Fresno ranked in the bottom half of America’s safest cities, according to a new WalletHub study released Monday.

The city placed 105th out of 182 cities nationwide, earning an overall safety score of 55.83 out of 100.

The WalletHub study evaluated cities using 41 indicators across three categories: home and community safety, natural-disaster risk, and financial safety.

Fresno ranked 94th nationally in home and community safety, 157th in natural-disaster risk, and 114th in financial safety.

The natural-disaster category was Fresno’s weakest area, with WalletHub examining risks associated with earthquakes, flooding, hail, hurricanes, tornadoes, and wildfires.

How Fresno Compares to Other California Cities

Fresno finished behind several California cities, including Modesto, which ranked 53rd nationally, and Sacramento, which placed 99th.

However, Fresno performed better than Bakersfield, which ranked 114th, and Stockton, which placed 121st.

Fremont was California’s highest-ranking city, placing 14th nationally. Irvine followed at 28th, while Santa Rosa ranked 29th.

Nationally, Juneau, Alaska, topped the rankings with a score of 75.89, followed by Warwick, Rhode Island, and Overland Park, Kansas.

New Orleans finished last among the 182 cities evaluated.

How the Rankings Were Determined

WalletHub’s methodology considered more than traditional crime statistics.

Home and community safety accounted for 60% of the overall score, incorporating factors such as murder rates, assaults, traffic fatalities, pedestrian deaths, and law enforcement staffing.

Natural-disaster risk accounted for 20%, while financial safety made up the remaining 20%.

Financial indicators included unemployment, poverty, foreclosure rates, credit scores, housing costs, and the percentage of residents without health insurance.

The study used data collected as of Sept. 21 from several sources, including the U.S. Census Bureau, FBI, Federal Emergency Management Agency, and Bureau of Labor Statistics.

WalletHub evaluated the 150 most populated U.S. cities, along with at least two of the most populated cities in each state. The rankings reflect city boundaries rather than surrounding metropolitan areas.

Tower District Shootings Raise Safety Concerns

The rankings follow renewed concerns about public safety in Fresno’s Tower District, where an early Sunday shooting injured two people, including someone waiting to enter a nightclub.

The incident marked the fourth shooting in the entertainment district in approximately six months, according to Fresno Police Chief Mindy Casto.

Casto said at a Sunday news conference that at least 12 officers were already in the area when the shooting occurred, raising questions about whether an increased police presence alone can prevent further violence.

“I think it’s not an issue of doing more police officers necessarily. It’s we need to do things differently,” Casto said.

Despite the shootings, Casto pushed back against suggestions that crime is rampant in the district. She said police data from the previous 10 days showed two aggravated assaults in the vicinity, with no reported robberies or sexual assaults.

The police department plans to work with city officials, businesses, and community organizations to explore additional safety measures.

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