TEXAS  —  Does Texas do enough to keep its residents safe from threats including crime and severe weather?

According to a new WalletHub study called "Safest States in America," the answer is no.

What You Need To Know

  • Using five key dimensions and 52 relevant metrics, WalletHub ranked the 50 states for safety

  • The key dimensions are Personal and Residential Safety, Financial Safety, Road Safety, Workplace Safety and Emergency Preparedness

  • Texas was ranked No. 47 overall

  • Vermont was ranked as the safest state

In fact, only three states ranked worse for safety. Texas landed at No. 47 on the list, with only Arkansas, Mississippi and Louisiana ranked lower.

The top five safest states, according to the study, are Vermont, Maine, New Hampshire, Utah and Massachusetts.

In compiling the rankings, WalletHub compared five key dimensions: Personal and Residential Safety, Financial Safety, Road Safety, Workplace Safety and Emergency Preparedness.

Those dimensions were evaluated using 52 relevant metrics.

Source: WalletHub

Texas landed at No. 40 in the Personal and Residential Safety category, at No. 37 for Financial Safety, No. 41 for Road Safety and No. 42 for Workplace Safety.

Hundreds of people died during the winter storm of February 2021. Texas has seen more than its share of mass shootings. A mass shooting at the Allen Premium Outlets in May claimed the lives of eight people.

Some Texas cities—notably Austin—have struggled with police staffing in recent years.

The metric Texas really fared poorly in is Share of Uninsured Population. Texas came in dead last, just behind Oklahoma, Georgia, Florida and Alaska.

Texas is one of 12 states that has limited Medicaid coverage for adults, despite public opinion polls showing support for expanding it in the state and studies that show its benefits to Texans. 

The study is available in its entirety here.