How Safe Are Utah Neighborhoods?

It doesn’t matter if the area you live in is the most beautiful in the world if the crime rate is high and you are concerned about walking, jogging, or biking by yourself. And with Provo river trail horror stories in the news again, many Utah residents are wondering how safe they should feel in their own neighborhoods. But news stories are anecdotes, and they may not provide an accurate picture of how safe or unsafe a community is. For that, we need hard data. So, just how safe is Utah anyway? Here are the facts:

Crime Has Been Declining Since 1993

Crime in Utah has been on a study decline for several decades now. According to 2017 statistics, the overall crime rate of the Beehive State was down by a rate of 5.38% year over year. Crimes such as homicide were down 2.6%, and aggravated assault was down by a whopping 14.66%! This runs counter to what the evening news would have you believe, but national and local crime rates have been falling for a very long time, even as Wasatch Front towns explode with economic and population growth.

Utah Has Strong Neighborhoods

Salt Lake County has some of the strongest communities on the Wasatch Front. The state has strong neighborhoods that are full of an eclectic amount of people. There are baby boomers, millennials, young families and professionals that dot various areas. The administrative offices of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints are located in the downtown Salt Lake City district. There are also apartments, condos, homes and rental properties that are available at reasonable prices throughout the state. Moreover, the state of Utah is also a proud participant in many neighborhood watch programs, including SafeWise. You can bet that if anyone sees anything that seems off, they will report it to the authorities. Law enforcement is robust and police-community relationships are largely positive, leading to a vibrant and safe community for individuals and families to live, work, and play in.

It’s Not the Odds - It’s the Stakes

Even though Utah is a state that is home to many respectable individuals and has made its mark as a family-friendly state, there is no sense in developing a false sense of security. When it comes to violent crime, even one is too many. We believe that it is every individual's responsibility to take the necessary steps to guarantee their own safety. This means training yourself in the foundations of self-defense. If you really want a state that has a sense of community throughout all of it, Utah is definitely the place to go.Just remember that it doesn’t hurt to have good situational awareness to avoid getting into a potentially dangerous situation, no matter where you are. If you do your research and are prepared, Utah is one of the safest places to live. Welcome to the Beehive State!