City among nation's safest
Advertiser Staff and Wire Services
Honolulu is among the most secure places to live in the country, according to an insurance group's study.
Honolulu ranked No. 15 among 213 U.S. metropolitan areas studied, according to the Farmers Insurance Group listing.
The rankings were compiled by database experts at www.bestplaces.net. They considered crime statistics, the risk of natural disasters and job-loss statistics in metropolitan areas with populations of 200,000 or more.
The metropolitan area of Provo-Orem in Utah was ranked No. 1.
"Feeling safe and secure is a basic human instinct," said Jeff Beyer, senior vicepresident, corporate communications for Farmers Insurance Group.
"To some people, feeling safe against crime is most important. To some, it's financial security. And to others, it may be not worrying about losing their home. We'd all like to find a place to live or work that allows us to feel that security."
Makiki resident Ron Mayeda yesterday said he was "pleasantly surprised" with Honolulu's ranking.
"I've been to some of these places and I think Honolulu's in good company," he said of the Top 25 list. "For a city this size, even for crime I think we're OK."
Of the three categories considered in the study, Mayeda, a lawyer, said his concerns would be crime and natural disasters. "Honolulu's been lucky, really lucky because if what happened to Kaua'i in terms of a hurricane happened to us, we'd still be hurting," he said.
Phyllis Drake of Foster Village agreed that Honolulu is a secure place, although crime is a concern to her.
"From what I've heard, it's getting worse," Drake said. "But I think it's better here than on the Mainland where they have all these shootings and killings."
Mark Cook of Diamond Head said he's traveled to many areas on the Mainland and he feels very safe here. He said the safety factor has led him to consider moving his elderly father from San Diego, Calif., to Honolulu.
"The economy is kind of fragile, we primarily rely on tourism, and the threat of higher oil prices worries me for the tourism trade, but all in all I really feel much safer living here than anywhere else," Cook said.
Provo, located about 45 miles south/southeast of Salt Lake City, lies in the heart of the Utah Valley between Utah Lake and the Wasatch Mountain Range. Settled by Mormon pioneers in 1849, the region was originally inhabited by the Ute Indians.
Today, it is home to Brigham Young University and Utah Valley State in nearby Orem. The region has a population of 387,817 and, along with ninth-ranked Danbury, Conn., shares the lowest crime rate of the 213 areas studied.
Among other Most Secure Places, Olympia, Wash (No. 7) and Honolulu (No. 15) received the highest marks for having few natural disasters, while Fayetteville-Springdale-Rogers, Ark. (No. 11) and Portland, Maine, (No. 13) had the lowest unemployment rates.
Two "surprises" on the top 25 list are Las Vegas (No. 21) and Reno (No. 25). In trying to shake its "Sin City" image, Las Vegas has done much in the last five years to remake itself into a family destination. And while crime remains an issue, steady employment and a low risk of natural disasters helped boost its ranking.
Likewise, Reno, despite its plethora of casinos and gaming attractions, has sought to diversify by bringing in new industry and has become one of the fastest-growing areas in the United States.
Advertiser staff writer Curtis Lum contributed to this report.
