Tacoma Ranked 12th Most Peaceful City in the U.S.
The Institute for Economics and Peace’s 2012 United States Peace Index ranks Tacoma as the twelfth most peaceful in the U.S. based on four indicators.
Homicide rates (per 100,000)
Violent crime rates (per 100.000)
Incarceration rates (per 100,000)
Number of police employees (per 100,000)
While Tacoma ranks 12th out of 61 metropolitan areas across the country, the Seattle-Bellevue-Everett area ranks third on the list, and Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro comes in just ahead of Tacoma at tenth. As a state, Washington ranks seventh, well with in the most peaceful quintile (Maine is the most peaceful, Louisiana the least).
Key findings of the study include the finding that, measured by these criteria, the U.S. is now more peaceful than any time in the last 20 years. The study also finds a strong correlation between peace and economic opportunity, health, education, and social capital. Places ranked as peaceful also tended to have high levels of economic opportunities, better provision of basic services, and higher levels of educational attainment.
What do you think? How does it feel to live in the 12th most peaceful city in the country?
For more details, see the full United States Peace Index Report.
Filed under: Awards & Recognition, Public Safety
6 comments
J Jesse April 25, 2012
I wonder what Seattle would be if it was ranked without Bellevue or Everett lumped in with it.
J jd April 25, 2012
Maybe we’re actually Tacoma-Fircrest-Salmon Beach.
J jd April 25, 2012
I get a kick out of the people always referring to Tacoma as “ghetto”, “gangster”, and “Tacompton”. I guess that when you consider the Mall a bad-ass place to hang out and you have Jersey Shore on Tivo, Tacoma does seem kinda rough.
S Shaun D April 25, 2012
Everyone in the 253 knows Tacoma is actually becoming a better place. People outside still thinks we have bloods and crips fighting still lol
S Stacy Emerson May 8, 2012
I find it interesting that just a few weeks ago Tacoma was named by the Institute for Economics and Peace as the 12th most peaceful cities in the U.S., only to have the Washington Association of Sheriffs and Police Chiefs released stats that led to this quote by the Seattle P.I. – “The City of Destiny nearly cracked the worst 10, but came up just short with 68.6 crimes reported per 1,000 residents during 2011. That’s a 2.6 percent decrease from 2010. Tacoma is the state’s second most violent city, with a violent crime rate of 7.6 violent crimes reported per 1,000 residents. Now, a look at the cities that beat out Tacoma and Seattle to be Washington’s worst, in terms of crime.”
Yes, I noticed the discrepancy – on one hand they say Tacoma is the state’s second most violent city, then go on to say “look at the cities that beat out Tacoma and Seattle (plural – cities). Maybe you can get to the bottom of this – :-)
http://www.seattlepi.com/local/article/Washington-s-worst-and-best-cities-for-crime-3541152.php#photo-2909383
T talus May 8, 2012
My high school newspaper was more intellectually rigorous than seattlepi.com.