A guide by the TheGlobeScore team
City safety: how to compare reviews and data
“Which city is safest?” is a useful question, but one score cannot answer it on its own. Feeling safe, recorded incidents and experiences in a neighbourhood describe different things. Here is how to compare them on TheGlobeScore.
Explore the mapWhat a safety rating measures
The safety criterion describes contributors’ feelings of safety in daily life. It is a personal review, not a crime statistic. A visitor and a resident can experience the same place differently.
In the place rankings, choose cities and the safety criterion. Check the number of ratings for that criterion and read the comments explaining them. A city without a safety rating cannot yet be compared through community feedback.
What the indicators show
Available French indicators include recorded burglaries and vehicle thefts. US indicators include recorded homicides and vehicle thefts for the areas covered by the imported data. These measures remain separate from community stars.
Check that results use the same definition, period and geographic level. A rate and a raw count cannot be compared directly. A regional result does not describe every neighbourhood precisely.
Avoid quick conclusions
Missing data does not prove that there were no incidents or that conditions were poor. A small number of reviews is not enough to label a city safe or dangerous. Read several accounts and consider their dates and context.
The overall rating covers more than safety. A city with a high overall score is not automatically the highest-rated city for safety. Select the specific criterion rather than relying on the general average.
Connect rankings to your daily life
Compare places that fit your plans, then investigate the neighbourhoods and routes you would use. A visit and recent local information can complement the map.
When reviewing a place, describe a concrete experience and what made you feel comfortable or concerned. Avoid sharing other people’s personal information. Context is more helpful than an unexplained label.