One of the biggest indicators of how much a policyholder needs to pay for insurance – in particular home and auto coverage – is their ZIP code as insurance companies often use a person’s address to determine the types of risks they are exposed to.
Certain parts of the US, for instance, are prone to extreme weather and natural calamities. These factors can cause premium prices to shoot up. But what can make insurance rates more costly is the level of crime surrounding a location.
According to the New York-based Kneller Insurance Agency, insurers typically use a person’s address to gather crime reports from local law enforcement to be able to assess the risks.
“Areas that experience a high volume of break-ins and vandalism also raise claims and rates,” the firm wrote in a blog on its website. “Since insurers operate in risk, they see high crime rates as more of a chance that you will file a claim for vandalism or theft. As a result, the premium increases to account for this higher level of risk.”
Insurtech CoverHound, meanwhile, explained that policyholders do not need to experience a crime for their premiums to rise.
“Even if you are not a victim of crime yourself, your rates may increase,” the firm noted. “That’s because insurance companies offer rates based on collective risk, and if you live in a bad neighborhood, then your neighbors could file more claims, which will impact your rates.”
A recent analysis of crime trends by the Council on Criminal Justice (CCJ) revealed that reports of violent crimes have been rising in the country’s major cities. Data gathered by the group has shown a rising number of homicides in the past few years, with 2021 figures ticking up 5% from 2020 but jumping 44% from 2019.
According to the study, the increase was primarily due to “pandemic pressures and change in policing tactics.”
Murder rates, meanwhile, have declined significantly since the 1990s, with CCJ’s research recording just almost half the volume of incidents compared to 29 years ago. In 2021, the rate was 15 deaths per 100,000 residents, down from 28 per 100,000 in 1993.
Richard Rosenfeld, criminologist at the University of Missouri-St. Louis and author of the study, noted that the reasons for increases, particularly in the number of homicides, vary from year to year. In 2020, for example, incidents rose following the killing of George Floyd, which sparked calls for racial justice and police reform, and caused unrest in cities across the country.
“The social unrest after the George Floyd killing in Minneapolis very likely played a role in [increased homicides], but differences across cities in 2021 suggests that local factors are now becoming more important,” Rosenfeld told CBS News in an interview.
To identify the safest cities across America, fintech firm SmartAsset analyzed data from 200 of the country’s largest cities using five metrics – violent and property crime rates, vehicular and drug poisoning mortality rates, and the percentage of the population engaging in excessive drinking.
To work out the average annual home premiums in each area, meanwhile, Insurance Business used Insurance.com’s home insurance calculator. The figures below are for a $200,000 dwelling with a $1,000 deductible and $100,000 liability coverage. For auto insurance rates, we referred to The Zebra’s car insurance calculator. Coverage is for a 40-year-old homeowner with a fully paid 2020 model vehicle who currently has an existing plan.
Here are the cities that made it to the top 10 of SmartAsset’s list.
Violent crime rate: 86 per 100,000 residents
Property crime rate: 972 per 100,000 residents
Vehicular mortality rate: 6.3 per 100,000 residents
Drug poisoning mortality rate: 7.3 per 100,000 residents
% of population engaging in excessive drinking: 18.66%
Safety index: 100
Average annual home insurance rate: $2,980
Average annual auto insurance rate: $1,464 to $1,788
Violent crime rate: 134 per 100,000 residents
Property crime rate: 936 per 100,000 residents
Vehicular mortality rate: 6.3 per 100,000 residents
Drug poisoning mortality rate: 7.3 per 100,000 residents
% of population engaging in excessive drinking: 18.66%
Safety index: 98.63
Average annual home insurance rate: $3,080
Average annual auto insurance rate: $1,500 to $1,836
Violent crime rate: 131 per 100,000 residents
Property crime rate: 907 per 100,000 residents
Vehicular mortality rate: 8 per 100,000 residents
Drug poisoning mortality rate: 10.5 per 100,000 residents
% of population engaging in excessive drinking: 17.81%
Safety index: 98.13
Average annual home insurance rate: $886
Average annual auto insurance rate: $1,416 to $1,740
Violent crime rate: 149 per 100,000 residents
Property crime rate: 2,062 per 100,000 residents
Vehicular mortality rate: 6.5 per 100,000 residents
Drug poisoning mortality rate: 9.4 per 100,000 residents
% of population engaging in excessive drinking: 16.92%
Safety index: 97.63
Average annual home insurance rate: $634
Average annual auto insurance rate: $1,368 to $1,668
Violent crime rate: 103 per 100,000 residents
Property crime rate: 1,597 per 100,000 residents
Vehicular mortality rate: 8 per 100,000 residents
Drug poisoning mortality rate: 10.5 per 100,000 residents
% of population engaging in excessive drinking: 17.81%
Safety index: 95.26
Average annual home insurance rate: $809
Average annual auto insurance rate: $1,860 to $2,268
Violent crime rate: 85 per 100,000 residents
Property crime rate: 1,931 per 100,000 residents
Vehicular mortality rate: 10.2 per 100,000 residents
Drug poisoning mortality rate: 3.8 per 100,000 residents
% of population engaging in excessive drinking: 14.65%
Safety index: 94.13
Average annual home insurance rate: $3,146
Average annual auto insurance rate: $1,200 to $1,476
Violent crime rate: 66 per 100,000 residents
Property crime rate: 946 per 100,000 residents
Vehicular mortality rate: 7.3 per 100,000 residents
Drug poisoning mortality rate: 12.4 per 100,000 residents
% of population engaging in excessive drinking: 18.31%
Safety index: 93.88
Average annual home insurance rate: $1,106
Average annual auto insurance rate: $1,356 to $1,656
Violent crime rate: 156 per 100,000 residents
Property crime rate: 2,501 per 100,000 residents
Vehicular mortality rate: 6.5 per 100,000 residents
Drug poisoning mortality rate: 9.4 per 100,000 residents
% of population engaging in excessive drinking: 16.92%
Safety index: 93.88
Average annual home insurance rate: $628
Average annual auto insurance rate: $1,320 to $1,608
Violent crime rate: 155 per 100,000 residents
Property crime rate: 1,645 per 100,000 residents
Vehicular mortality rate: 6.3 per 100,000 residents
Drug poisoning mortality rate: 7.3 per 100,000 residents
% of population engaging in excessive drinking: 18.66%
Safety index: 93.63
Average annual home insurance rate: $3,043
Average annual auto insurance rate: $1,464 to $1,788
Violent crime rate: 191 per 100,000 residents
Property crime rate: 2,046 per 100,000 residents
Vehicular mortality rate: 8.0 per 100,000 residents
Drug poisoning mortality rate: 10.5 per 100,000 residents
% of population engaging in excessive drinking: 17.81%
Safety index: 88.26
Average annual home insurance rate: $722
Average annual auto insurance rate: $1,344 to $1,644
A separate study by analytics firm NeighborhoodScout, meanwhile, revealed the most dangerous cities in America based on raw crime data it compiled from all 18,000 law enforcement agencies across the country. The company ranked each city according to violent crime rates and the likelihood of a person becoming a victim. These cities--where you can really learn the benefits of insurance--are the ones that came out on top.
Violent crime rate: 29.4 per 1,000 residents
Chance of being a victim: 1 in 34
Average annual home insurance rate: $2,166
Average annual auto insurance rate: $2,280 to $2,784
Violent crime rate: 24.2 per 1,000 residents
Chance of being a victim: 1 in 41
Average annual home insurance rate: $2,615
Average annual auto insurance rate: $4,296 to $5,256
Violent crime rate: 23.8 per 1,000 residents
Chance of being a victim: 1 in 42
Average annual home insurance rate: $1,964
Average annual auto insurance rate: $2,196 to $2,688
Violent crime rate: 22.6 per 1,000 residents
Chance of being a victim: 1 in 44
Average annual home insurance rate: $2,720
Average annual auto insurance rate: $3,312 to $4,044
Violent crime rate: 20 per 1,000 residents
Chance of being a victim: 1 in 50
Average annual home insurance rate: $2,641
Average annual auto insurance rate: $2,064 to $2,532
Violent crime rate: 18.8 per 1,000 residents
Chance of being a victim: 1 in 53
Average annual home insurance rate: $2,185
Average annual auto insurance rate: $2,796 to $3,420
Violent crime rate: 18.1 per 1,000 residents
Chance of being a victim: 1 in 55
Average annual home insurance rate: $3,030
Average annual auto insurance rate: $1,788 to $2,184
Violent crime rate: 18.1 per 1,000 residents
Chance of being a victim: 1 in 55
Average annual home insurance rate: $3,032
Average annual auto insurance rate: $1,428 to $1,740
Violent crime rate: 17.7 per 1,000 residents
Chance of being a victim: 1 in 56
Average annual home insurance rate: $2,086
Average annual auto insurance rate: $1,404 to $1,704
Violent crime rate: 17.1 per 1,000 residents
Chance of being a victim: 1 in 59
Average annual home insurance rate: $1,854
Average annual auto insurance rate: $1,386 to $1,668
What do you think about what these statistics are showing about the most dangerous cities in the USA? Do you feel that their accurate reflections of what it's really like to live there? Use the comments section below to let us know.
