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This Florida city ranked among the top safest places to live in U.S.: study
A new study is highlighting the safest places to live across the United States. U.S. News & World Report analyzed FBI crime data, focusing on murder and property crime rates per 100,000 people, to determine the safest cities. Melbourne, Florida, ranked No. 9 on the list. We speak with Chief David Gillespie, the Melbourne Police Chief, and Mayor Paul Alfrey, the Mayor of Melbourne, about the new study,
ORLANDO, Fla. - U.S. News & World Report has released its 2025 list, ranking all 50 U.S. states from best to worst. Here's the breakdown.
How does Florida rank among other U.S. states?
Local perspective:
Florida ranked No. 6 overall among all 50 U.S. states, thanks largely to its top rankings in economy (#1) and education (#2).
The state also performed well in areas like fiscal stability, crime and corrections, and the natural environment. However, it ranked near the bottom in opportunity (#47), signaling challenges in things like affordability, economic opportunity and equality.
Which states ranked the best?
Big picture view:
Below are the top 10 best states, according to the report. To see the full list, click here.
- Utah
- New Hampshire
- Idaho
- Minnesota
- Nebraska
- Florida
- Vermont
- South Dakota
- Massachusetts
- Washington
How were the rankings determined?
The study looked at 71 different factors to decide the rankings. These factors were then grouped into eight weighted categories: education, healthcare, economy, infrastructure, opportunity, fiscal stability, natural environment, and crime and corrections.
To figure out which categories were most important, they used results from national surveys over the past three years, where thousands of people said which state issues matter most to them.
‘Great momentum’
What they're saying:
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis responded to Florida's No. 6 ranking in the 2025 U.S. News & World Report, describing the state's rise in the best states ranking as "great momentum!"
"Florida is once again #1 in higher education (for the 9th year in a row) and #1 in economy (for the 2nd year in a row) as ranked by U.S. News and World Report," DeSantis said in a post on X. "And, in light of these and other achievements, Florida climbed three spots in Best State rankings from last year. Great momentum!"
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The Source: This story was written based on information shared in the 2025 U.S. News & World Report Best States rankings.