Study shows safest states to live

Moving can be a complicated process, but the list of safest places to live in the country, which was released earlier this month, is making decisions a little easier, according to the Institute For Economics And Peace.

The study addressed five different factors - including homicide rates, incarceration rates, and number of police - to determine their results, according to the group.

The Institute for Economics and Peace is a non-profit research group that identifies the economic benefits that increased peacefulness can deliver. The study found that Maine is the safest place to live in the country. Maine residents spend an average of $656 per person on violence-related costs, in comparison to Louisiana, residents who typically spend $2,458. This figure makes the Pelican state the most dangerous, according to the study.

The country has become 8 percent safer since 1995, researchers say. The report shows that the country could save $361 billion by reducing violence and incarceration to Canadian levels. California alone could save $16 billion a year by reducing violence by 25 percent.

New York saw the largest increase in peace and South Dakota saw the largest decline. The report finds levels of violence are directly related to poverty rates and income inequality, according to the report.  

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