The Truth Behind Fort Lauderdale's Safety

Insights from a New WalletHub Review

A recent report from WalletHub has placed Fort Lauderdale among the least safe cities in the United States.

The review analyzed over 180 cities, focusing on three critical areas: home and community safety, natural disaster risk, and financial safety. The purpose was to pinpoint where Americans are best protected against a range of hazards, including financial threats. Fort Lauderdale ranked sixth from the bottom nationwide, with one of the lowest rates of households holding emergency savings—a significant concern for residents and local businesses.

Port St. Lucie, on the other hand, was named the safest city in Florida and ranked in the top ten for home and community safety across the country.

Here’s a summary of how Florida’s major cities performed:

Port St. Lucie: 30th overall, 10th in home and community safety

Cape Coral: 55th overall, 14th in home and community safety

Hialeah: 57th overall, 12th in home and community safety

Pembroke Pines: 85th overall, 15th in home and community safety

St. Petersburg: 99th overall

Tampa: 102nd overall

Miami: 113th overall

Tallahassee: 120th overall

Orlando: 160th overall

Jacksonville: 165th overall

Fort Lauderdale: 177th overall, consistently ranking near the bottom in all categories

Nationally, the five safest cities are Warwick, Rhode Island; Overland Park, Kansas; Burlington, Vermont; Juneau, Alaska; and Yonkers, New York. The data highlights clear differences in safety across Florida, signaling both opportunities and challenges for local leadership and the business community.