The Most (And Least) Violent U.S. States: Report

April 24 (Reuters) - Violence and its aftermath cost the U.S. economy some $460 billion last year, according to the Institute for Economics and Peace's second annual United States Peace Index, released on Tuesday.

Those costs - which include direct burdens like medical care for victims and the prison system and indirect factors like lost productivity - vary widely by state, with the most peaceful states bearing the lowest burden and the most violent spending
far more.

A state's level of peacefulness is not the only factor that determines the economic toll of violence; its population and level of overall economic activity also has a strong influence.

Below, a look at the cost of violence to the ten most peaceful and ten most violent U.S. states in 2012:

(Reporting by Scott Malone; Editing by Jackie Frank)

SOURCE: Institute for Economics and Peace

Comments

[MyrtleJune]

12:46 PM on 04/30/2012

Interesting that Utah, the second "most armed" state is also listed among the "most peaceful" states. Maybe they leave their guns at home like sane people do or something.

[Don Stalvino]

11:49 PM on 04/25/2012

It seems the most peaceful states have a small minority population.

[stonewalker]

12:46 AM on 04/27/2012

Peace through Racial Uniformity is NOT an American value.

[stymie500r]

06:23 PM on 04/25/2012

I wonder how "no-gun" Illinois faired in this legitimate article, edited with a 45* slant for reader's instant allignment.

[dlandsurveys]

10:16 PM on 04/25/2012

North Dakota, one of the most peaceful states, probably has one of the highest gun ownership rates.

[mspender]

10:46 PM on 04/25/2012

Probably? Of course, there's Arizona, Texas and Florida which makes you wonder.

Obviously, having lots of guns and letting everyone walk around armed doesn't have much of an effect on safety. And then. that notion of more religion in school may not be making people any more law-abiding.

Looking at these less safe places, though, you'd think that economic and educational factors may play a role. I mean, who would have though that poverty and lack of opportunity might affect crime rates?

[MyrtleJune]

12:50 PM on 04/30/2012

Utah is among the most peaceful states and ranked second in the "most armed" state behind KY.

[onionboy]

05:30 PM on 04/25/2012

I want to live in the least virulent state.

[mspender]

10:49 PM on 04/25/2012

Hawaii?

[onionboy]

11:04 PM on 04/25/2012

Last I heard it was Vermont that was healthiest, but I don't know about virulence.

[unliberal]

04:58 PM on 04/25/2012

Read more: http://newsfeed.time.com/2012/04/25/where-are-americas-most-peaceful-cities/#ixzz1t5VFDb3T

[unliberal]

04:58 PM on 04/25/2012

Like I said from Time magazine but "Editing by Jackie Frank"

[unliberal]

04:56 PM on 04/25/2012

BTW it's an article from Time magazine which seems to have been picked over for this blurb...

[unliberal]

04:55 PM on 04/25/2012

Amazing... This was also in that article.... Seems the CCW program went widespread in the early 90's...


"Based on results from the Institute for Economics and Peace’s United States Peace Index 2012, the U.S. is at its best behaved in two decades. Since the IEP began collecting data in 1991, homicide rates have fallen nearly 50%, and 42 states have reduced their crime rates."



Read more: http://newsfeed.time.com/2012/04/25/where-are-americas-most-peaceful-cities/#ixzz1t5VFDb3T

[Grinling Gibbons]

03:46 PM on 04/25/2012

So as usual red Republican states score as being best at all things that are bad. Whether it's health, wealth, education or violence, you can count on the red Republican states being the worst on any scale.

When will the residents of those places wake up and stop electing Republicans who destroy them?

[Jerry Bourbon]

10:52 PM on 04/25/2012

The seven LEAST violent states are red Republican states with very liberal gun laws.

What is your point?

[palindrom]

11:17 PM on 04/25/2012

Vermont? Maine? Washington? New Hampshire?

[bullthull]

03:36 PM on 04/25/2012

Whew ! MIchigan did not make the bottom of the list

Just for more stupid comments on this subject lets blame the violence on Bill Clintons education programs as governer on Arkansas. These coddled young adults are butting their false sense of esteem up againts the cold hard world right about now and can only react with rage and violence when encoutering the fact they are not supposed to be patted on the head , given a ribbon and be taken to dairy queen for actually showing up to work on time.

[michelleobamaok]

03:22 PM on 04/25/2012

I'VE NOTICED that the states voted as "most peaceful" in the slide, seem to be the ones with hardly any people in them. Figures.

[hearthammer]

01:04 PM on 04/26/2012

Do you really understand how this was made up?

[michelleobamaok]

03:17 PM on 04/25/2012

ISN'T THIS A MOOT POINT IN AMERICA with the passage in 25 states of the NRA sanctioned Kill Anybody You Want law?

[Old Jarhead]

03:42 PM on 04/25/2012

You really don't understand how the "Stand Your Ground" laws work, or are worded. Good job at letting the "progressives" define your understanding of politics and laws.

[phoenix182]

03:47 PM on 04/25/2012

You mean like the 4 in the 'most peaceful' list that have it?

[mspender]

10:55 PM on 04/25/2012

Maybe that's how it works - you get to easily send people that frighten you to rest in peace.

[TUNCH]

03:12 PM on 04/25/2012

It doesn't matter which states are more or less violent...there is way too much gun violence in this country. Whether by criminals or not...too many people get killed by guns in America.

[rikilii]

03:47 PM on 04/25/2012

You're right.  We should stop paroling violent criminals.

[mspender]

11:04 PM on 04/25/2012

Yes, because it is a fact that all those people who go on shooting sprees are paroled criminals.

Or maybe not.

[phoenix182]

03:50 PM on 04/25/2012

I agree. We really need some serious addressing of the issues...we need to start controlling wealth disparity and general poverty, we need to establish a mental health infrastructure, we need a real focus on education (not on diploma/degree mills for job acquisition), we need to revisit two income households and divorce rates, we need work on reducing population density and urban sprawl, we need to end the war on drugs and other sin legislation, we need to put an end to racial policy proliferation, we need...well, heck, we need to do a lot.

[TUNCH]

03:52 PM on 04/25/2012

I was gonna say...that's a lot to work on. But I agree.

[mspender]

11:13 PM on 04/25/2012

Most of all we need to improve education, if anything, to awaken people in those states that continue to vote against their interests - who experience the consequences of poverty and inequality, but keep voting in people and policies that perpetuate those conditions.

[sidecarman]

02:12 PM on 04/25/2012

the most violent states are the gun loving states. what a surprise.

[Michael Steaphens]

02:20 PM on 04/25/2012

Has nothing to do with "loving guns".Try to focus on the facts.

[qdog112]

02:42 PM on 04/25/2012

Of course it's the gun hugging, bible clinging states. Stop lying.

[phoenix182]

02:52 PM on 04/25/2012

Except not really. 5 of the top 10 peaceful states are in the top 20 for gun ownership and 3 of the top 10 violent states are in the bottom 20. Vermont was the first state to allow concealed carry without a permit, and WA has the 2nd highest rate of concealed carry. There are guns in the violent states too of course, but often fewer or less often than in many of the most peaceful. In other words, there's no causal link.

[Scott1560]

03:04 PM on 04/25/2012

And I'd love to finally have someone explain to me what's wrong with concealed carry here in WA? Most of the folks I know around here, the one's w/the carry permits, are self-described liberals and they affiliate w/the Dem party. They don't object and certainly we don't have problems, enough problems for anyone to really care about.
But all this talk of stricter laws and such, well.......Why would folks want to punish those of us who reside in the NW? What would you gain from it? Just tell me the Why?

[michelleobamaok]

03:20 PM on 04/25/2012

I'd like the know the ages stats for the so-called "non-violent" states, because God know, America is a very violent place. I bet some of these places are chock full of elderly people.

[ussuri]

02:12 PM on 04/25/2012

$ 460 BILLION on violence & aftermath.

what does it say about society that does that?