Spokane slides in annual secure cities rankings

Spokane isn’t as secure as it was just last year, a study by Farmers Insurance found. The Lilac City ranks as the 20th most secure place to live among mid-size cities in the U.S., sliding from 15th place a year ago, the company said today. The rankings, compiled by database experts at www.bestplaces.net, take into consideration crime statistics, extreme weather, risk of natural disasters, housing depreciation, foreclosures, air quality, environmental hazards, terrorist threats, life expectancy, mortality rates from cancer and motor vehicle accidents, and job loss numbers. Kennewick-Richland-Pasco, Wash., ranked first on the nation’s list of securest mid-size cities, which have populations between 150,000 and 500,000. The Tri-Cities ranked fourth last year. Other Northwest cities on the mid-size list were Olympia (fourth), Bellingham, Wash. (seventh), Bremerton–Silverdale, Wash. (13th), Yakima, Wash. (14th), and Anchorage, Alaska (15th). Pittsburgh, Penn., is the most secure large metropolitan area, while Ithaca, N.Y., is the most secure small town. This is the third time Spokane has appeared in the annual Farmers rankings. Three years ago it placed 19th in the study.