According to a new SmartAsset study, Plano is recognized as the second safest large city in the United States, following Virginia Beach. This ranking places Plano ahead of cities like Madison, Wisconsin; Honolulu; and Chesapeake, Virginia, which complete the top five.
The study evaluated 83 cities across the country, all with populations exceeding 250,000, representing over 90 percent of the nation's large urban areas. The methodology employed a composite score based on four distinct metrics, rather than solely focusing on crime rates.
Two of these metrics were derived from the FBI's 2024 Crime in the United States report, which included violent crimes and property crimes per 1,000 residents. Additionally, the study factored in motor vehicle fatalities per 100,000 residents, sourced from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
The final component assessed disaster risk, which was drawn from FEMA's National Risk Index as of April 2026 and rated on a five-point scale.
For Plano, the metrics showed 1.5 incidents of violent crime for every 1,000 residents, 14.7 property crimes per 1,000 residents, and 6.9 motor vehicle fatalities per 100,000 residents. However, the city's disaster risk was classified as "Relatively High," which negatively impacted its overall score, resulting in a second-place finish.
