With 17 state capitals being the most populated cities in their states and the FBI indicating there could be armed protests in all 50 state capitals in response to Joe Biden’s inauguration, the personal-finance website WalletHub today released its report on 2021's Best State Capitals for Safety & More, as well as accompanying videos.
To identify the most livable seats of state government, WalletHub compared all 50 state capitals across 44 key metrics, ranging from the cost of living to K–12 school-system quality to COVID-19 cases.| Top 20 State Capitals | |
| 1. Austin, TX | 11. Montpelier, VT |
| 2. Madison, WI | 12. Bismarck, ND |
| 3. Raleigh, NC | 13. Oklahoma City, OK |
| 4. Lincoln, NE | 14. Des Moines, IA |
| 5. Boise, ID | 15.Atlanta, GA |
| 6. Concord, NH | 16. Denver, CO |
| 7. Olympia, WA | 17. Annapolis, MD |
| 8. Columbus, OH | 18. Cheyenne, WY |
| 9. Helena, MT | 19. Frankfort, KY |
| 10. Salt Lake City, UT | 20. St. Paul, MN |
Best vs. Worst
- Montpelier, Vermont, has the fewest COVID-19 cases in the past week (per 100,000 residents), 1,584.04, which is 9.2 times fewer than in Bismarck, North Dakota, the city with the most at 14,590.29.
- Montpelier, Vermont, has the lowest violent-crime rate per 1,000 residents, 1.49, which is 10.2 times lower than in Little Rock, Arkansas, the city with the highest at 15.17.
- Austin, Texas, has the highest median household income (adjusted for cost of living), $72,081, which is 2.4 times higher than in Hartford, Connecticut, the city with the lowest at $30,614.
- Montpelier, Vermont, has the lowest unemployment rate, 2.30 percent, which is 5.7 times lower than in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, the city with the highest at 13.20 percent.
- Montpelier, Vermont, has the highest share of adults age 25 and older with at least a bachelor’s degree, 61.60 percent, which is five times higher than in Trenton, New Jersey, the city with the lowest at 12.20 percent.
