Safest Counties in the South

The South is often stereotyped as a high-crime region, but the reality is more nuanced. While some Southern counties do face significant crime challenges, others are among the safest in the nation. We filtered FBI crime data to the 14 Southern states to find the 25 safest counties in the region.

These counties prove that safety is possible anywhere — even in regions with higher-than-average crime. They combine community engagement, economic stability, and effective law enforcement to create environments where residents feel secure.

Safest Counties in the South

Iberia Parish, LA is the safest county in the South with a safety score of 94.8. Texas (6 counties), Florida (4 counties), Mississippi (4 counties), Kentucky (4 counties), Louisiana (3 counties) lead the regional rankings.

Southern Safety Success Stories

What sets the safest Southern counties apart from the rest of the region?

• Suburban affluence: Many of the safest Southern counties are affluent suburbs of major cities — places with strong schools, high homeownership, and low poverty.
• Small-town cohesion: Rural Southern counties with tight-knit communities and strong religious institutions often have low crime despite regional averages.
• Effective policing: Some counties have invested in community-oriented policing, technology, and officer training that produce measurable safety improvements.
• Economic diversification: Counties with diversified economies beyond agriculture or single industries tend to have more stable employment and lower crime.

Methodology

South region includes Texas, Florida, Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Virginia, West Virginia, Kentucky, Tennessee, Alabama, Mississippi, Arkansas, Louisiana, and Oklahoma. Safety scores use FBI UCR (2022) percentile-rank methodology on a 0-100 scale where 100 is safest. Only counties with active crime reporting are included.