2:16 p.m.
Wednesday, May 13, 2020 2:21 pm
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With many police departments hit hard by coronavirus and police shootings remaining a high-profile issue in the U.S., the personal-finance website WalletHub today released its report on 2020's Best and Worst States to be a Police Officer.
In order to determine the best states to pursue a career in law enforcement, WalletHub compared the 50 states and the District of Columbia across 28 key indicators of police-friendliness. The data set ranges from the median income for law-enforcement officers to police deaths per 1,000 officers to state and local police-protection expenses per capita.
| Best States for Police Officers | Worst States for Police Officers |
| 1. Connecticut | 42. New Mexico |
| 2. North Dakota | 43. North Carolina |
| 3. New York | 44. Tennessee |
| 4. New Jersey | 45. South Carolina |
| 5. Minnesota | 46. Idaho |
| 6. Maryland | 47. Montana |
| 7. District of Columbia | 48. Wyoming |
| 8. Washington | 49. Alaska |
| 9. Massachusetts | 50. Louisiana |
| 10. Illinois | 51. Arkansas |
Best vs. Worst
- The District of Columbia has the most police and sheriff's patrol officers per 100,000 residents, 797.66, which is 6.1 times more than in Washington, the fewest at 130.79.
- Illinois has the highest median annual wage for police and sheriff's patrol officers (adjusted for cost of living), $75,371, which is 1.9 times higher than in Mississippi, the lowest at $40,133.
- Rhode Island has the fewest individuals killed by police per 1,000,000 residents, 5.68, which is 12 times fewer than in New Mexico, the most at 68.34.
- Maine has the fewest violent crimes per 1,000 residents, 1.12, which is 8.9 times fewer than in the District of Columbia, the most at 9.96.
- The District of Columbia has the highest state and local police-protection expenses per capita, $925.21, which is five times higher than in Kentucky, the lowest at $186.78.
To view the full report and your state's rank, please visit:
https://wallethub.com/edu/best-states-to-be-a-cop/34669/