witness petty crime. Because crime index data reflects both statistics and perceptions, it should be combined with liveability ratings, walk scores, and transport options to form a full picture of life in each city.

Top Tier: Selva and Verbier (Crime Index 15)

Selva, Italy stands out with a crime index of 15, a liveability score of 7.0/10, and a walk score of 70. This combination is powerful for residents: very low crime levels, solid overall quality of life, and the ability to complete many daily tasks on foot. For people prioritizing safety, the low crime index suggests reduced exposure to both street and property crime, making Selva appealing for families, retirees, and remote workers who value a calm environment over big‑city amenities.

Verbier, Switzerland matches Selva’s crime index of 15 but has a more modest liveability score of 5.0/10 and the same walk score of 70. Residents benefit from similarly low crime levels and good on‑foot access to village services, but the average liveability score indicates trade‑offs, often in affordability, seasonality of jobs, or access to year‑round services. For some, the security and alpine lifestyle outweigh these downsides; for others, the lower liveability rating signals that safety alone is not enough to guarantee a comfortable long‑term stay.

Very Safe Mountain Towns: Vail and Aspen (Crime Index 18)

Vail in the United States pairs a crime index of 18 with a liveability of 6.0/10 and a walk score of 56. Crime levels are still firmly in the low range, suggesting that residents experience relatively few serious incidents. The liveability rating slightly above average reflects a balance of outdoor amenities and services, while the moderate walk score indicates that walking is feasible in core areas yet many residents will still rely on cars or shuttles for daily errands.

Aspen, also in the United States, shares a crime index of 18 but has a liveability score of 5.0/10 and a stronger walk score of 75. In practical terms, Aspen offers similarly low crime with better everyday walkability, which can improve perceived safety because more people are out on the streets and many destinations are reachable on foot. Aspen’s WE‑cycle bike share system, a seasonal nonprofit network serving Aspen and nearby Basalt, further supports short‑trip mobility and reduces reliance on cars. The middle‑of‑the‑road liveability rating may reflect high housing costs and seasonal pressures rather than safety issues.

Low-Crime Group: Cities with a Crime Index of 20

A cluster of cities share a crime index of 20, still in the low‑crime band: St. Moritz and Bern in Switzerland; Tokyo in Japan; and Dingle, State College, Breckenridge, North Bend, and Park City in the United States and Ireland. While all are slightly higher than the absolute safest cities to live in this list, the difference from 15 to 20 is small compared with the gap between low‑crime and high‑crime locations globally.

St. Moritz, Switzerland offers a liveability of 6.0/10 and a walk score of 65. Residents benefit from low crime and decent walkability, especially in the town center. Bern, Switzerland has a liveability of 5.0/10, a walk score of 70, and a health rank of 14, plus the BernRollt bike share program, which provides free or low‑cost short‑term bicycle rentals near major transit and central squares. This setup helps residents move efficiently and safely without a car, while the relatively high health ranking supports quality of life beyond crime levels.

Tokyo, Japan, with a crime index of 20 and a walk score of 95, is exceptional for a major urban area. Its liveability score of 6.0/10 and health rank of 5 suggest strong health outcomes and broadly good urban conditions. Near‑universal walkability and Docomo Bike Share’s 15,000+ bikes across 1,200+ stations, with day passes from ¥1,650, give residents safe, flexible options for short trips. Tokyo shows that one of the safest cities to live does not have to be small or remote; a megacity can also achieve low crime with robust transit and public space management.

Among smaller towns, Dingle in Ireland has a crime index of 20, a liveability of 5.0/10, and a walk score of 75, combining low crime with strong on‑foot access. State College in the United States (crime index 20, liveability 5.0/10, walk score 68) layers in campus‑oriented micromobility via periodic Spin e‑scooter and e‑bike programs, which extend safe, car‑free travel options even though they have operated in pilot or seasonal phases rather than as permanent systems.

Breckenridge (crime index 20, liveability 5.0/10, walk score 60), North Bend (crime index 20, liveability 5.0/10, walk score 55), and Park City (crime index 20, liveability 5.0/10, walk score 62) in the United States represent low‑crime yet relatively car‑dependent mountain communities. Their walk scores indicate that core districts are navigable on foot, but many residents will need vehicles for daily errands. For safety‑minded residents who still want small‑town or resort living, these cities offer reassuringly low crime levels with varying degrees of convenience.

What the Data Tells Us About Safe Cities

Looking across these destinations, three patterns stand out. First, many of the safest cities to live in this list are small or mid‑sized resort towns and regional centers. Lower population density and strong local social ties can contribute to lower crime, but they also come with trade‑offs in housing costs, job diversity, and year‑round services, which helps explain why several liveability scores cluster around 5.0/10 despite low crime.

Second, safety and walkability often move together. Cities like Selva, Verbier, Aspen, Bern, Dingle, and Tokyo combine low crime indices (15–20) with walk scores of 70 or higher. Residents in these places can run errands, commute, and socialize on foot or by bike, which not only reduces traffic risk but also increases natural surveillance from other people using the same spaces. Integrated bike share systems in Aspen, Tokyo, Bern, and the pilot micromobility programs in State College further strengthen this effect by making car‑free trips easier.

Third, crime index and liveability are related but not identical. Tokyo’s low crime index and high health ranking show how large cities can offset density with strong institutions and infrastructure. Meanwhile, places like Verbier, Aspen, and several U.S. mountain towns demonstrate that very low crime does not automatically translate into high liveability when cost, seasonality, or limited services are factored in. For long‑term residents, the best choice is often a city where crime index, walkability, and liveability are all acceptable rather than perfect on just one measure.

How to Choose Among the Safest Cities to Live

When comparing safe cities, start by deciding how important marginal differences in crime index are for you. If your top priority is minimizing exposure to crime, cities at the very low end—Selva and Verbier at 15, followed by Vail and Aspen at 18—offer some of the lowest reported and perceived crime levels in this group. However, the slightly higher crime index of 20 in Tokyo, Bern, St. Moritz, and the other towns is still considered low by global standards, so factors like job opportunities, climate, and amenities will often matter more day to day.

Next, weigh walkability and liveability. A city with a crime index of 20 but a walk score above 70 and solid health or liveability metrics, like Tokyo, Bern, Dingle, or Aspen, may feel safer in practice than a slightly safer city where you must drive everywhere. Consider whether you want the high‑energy environment of a big city like Tokyo, the institutional backbone of a national capital like Bern, or the quieter lifestyle of mountain towns such as St. Moritz, Vail, or Park City. For many people, the best choice is not the single safest city by the numbers, but the one where safety, daily convenience, and lifestyle align with personal priorities.