Author
Evan Brooks
Data Editor
Data editor for the ByCounty Network, responsible for methodology documentation, source review, and editorial QA on county-level reports built from public datasets.
Evan Brooks is the editorial byline for ByCounty Network data review, methodology maintenance, and source attribution across the network.
The role is the data-editor role, not the subject-matter-expert role. ByCounty designs data pipelines that pull each dataset, documents the methodology behind every composite score and ranking, spot-checks generated narratives against the underlying statistics before publication, and records methodology changes. The sites are transparent data utilities, not professional advisory services.
When a feature genuinely requires domain expertise — a public-health analyst weighing in on CDC measure choice, a CPA reviewing a property-tax explainer — ByCounty uses a named co-byline reviewer rather than presenting the data editor as a domain-credentialed professional. The reviewer commitment for each site is documented on that site's editorial-standards page, including the recruit status when no domain reviewer is currently in place.
Every statistic on the site is traceable to a primary source, every methodology decision is documented, and every page lists a "Last reviewed" date where editorial review applies.
Coverage areas
- FBI Uniform Crime Reporting (UCR / NIBRS)
- county-level violent and property crime statistics
- safety-index methodology and dark-figure limitations
- data-source attribution for criminal-justice data
Articles by Evan on Crime By County
Understanding Crime Rates by County: What the Data Shows
A data-driven analysis of crime rates across all 3,143 US counties. Which counties are safest, which are most dangerous, and what patterns emerge from the FBI UCR data.
Safest Counties in America: How Safety Scores Are Calculated
The 25 safest counties in the United States ranked by FBI crime data. How safety scores work, geographic patterns, and what makes these counties so safe.
Property Crime vs. Violent Crime: A County-Level Analysis
How violent crime and property crime rates differ across US counties. Which counties have the highest concentration of each type, and why the distinction matters for families.
Most Dangerous Counties in America by Crime Rate
The 25 US counties with the highest total crime rates. Analysis of where crime is most concentrated and what drives dangerous conditions at the county level.
Counties with the Lowest Violent Crime Rates
The 25 safest US counties for violent crime. Where murder, rape, robbery, and assault rates are lowest — and where they are highest for comparison.
Counties with the Highest Property Crime Rates
The 25 US counties with the highest property crime rates. Analysis of burglary, larceny, and vehicle theft patterns across American counties.
Safest Counties in the Midwest
The top 25 safest counties in the Midwest region. How Minnesota, Wisconsin, Iowa, and neighboring states produce some of the safest communities in America.
Urban vs Rural Crime: A County-Level Comparison
How crime patterns differ between urban and rural counties across America. Analysis of density, opportunity, and community factors that drive the urban-rural crime divide.
Counties with the Best Crime Data Coverage
Which US counties have the most complete FBI crime reporting? Analysis of law enforcement agency participation and why data coverage matters for accurate crime comparisons.
Counties with the Highest Violent Crime Rates
The 25 US counties where violent crime is most concentrated. Analysis of murder, rape, robbery, and assault patterns across American communities.
Safest Counties in the South
The top 25 safest counties in the Southern United States. Proving that safety thrives across Texas, Florida, Georgia, and the broader South.
Counties with the Lowest Total Crime Rates
The 25 US counties with the lowest overall crime rates. Where both violent and property crime are remarkably rare — the safest communities in America.