Key Findings
- The state where senior Americans are the safest is Massachusetts, with the lowest intentional violent death rate among 65+ residents.
- Minnesota ranks 2nd, with the highest quality of life.
- Standing out with the fewest scam rates among the elderly is North Dakota, with 95.5 reports per 100K people.
Recent CDC statistics show that elder abuse impacts about 1 in 10 Americans over the age of 60 every year. This is a heartbreaking reality, and it highlights just how important it is to prioritize the safety and well-being of our older population.
At Your Insurance Attorney, we wanted to take a closer look at where seniors in the U.S. are safest. So, we conducted a study analyzing senior-related statistics across the country to find out which states offer the least risk of crime for older Americans.
To compare states fairly, we looked at key factors like scam reports, homicide rates, intentional violent death rates, and overall quality of life. We pulled data from trusted sources, including the FBI, the Administration for Community Living, and Senior Living, and used that information to calculate a final safety score for each state.
Our goal is simple: to raise awareness and help families, caregivers, and seniors make informed decisions about their safety and future.
Here is the summary of the findings:
| State | Scam Reports (60+)
per 100k people |
Homicide Rate (65+)
per 100k people |
Intentional Violent Death Rate (65+)
per 100k people |
Quality of Life | Senior Safety Score |
| Massachusetts | 124.7 | 0.9 | 8.7 | 55 | 89.96 |
| Minnesota | 122.0 | 1 | 13.1 | 58 | 89.03 |
| Nebraska | 112.4 | 0.9 | 13.6 | 57 | 88.78 |
| Iowa | 113.6 | 0.9 | 13.8 | 57 | 88.46 |
| New York | 120.4 | 1.3 | 11.3 | 57 | 87.85 |
| Rhode Island | 130.3 | 1.1 | 10.3 | 54 | 85.23 |
| New Jersey | 123.9 | 1.4 | 10.8 | 55 | 84.78 |
| North Dakota | 95.5 | 1 | 13 | 51 | 82.59 |
| Connecticut | 141.1 | 1 | 11.6 | 53 | 82.15 |
| Wisconsin | 100.4 | 1.8 | 15.7 | 55 | 79.6 |
*You can find the full research, along with all the metrics and methodology here.
We found that the safest state for senior Americans is Massachusetts, with a senior safety score of 89.9. This reflects not only a high quality of life but also very low crime rates against seniors. There are just 124.7 scams per 100,000 people aged 60 and over, and the state boasts the lowest senior homicide rate in the country at 0.9. Massachusetts also has a strong quality of life index of 55.
Coming in second is Minnesota, with a safety score of 89. It stands out with the highest quality of life index in the country, driven by better access to healthcare, overall security, and a clean environment. Scam rates here are slightly lower than in Massachusetts, at 122 per 100,000.
Nebraska ranks third, scoring 88.7. It has one of the lowest scam rates among seniors, just 112.4 per 100,000, which is lower than both Massachusetts and Minnesota. The state’s quality of life index is also strong at 57, just behind Minnesota.
Next is Iowa in fourth place, with a senior safety score of 88.4. Like Nebraska and Massachusetts, Iowa also has a very low senior homicide rate of 0.9, though the violent death rate among people 65+ is slightly higher.
New York comes in fifth with a score of 87.5. The violent death rate among the elderly is lower than in Iowa at 11.3 per 100,000, and the quality of life is just as high, matching Nebraska’s index of 57.
At number six is Rhode Island, scoring 85.2. The senior homicide rate is 1.1, which is slightly higher than in some of the top-ranking states but still very low by national standards. Rhode Island also reports the second-lowest violent death rate among seniors, close to Massachusetts.
New Jersey ranks seventh with a safety score of 84.7. Its quality of life index is 55, which is higher than Rhode Island’s, and scams against the elderly remain relatively rare at 123.9 per 100,000.
In eighth place, we have North Dakota, with a score of 82.5. The state stands out for having the fewest senior scam reports in the top 10, just 95.5 per 100,000, and a low senior homicide rate of 1 per 100,000.
Connecticut comes in ninth, with a senior safety score of 82.1. While scams are more common here compared to other states in the top 10, the rates of senior homicides and violent deaths remain low at 1 and 11.6, respectively.
Rounding out the top 10 is Wisconsin, with a safety score of 79.6. It has the second-lowest scam rate, 100.4 reports per 100,000 seniors, and maintains a high quality of life index of 55, higher than both Connecticut and North Dakota.
The findings make it clear that senior safety varies widely from state to state, influenced by everything from local policies and community support to cultural attitudes toward aging. These differences shape whether older Americans can live with dignity or face greater risks. As the population continues to age at a historic rate, our nursing home abuse attorneys recognize the urgent need for stronger elder protection strategies, ones that go beyond just physical safety to include financial security and overall quality of life for seniors across the country.
We hope this data helps shine a light on where seniors are safest, and what more we can all do to protect them.
