US rules provide for the exchange of damaged banknotes — provided that they are not the result of laundering or crime – Copyright AFP –
A new study shows that the safest U.S. city to keep cash is Denver, Colorado, withthe lowest risk score in the ranking, reflecting rare larceny rates and lower inflation. Massachusetts stands out as the state with the prices least affected by inflation and growing only 1.9 percent.
Tampa, Florida, earns its place in the ranking with the lowest larceny theft rates at 1,274 thefts per 100,000 people.
A recent review by The Stock Dork analysed over 30 biggest U.S. cities to identify the safest ones to keep cash. The study analysed different conditions, affecting cash savings, such as larceny thefts, inflation rates and number of businesses with limited pay options. All these conditions influence risk score, The safest cities are ranked from lowest score to the highest.
The findings show:
| City | Population | Larceny theft rates per 100K people | Inflation rates | Businesses Using Electronic Payments | Score |
| Denver, CO, United States | 713,252 | 2,267.29 | 2.94% | 97% | 20.58 |
| Las Vegas, NV, United States | 656,274 | 1,635.16 | 2.93% | 96% | 21.89 |
| Phoenix, AZ, United States | 4,845,832 | 2,426.69 | 2.85% | 96% | 26.00 |
| Boston, MA, United States | 650,706 | 1,603.74 | 1.90% | 92% | 31.00 |
| Atlanta, GA, United States | 499,127 | 3,387.19 | 3.58% | 97% | 35.67 |
| Tampa, FL, United States | 398,173 | 1,274.85 | 3.91% | 95% | 37.13 |
| Washington, DC, United States | 671,803 | 3,528.96 | 3.26% | 96% | 38.14 |
| Pittsburgh, PA, United States | 302,898 | 2,365.89 | 3.48% | 95% | 38.86 |
| Portland, OR, United States | 635,067 | 3,824.56 | 3.26% | 96% | 40.04 |
| Honolulu, HI, United States | 343,421 | 2,073.94 | 3.51% | 94% | 42.85 |
As indicated above, the safest city to keep cash is Denver, Colorado with the lowest score of 20.58 which reflects small risks when it comes to financial safety. Compared to other cities in the ranking, Denver has low larceny theft rates at 2,267 per 100,000 residents. At the same time, 97 percent of businesses in Denver accept both cash and electronic payments.
Las Vegas is second in the ranking of the safest cities to keep cash, with a risk score of 21.89. This big entertainment city has very low larceny theft rates with 1,635 per 100,000 people, third lowest in the top ten. Inflation affected Nevada similarly to Colorado with the price growth rate here being only 0.1 percent higher.
Phoenix, Arizona takes the third place, scoring 26. The biggest city in the ranking, its theft rates are higher than in Las Vegas or Denver, with 2.426 per 100,000 residents. At the same time the prices grew a little less, rising 2.9 percent.
Boston, Massachusetts holds fourth place, with a score of 31. The city has very low rates of larceny thefts, being second only to Tampa. The prices in the state of Massachusetts are also least affected by inflation, growing 1.9 percent, making its economy one of the most stable.
Atlanta, Georgia is fifth in the ranking of the safest cities to keep cash, getting a score of 35.67. Compared to other cities in the ranking, the larceny thefts are much more common at 3,387 thefts per capita. 97 percent of Atlanta businesses accept different payment methods.