I was just surfing the web when I noticed that Virginia has ranked 14th in the CQ Press’s 2009 Crime State Rankings. The last time that Virginia placed this highly on this ranking was back in 2001. Last year, Virginia came in at number 15.
The CQ Press’s annual Crime State Rankings consider a variety of factors when determining how well states fare. These factors include arrests, corrections, courts, crime clearances, drug and alcohol treatment, juvenile justice, Law enforcement expenditures and Offenses.
With 1 being the worst possible score and 50 being the best score, Virginia ranked as follows:
- Assault: 42
- Burglary: 45
- Murder: 23
- Motor vehicle theft: 41
- Rape: 443
- Robbery: 26
This is good news for Virginia and reflects our state’s level of commitment to law enforcement and corrections. Placing highly in terms of crime rates when compared to the rest of the nation should also help to keep auto and home theft insurance rates from increasing. It should also help maintain higher median home values.
When you consider the things that go into making a great community, there are several important factors, crime rate is definitely one of the more important factors, after all, no one wants to live in a crime ridden area. I am glad to see that Virginia is placing higher every year in this important ranking.
Please click to see how Virginia and all 50 states fared at WalletPop.com.
If you are interested in purchasing the complete rankings for all 50 states from CQ Press, please click here.
