It’s the “Home of the Blues” for more than just music.
Memphis is considered the most dangerous US city to live in — not only in terms of crime but also when considering other risks like car accidents, financial safety and natural disasters, according to studies.
The Tennessee city — which is also known as the “Birthplace of Rock ‘n’ Roll” and “Bluff City” — had 129 homicides in the first six months of 2024, which is higher than any other city in the nation, according to the August findings from the Major Cities Chiefs Association Violent Crime Survey.
Still, homicides declined in Memphis from the prior year, when there were 156 in the first six months of 2023, the study found.
But Memphis — which was the home of famous musicians including Elvis, Johnny Cash, Aretha Franklin and Justin Timberlake — also ranks low on several other key factors that WalletHub uses to determine a population’s overall safety.
Memphis landed at the bottom of a WalletHub survey of 182 cities because of low marks in categories including residents’ financial safety, home and community safety and risk of natural disaster.
The city ranked second-to-last when it comes to residents’ financial safety and, more specifically, has the lowest percentage of households with emergency savings, the survey found.
And it ranks third-to-last in terms of home and community safety with its high homicide rate and being among the bottom 10 cities in terms of assault per capita.
It also ranks 173rd in traffic deaths per capita, according to WalletHub.
In 2022, Memphis was dead last when it came to traffic deaths, according to data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration released in June.
Memphis earned slightly better marks in the category of natural disasters, ranking 101st, the study shows.
Not surprisingly, a July WalletHub study found that Memphians were also some of the most stressed-out residents in the country.
On the other hand, Yonkers, New York, was the 6th safest city on WalletHub’s survey, earning third-safest in home and community, 29th in risk of natural disaster and 139th in financial safety.
South Burlington, Vt.; Casper, Wy., Warwick, Rhode Island, Burlington, Vt.; and Boise, Idaho were the top five safest cities overall in the survey.
