America's Safest Cities

"Eighty percent of those living in the Minneapolis-St. Paul area say they feel safe walking alone at night in the area where they live, the highest percentage among the 50 largest U.S. metropolitan areas," reports Jeffrey M. Jones. "Minneapolis is followed closely by Denver, Raleigh, Boston, Salt Lake City, and Austin."

Among the cities deemed least safe by residents, Memphis received the lowest marks, followed by New Orleans and Riverside, California.

"The data are based on Gallup-Healthways Well-Being Index data collected throughout 2012. Each night, Gallup asks Americans whether they 'feel safe walking alone at night in the city or area where you live?' Gallup compiled the data for residents of the 50 most populous Metropolitan Statistical Areas and weighted each sample to make sure it was demographically representative of that MSA."