Provo-Orem safest metro area in U.S.

Residents living in the Provo-Orem metro area are the safest in the country, according to a recent insurance company ranking.

Farmers Insurance Group asked database experts at Sperling's Best Places to compile the list, which ranks 213 metro areas based on crime statistics, job-loss numbers and risk of natural disasters.

While Farmers' object in commissioning the rankings was merely to be informative, spokeswoman Mary Flynn said being safe isn't the only benefit gained from living in the Provo-Orem area.

"Living in an area with low crime does translate into lower insurance premiums because if you're living in a low crime area, you're going to have less auto theft, fewer home burglaries, less incidence of fraud, that type of thing," Flynn said.

Provo resident Kendall Poole believes the ranking rings true.

"I'm from Chicago and this is totally different as far as the violence, and gangs, and stuff like that," Poole said. "It's very peaceful. Job security is good here, and we sure don't have tornados very much."

Another resident said she doesn't feel significantly safer in Provo.

"I don't think it's any safer than anywhere else we've lived, and we've lived all over the world," said Sandra Fitzgerald.

According to Sperling's crime rankings, which were based on numbers compiled by the FBI, Provo-Orem has the 40th lowest crime rate among 114 mid-sized metropolitan areas, and the fifth-lowest murder rate.

Lt. Doug Edwards of the Orem Department of Public Safety said the key to the area's low crime rate is its population.

"We just generally have pretty good folks that live here," Edwards said.

Edwards said property crimes are the biggest problem, in Orem and he believes many of those could often be prevented.

"If we could get everyone in the habit of locking up and taking just a little bit of extra care in securing their own property, then we'd be able to reduce crime even further and make this an even safer place to be," he said.

Job loss numbers were also a factor in the rankings. The unemployment rate in Utah County of 3.7 is nearly a point lower than the state average, and nearly two points lower than the national rate of 5.6, according to Mark Knold, senior economist at the Utah Department of Workforce Services.