Chicago suburb ranks among safest cities in America

AURORA, Ill. - A Chicago suburb has been named one of the safest cities in America.

What we know:

West suburban Aurora landed at No. 33 overall and No. 17 for "Home & Community Safety" in WalletHub’s 2025 Safest Cities in America study.

City of Aurora | Photo via City of Aurora Facebook page

WalletHub compared 182 of the nation’s largest cities across 41 indicators in three categories: Home & Community Safety, Natural Disaster Risk, and Financial Safety.

The study took into account factors like serious crimes per capita, the ratio of first responders per capita, tornado and hail risks, the unemployment and poverty rates, and more.

"When people think about safety in a city, their minds probably immediately go to things like the crime rate, auto fatality rate or risk of natural disasters. The safest cities in America protect residents from these threats of bodily harm and property damage, but on top of that, they also help secure people’s financial safety. Financial safety includes things like minimizing the risk of fraud and identity theft, keeping the population employed and insured, and combating homelessness," Chip Lupo, a WalletHub analyst, said in the study.

Local perspective:

Aurora Police Chief Matt Thomas said the ranking reflects "the dedicated men and women who serve at the Aurora Police Department and the community that stands behind us."

Fire Chief David McCabe added, "Our firefighters and paramedics are part of a system that keeps Aurora safe — ready to respond to emergencies, prevent harm, and support our residents when it matters most. This ranking reflects the strength of that commitment citywide."

Aurora PD says the city in years past faced headlines labeling it one of the most dangerous per capita, but that the new ranking underscores years of investment in public safety staffing, training and technology, and the community’s role in driving down crime.

The study gave Aurora an overall safety score of 64.50 out of 100.

Dig deeper:

Chicago also made the list, coming in at No. 161 overall. Their safety score was 43.16 out of 100.

The Top five safest cities, according to WalletHub, are:

1. Warwick, Rhode Island
2. Overland Park, Kansas
3. Burlington, Vermont
4. Juneau, Alaska
5. Yonkers, New York

To read more about the study, including its methodology and where WalletHub pulled the data from, click HERE.