Most violent states

Most violent states

Most violent states - 'Most-violent states' revealed in new study, Want to stay safe? Head to Maine and avoid Louisiana as America's most violent states revealed. The United States spends big money combating violence and crime. And according to the annual "United States Peace Index", some states are much more violent than others. April 24 (Reuters) - Violence and its aftermath cost the U.S. economy some $460 billion last year, according to the Institute for Economics and Peace's second annual United States Peace Index, released on Tuesday.

Those costs - which include direct burdens like medical care for victims and the prison system and indirect factors like lost productivity - vary widely by state, with the most peaceful states bearing the lowest burden and the most violent spending
far more.

A state's level of peacefulness is not the only factor that determines the economic toll of violence; its population and level of overall economic activity also has a strong influence.

Below, a look at the cost of violence to the ten most peaceful and ten most violent U.S. states in 2012:

Most Peaceful States

10. Iowa

9. Rhode Island

8. Hawaii

7. Washington

6. North Dakota

5. Utah

4. Minnesota

3. New Hampshire

2. Vermont

1. Maine

Least Peaceful States

41. Mississippi

42. South Carolina

43. Arkansas

44. Texas

45. Missouri

46. Arizona

47. Florida

48. Nevada

49 Tennessee.

50. Louisiana

For those looking for peace, it may be wise to steer clear of Louisiana. So says the non-profit Institute for Economics and Peace, which has released its U.S. peace index for the second-straight year. 24/7 Wall St. reported that the rankings were compiled based on five categories, including violent crime, amount of law enforcement and the ability to obtain small arms. IEP founder Steve Killelea told 24/7 Wall St.: 'In perfect states, there'd be no crime, therefore you’d have no need for police, nor would you lock anyone up.'

Mr Killelea said that because peace is not an exact science, the organisation’s findings are based on several factors.
Killelea told 247WallSt.com: 'I don’t think there’s a single silver bullet which creates peace. I think it’s multi-dimensional and really complex. So, on that basis, we've pulled out the correlations.'

Louisiana was marred by its murder rate, which - at 11.2 per 100,000 people - is the highest among each of the 50 states. Maine, which has been crowned the most peaceful state in the nation, had the lowest levels of violent crime, incarceration and police officers. A state’s education system also comes into play in the IEP data, with education appearing to have the most impact on where a particular state wound up on the list. High school graduation rates in particular had a striking effect on that state's rank in the peace index.

Killellea told the 24/7 Wall St.: 'It is not so much the quality of education that matters for peace, but that states keep children in school and off the streets.'Overall the United States is more peaceful now than at any time in the past 20 years, MSNBC reported.But violence still cost the economy at least $460 billion in 2010, both through direct costs and lost productivity.

The IEP, which is based in Australia, first released the U.S. peace rankings last year.

THE MOST PEACEFUL STATES IN AMERICA

Maine
Vermont
New Hampshire
Minnesota
Utah
North Dakota
Washington
Hawaii
Rhode Island
Iowa

THE MOST VIOLENT STATES IN AMERICA

Louisiana
Tennessee
Nevada
Florida
Arizona
Missouri
Texas
Arkansas
South Carolina
Mississippi