America's Most Unsafe Cities During The Holidays Are Popular Vacation Destinations
As you cozy up by the fireplace and smell the warm scent of freshly baked cookies, you get that fuzzy feeling that the holidays are here. While you may be planning an idyllic vacation to a winter wonderland destination, there are some places you might want to avoid this holiday.
In 2023, a Vivint study ranked which cities were considered the most unsafe during the holidays. Out of 182 cities, St. Louis, Missouri, was deemed the riskiest place to visit during the cheerful season. The findings looked at the average of crimes reported on the FBI's National Incident-Based Reporting System, Google searches related to holiday security, vacation rentals that lack a security camera, neighborhood watch groups, and vehicle thefts. Other cities that made the top five include Newark, Delaware; Salt Lake City, Utah; Denver, Colorado; and Seattle, Washington.
However, you don't have to totally derail your holiday plans. There are ways to take caution while traveling, including maintaining awareness in popular places to prevent potentially dangerous situations and a genius Airbnb booking tip to make you feel safer as a solo traveler.
Why you should avoid these cities during the holidays
According to Vivint's 2023 study, St. Louis was considered the most unsafe city to visit during the holidays, with high ratings for crime and vehicle theft. Annual criminal behavior supports this research, as the city has some of the highest murder and aggravated assault rates among medium-sized cities in the country. Local news stations also recorded a surge in car thefts in the area for November and December 2024. Additionally, many people search Google to learn about the city's holiday security measures.
Newark, the second most unsafe city in the Vivint study, featured a low crime report rating, but it had the highest amount of Google searches related to holiday security per 100,000 residents. Salt Lake City, ranking at No. 3, also had a large number of Google searches and a high crime rating. Of the top five most unsafe cities, the popular winter destination of Denver followed behind St. Louis for the most vehicle thefts.
While most of these cities enjoy a white Christmas, the tropical winter destination of Honolulu, Hawaii, was in the 14th spot on Vivint's study. While there are many remarkable attractions that make a winter trip to Hawaii unique, the beach getaway had a high percentage of Airbnbs without security cameras and a high crime rating.
Safety measures you can take
Fearing the holidays should be the last thing on your mind during the season, and there are ways you can protect yourself. You can set up outdoor or indoor cameras, motion sensors, and safety alarms to help keep track of your home when you're not there. When looking at vacation rentals like Airbnb, it is important to read the reviews before booking. Additionally, avoid hiding spare keys in obvious places, like your mailbox, planter, or under doormats. While Christmas trees look gorgeous in your window, put presents in an obstructed view so they aren't intriguing to thieves.
De-escalating local crime is a team effort. As far as Neighborhood Watch committees go, the U.S. Department of Justice recommends recruiting many people, frequently discussing with the group and local law enforcement, creating an action plan, and having a phone tree in case of emergencies. To reduce vehicle thefts, make sure to keep all your doors locked and use a tracking tool, which you can do from an app on your phone.
While Vivint ranked these popular vacation spots as unsafe, there are ways to ensure your personal protection. You could also try visiting New Hampshire, which is considered one of the safest, stress-free vacation spots in America.