Maricopa’s Safety Claims Challenged: Arizona Republic Disputes ‘Safest Small Town’ Title

Maricopa has been spotlighted as one of Arizona’s safest small towns according to a recent study published by Vivint in The Arizona Republic. This ranking, however, has sparked scrutiny over its credibility.

The Arizona Department of Public Safety indicates that at least 28 municipalities in the state have lower crime rates than Maricopa. Interestingly, Vivint’s analysis encompassed only seven Arizona towns, skewing the rankings to make Maricopa appear safer by default.

Among the towns listed, one stands out for having a notably high crime rate despite being labeled “safe.” Questions arise about the methodology employed by Vivint, particularly the omission of various Arizona cities that could have provided a more accurate picture of safety across the state. For instance, another city in Pinal County, with a population of 77,000, has significantly lower crime rates compared to Maricopa.

Vivint, a home security company based in Provo, Utah, relied on FBI property crime statistics from 2023 to arrive at its conclusions regarding safety. The analysis covered various types of property crimes, including larceny and motor vehicle theft, assessing towns with populations between 50,000 and 99,999.

Maricopa ranks as the 25th-safest small town in the country, leading Arizona despite having a crime rate of 77.6 crimes per 10,000 residents. Breaking down the statistics reveals 61.5 larcenies, 8.6 vehicle thefts, and 1.4 robberies for the city’s population. Other Arizona towns included in the larger study were Prescott Valley (39th), Lake Havasu City (78th), Marana (157th), Flagstaff (222nd), Casa Grande (242nd), and Avondale (309th).

Avondale particularly raises eyebrows, as it boasts the highest larceny and robbery rates among the mentioned towns, with 194.6 larcenies and 8.8 robberies per 10,000 residents. Notably, it is categorized as the most dangerous city in Arizona for the specified population range.

Furthermore, a substantial oversight in the Vivint study is the exclusion of Queen Creek, which has a population of 77,000 and a crime rate of only 14.7, indicating it is far safer than Maricopa. Even if the study was flawed, Queen Creek arguably should have secured the top ranking.

This raises the issue of other safe communities, like Casas Adobes and Catalina Foothills, that were also left unranked, despite being safer than many towns included in the analysis.

Last year, the City of Maricopa hailed itself as the second safest city in Arizona based on a claim from a moving broker that lacks substantial credibility. An analysis of Department of Public Safety data confirmed the city’s position is questionable, with numerous safer cities available statewide.