Washington DC May 12 2019

Law enforcement is a career that is always in the public eye, whether it’s for heroic reasons or scandal. It’s a profession that more than 900,000 Americans hold, knowing full well the hazards associated with their occupation. In the past 10 years, for instance, more than 1,500 police officers, including 158 in 2018 alone, died in the line of duty. Tens of thousands more were assaulted and injured.

Because of such risks, law-enforcement agencies must offer enough incentives to attract and retain officers. So what qualities define a good place to live and work for police? To start, there’s a $63,380 mean annual wage that exceeds the $51,960 for all occupations. On top of that, there’s typically a generous benefits package that can include retirement-contribution matches, tuition assistance, ample leave time, a take-home vehicle, and access to health and fitness facilities. Officers also may begin drawing full retirement benefits as early as age 40, depending on when they entered the force.

Beyond financial perks, officers are more likely to be attracted to police departments that steer clear of scandal and corruption and that are transparent with their communities. Public opinion on police remains divided, with younger people and minorities rating them much less positively than older caucasians. Naturally, police departments that have better relations with the areas they patrol are more attractive to new officers.

In order, therefore, to determine the best states in which to pursue a law-enforcement career, WalletHub compared the 50 states and the District of Columbia across 27 key indicators of police-friendliness. Our data set ranges from median income for law-enforcement officers to police deaths per 1,000 officers to state and local police-protection expenses per capita. Read on for our findings, commentary from a panel of researchers and full description of our methodology.

 

Best States to Be a Cop

Overall Rank (1=Best)	State	Total Score	‘Opportunity & Competition’ Rank	‘Job Hazards & Protections’ Rank	‘Quality of Life’ Rank
1	New York	60.19	4	11	10
2	Maryland	58.73	9	10	5
3	California	58.40	2	6	34
4	New Hampshire	56.23	25	9	2
5	Indiana	54.50	5	25	17
6	North Dakota	54.22	19	23	1
7	Minnesota	53.86	6	16	25
8	Massachusetts	53.76	3	12	43
9	New Jersey	52.90	15	2	36
10	Connecticut	52.80	39	4	8
11	Illinois	52.77	7	27	9
12	Nebraska	51.12	16	7	37
13	South Dakota	50.53	49	3	6
14	Rhode Island	50.14	45	1	24
15	Vermont	50.12	14	5	42
16	Iowa	49.97	18	15	27
17	Virginia	49.35	11	8	48
18	Kansas	48.54	32	38	3
19	Colorado	48.43	8	29	31
20	Oregon	48.02	38	13	26
21	Texas	48.00	12	31	19
22	Florida	47.97	23	36	7
23	Missouri	47.94	10	24	38
24	Pennsylvania	47.91	33	14	30
25	Maine	47.39	46	17	18
26	District of Columbia	47.09	1	48	35
27	Washington	46.83	27	18	33
28	Hawaii	46.69	28	35	16
29	Ohio	46.42	20	26	28
30	Mississippi	46.26	42	21	14
31	Michigan	45.71	22	34	21
32	North Carolina	45.45	13	20	44
33	Montana	45.44	21	37	22
34	Nevada	43.94	43	32	13
35	Delaware	43.90	47	19	20
36	Wyoming	42.34	29	28	41
37	Idaho	41.52	34	22	46
38	Utah	41.42	50	33	11
39	Alabama	41.36	24	49	15
40	West Virginia	40.94	36	50	4
41	Wisconsin	40.73	40	40	23
42	Alaska	40.42	17	45	32
43	Oklahoma	39.34	48	44	12
44	Georgia	38.79	37	30	49
45	Tennessee	38.48	31	39	47
46	South Carolina	37.75	35	43	39
47	Arizona	37.09	41	47	29
48	New Mexico	36.27	30	46	45
49	Kentucky	33.43	51	41	40
50	Arkansas	32.38	44	42	51
51	Louisiana	31.69	26	51	50

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