Louisiana ranks as the second-least-safe state in the nation in a new WalletHub analysis that considers crime, financial security, road conditions, workplace safety and preparedness for emergencies.
Louisiana ranked 49th among the 50 states in WalletHub’s 2026 Safest States in America report, released Oct. 5. Only Mississippi ranked lower.
The personal-finance website gave Louisiana an overall score of 37.39 out of 100. Vermont ranked first with a score of 66.63, followed by Massachusetts, Maine, New Hampshire and Connecticut.
Louisiana’s lowest category rankings were financial safety and emergency preparedness, with the state ranking 49th nationally in both. Louisiana ranked 43rd in workplace safety, 42nd in road safety and 37th in personal and residential safety.
WalletHub compared states using 52 metrics across the five categories. The measures include violent crime, unemployment, credit scores, poverty, insurance coverage, traffic fatalities, occupational injuries and losses from climate disasters.
Several individual measures contributed to Louisiana’s low overall showing. The state ranked 50th for murders and non-negligent manslaughters per capita and 48th for assaults per capita, according to data provided with the report.
Louisiana also tied near the bottom nationally for per-capita losses from climate disasters.
The state performed better in several other measures. Louisiana ranked 24th for job security, 27th for the share of residents without health insurance and 19th for sex offenders per capita.
Louisiana also tied with New Jersey and Wyoming for the highest number of law enforcement employees per capita, according to WalletHub.
WalletHub weighted personal and residential safety most heavily in calculating the rankings, assigning that category 40 of the possible 100 points. Financial safety accounted for 15 points, while road safety, workplace safety and emergency preparedness made up the remainder.
Financial safety measures included unemployment and underemployment, poverty, foreclosures, credit scores, household debt, emergency savings, job security, employment growth and identity theft complaints.
WalletHub analyst Chip Lupo said the rankings are intended to measure safety beyond crime rates.
“The safest states in America protect their residents from harm in a multitude of different ways, from keeping crime rates low and maintaining safe roadways to having strong economies and job markets that prevent people from falling into dangerous financial situations,” Lupo said.
Mississippi finished last overall with a score of 34.59. Texas ranked 48th, immediately ahead of Louisiana, while Arkansas ranked 46th.
WalletHub said it calculated each state’s overall score using a weighted average of the 52 metrics. A higher score represents a higher level of safety. The full report is available here: https://wallethub.com/edu/safest-states-to-live-in/4566