A recent SmartAsset study has positioned Plano as the second safest large city in the United States, following Virginia Beach. This ranking evaluated 83 cities with populations exceeding 250,000, which encompasses over 90 percent of the nation's large urban areas. Plano outperformed cities like Madison, Wisconsin; Honolulu; and Chesapeake, Virginia, which filled out the top five.
The study's methodology assessed four key metrics rather than focusing solely on crime statistics. Two of these metrics were derived from the FBI's 2024 Crime in the United States report, specifically looking at the rates of violent and property crimes per 1,000 residents. Additionally, the study considered motor vehicle fatalities per 100,000 residents, sourced from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
The final metric evaluated disaster risk, which was based on FEMA's National Risk Index as of April 2026 and converted into a five-point scale.
In terms of specific figures, Plano reported 1.5 incidents of violent crime for every 1,000 residents, 14.7 property crimes per 1,000 residents, and 6.9 auto fatalities per 100,000 residents. However, one metric negatively impacted Plano's overall score: the city received a "Relatively High" rating for disaster risk, which contributed to its second-place finish.
The disaster risk factor also influenced other cities in the rankings. For instance, Irvine, California, ranked 12th, and Santa Ana, ranked 20th, both faced challenges due to risks from earthquakes and wildfires, despite having moderate crime rates. This highlights that the ranking does not solely reflect crime levels, as cities with similar crime statistics can have vastly different positions based on disaster risk.
