Mission Viejo, a wealthy, suburban community of about 100,000 people in southern Orange County, came by its top ranking of the safest city of more than 75,000 residents by recording zero homicides in 2006, the lowest rape statistics in the nation and low incidences of all other violent crimes, according to CQ Press.
Most of the other safest places share Mission Viejo's profile of bucolic suburbs far removed from the mean streets of the inner cities. It nosed out two New York City suburbs - Clarkstown, N.Y. and Brick Township, N.J. - for the No. 1.
Last updated December 28 2007: 2:29 PM ET
