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Nassau County’s low crime rate and its plethora of emergency facilities are the driving forces behind its ranking as the safest community in America, according to U.S. News & World Report’s Healthiest Communities analysis.
Nassau earned a perfect 100 public safety score in the study released this week. Only six counties across the United States received a score of 90 or better.
In developing its list of safest communities, U.S. News examines violent and property crime rates, accidental death and vehicular crash fatality rates, per capita spending on health and emergency services, the percentage of residents living close to health and emergency services, and the percentage of public safety professionals living in the community.
Nassau’s per capital spending on health and emergency services is $1,148, comparing very favorably to the national average of $440. The county’s violent crime rate is 143.6 per 100,000 residents; the national average is 255.2.
Nassau’s Long Island counterpart, Suffolk County, is No. 22 on U.S. News’ safety list, garnering a score of 83, while Nassau’s neighbor to the west, Queens, is No. 20. Staten Island and Brooklyn ranked Nos. 17 and 25, respectively.
The country’s 29th healthiest community
The factors considered to indicate the safety of a community helped U.S. News determine the overall health of a community. Twenty of the 25 counties that scored the highest for public safety in the report landed among the country’s top 500 Healthiest Communities, with nine in the top 50 overall rankings.
Overall, Nassau placed 29th in U.S. News’ Healthiest Communities report, which examined the health of nearly 3,000 counties and county equivalents across the country.
In addition to its top public safety ranking, Nassau’s overall health is bolstered by its strong economy and high performing schools.
In the education category, Nassau scored 88 out of 100, earning a No. 3 ranking nationwide, while its 94-point score in the economy category secured a No. 11 ranking in the country.
The county performed poorly in the report’s housing and environment categories, receiving a score of 43 in each.
Embed from Getty ImagesClick here to read the full breakdown on Nassau County in U.S. News’ Healthiest Communities study.
Embed from Getty Images
