United States Peace Index

The United States Peace Index (USPI) is a measurement of states and cities in the US by their peacefulness. Created by the Institute for Economics and Peace, the creators of the Global Peace Index, it is said to be the first in a series of National sub-divisions by their peacefulness. The USPI was created first due to plentiful data and a large amount of diversity between states for level of peace. The United States ranked 88/158 on the Global Peace index for 2012. The U.S. index was released on 6 April 2011 and the second edition was released on 24 April 2012.

Indicators

There are five peace indicators that make up the USPI

Homicides per 100,000 people
Violent crimes per 100,000 people,
Jailed population per 100,000 people,
Police officers per 100,000 people, and
Ease of access to small arms

Changes in peacefulness

The index also includes a map and list for changes in peacefulness from 1991–2009. States are scored in this section by percent, either positive or negative. As a nation, it says that the United States has improved in peacefulness since 1991.

Metro areas

The index also provides statistical analysis and crime, and the cost of crime, in the 61 most populous metropolitan areas. The Cambridge metro area in Massachusetts ranked as the most peaceful and the Detroit metro area as the least.

Lists

2012 Rank	2011 Rank	State	2012 Score	2011 Score
1	1	Maine	1.31	1.33
2	2	Vermont	1.55	1.50
2	3	New Hampshire	1.55	1.54
4	4	Minnesota	1.61	1.62
5	8	Utah	1.72	1.83
6	5	North Dakota	1.74	1.71
7	6	Washington	1.78	1.75
7	12	Hawaii	1.78	1.91
9	10	Rhode Island	1.79	1.87
10	11	Iowa	1.87	1.88
11	13	Nebraska	1.93	2.08
12	7	Massachusetts	2.00	1.80
13	9	Oregon	2.07	1.85
14	15	Connecticut	2.19	2.21
15	17	West Virginia	2.20	2.28
16	16	Idaho	2.23	2.24
18	17	Montana	2.27	2.28
17	23	Wyoming	2.26	2.49
19	19	Wisconsin	2.30	2.30
20	14	South Dakota	2.32	2.17
20	20	Kentucky	2.32	2.39
22	22	Ohio	2.33	2.43
23	25	Indiana	2.35	2.52
24	21	Pennsylvania	2.37	2.42
25	26	Virginia	2.48	2.61
26	24	Colorado	2.53	2.50
27	27	Kansas	2.57	2.63
28	28	New Jersey	2.63	2.66
29	44	Michigan	2.69	3.30
30	31	North Carolina	2.71	2.79
31	29	New York	2.72	2.69
32	31	California	2.74	2.79
33	30	Alaska	2.75	2.70
34	38	New Mexico	2.85	3.16
35	44	Illinois	2.89	3.30
36	34	Georgia	3.04	2.97
37	39	Oklahoma	3.11	3.18
38	36	Maryland	3.14	3.14
39	36	Delaware	3.15	3.14
40	47	Alabama	3.17	3.50
40	35	Mississippi	3.17	2.98
42	46	South Carolina	3.18	3.42
43	43	Arkansas	3.20	3.27
43	47	Texas	3.20	3.50
45	40	Missouri	3.21	3.21
46	33	Arizona	3.22	2.89
47	41	Florida	3.36	3.24
48	49	Nevada	3.37	3.61
49	42	Tennessee	3.41	3.26
50	50	Louisiana	4.05	3.97

External links

References

^ All information in table from "United States Peace Index". Vision of Humanity. Retrieved 2011-04-06 and updated 2012-10-17.

^ Map of state and city peacefulness across indicators [1]

^ Institute for Economics and Peace [2]

Ian M. Harris, Mary Lee Morrison (2012) Peace Education ISBN 1476601771 pg 19
David P. Barash, Charles P. Webel (2013) Peace and Conflict Studies ISBN 1452202958 pg 556