Surprising Illinois City Outpaces Chicago in Safety Rankings

If you've ever needed proof that not every part of Illinois get a bad rap for crime, here you go.

That's because Aurora, just 70 or so miles from Rockford, has been named one of the safest cities in America for 2025, according to a new study from WalletHub.

WalletHub Study Ranks Over 180 U.S. Cities

The popular finance site took a look at more than 180 cities across the United States and ranked them by everything from community safety and natural disaster risk to financial security. Other factors like traffic fatalities, assault rates, unemployment, and insurance coverage played a part in the rating.

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Aurora Beats the Odds for a Big City

Aurora ranked 33rd, making it the only Illinois city to crack the top 50. That's not bad considering Aurora is the second-largest city in Illinois, and even more so when you notice Chicago was way down the list at 161st, just a tick below Los Angeles.

Other Midwestern cities made the cut, including Overland Park in Kansas, Cedar Rapids in  Iowa, and most notably Madison, the state capital of Wisconsin, which ranked 25th overall.

Midwest Representation in the Safety Rankings

WalletHub:

The safest cities in America protect residents from threats of bodily harm and property damage but also help secure people's financial safety.

READ MORE: Six Illinois Cities Rank Among the Safest Places to Live in America

Aurora and Other Illinois Cities Earn National Recognition

So while Chicago seems to grab all the headlines, cities like Aurora, as well as Naperville and Joliet, continue to rep the state on a national stage for the right reasons.