By Yuchabel Sanon
Baltimore Watchdog Staff Writer
Columbia, Maryland, was named the “Safest City in America” for a third year in a row by WalletHub, a personal finance website, Howard County officials announced this week.
The website ranked 182 cities based on home and community safety, natural-disaster risk, and financial safety.
“This accolade is a testament to the excellent quality of life we cherish in Howard County,” said County Executive Calvin Ball. “For many of us, home is somewhere you feel secure and part of an inclusive community. We all want to be and feel safe in our neighborhoods.”
South Burlington, Vermont, and Plano, Texas, came in second and third, respectively. Baltimore was ranked 155.
County officials indicated that part of the reason for the top ranking was because the county’s Department of Fire and Rescue Services instituted a decontamination team to increase EMS transport turnaround time. In the spring they also established hospital liaisons to assist with COVID-19 patient transfer.
“This designation is a testament to our residents and how they embrace a safe and engaged community plan featuring preparedness and prevention,” Fire Chief William Anuszewski said. “Our emergency responders credit the community partnership to maintaining Columbia as a safe city.”
Kaila Jordan, 22, a senior at Towson University, and her roommate Nyia Lewis, 22, moved from Silver Spring and Palmyra, New Jersey, to permanently live in Columbia. Jordan said she was not surprised to hear Columbia was the safest city in America because that was one of the reasons she chose to live there.
“It is more of a safer area,” Jordan said. “I don’t hear too much coming out of this city.”
Columbia is an unincorporated census designated area in Howard County just south of Ellicott City. It was created as a planned community in 1967 by developer James W. Rouse. Made up of 10 villages, Columbia has consistently ranked as one of the best places to live in America by Money magazine.
WalletHub is a personal finance website that was launched in August 2013 and owned by Evolution Finance Inc. As of May 2019, it has been rated 4.8/5 on the App Store and Google Play. The company is located in Washington. It offers detailed credit and savings monitoring, credit improvement and daily credit scores and reports.
According to Adam McCann, a financial writer for the WalletHub, no one can avoid all danger, but people can limit their level of risk based on where they choose to live.
The Howard County police department and the sheriff’s office are working together to ensure the safety of its residence, county officials said. “The strong relationship has no doubt led to Columbia being named the safest city in America,” Sheriff Marcus Harris said in a statement.
“You can’t have a thriving community without a strong sense of safety,” said Milton Matthews, Columbia Association president/CEO. “This latest national ranking further proves that everyone living and working in Columbia is committed to creating a place where physical and mental health, financial opportunities and emergency response are an ongoing priority.”