Survey ranks Tenn. 4th least safe state to live in
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JACKSON, Tenn. — Tennessee is the fourth least safe state to live in, according to a new WalletHub study. Telleous Currie grew up here. “Rather than solving the problem of finding ways for people to grow in a city or in a state or what not, we continue to lock them up, and that ain’t the answer,” he said. The study takes into account things like the number of murders and assaults, the unemployment rate and the share of the population with no health insurance. WalletHub said its rankings are based on data from places such as the U.S. Census Bureau and Federal Bureau of Investigation. “All they’re doing is driving traffic to a website,” Jackson Chamber President/CEO Kyle Spurgeon said. “Now are some of the numbers true? I’m sure they didn’t just pull them out of the air, but you can aggregate numbers any way that you want to.” Spurgeon said Jackson is a great place to live. “Companies like Pacific, Kellogg and others would not be locating if it were not,” he said. Despite the new study, people told WBBJ 7 Eyewitness News they still feel safe living in Tennessee. “There’s not much crime out around where I live,” Debby McBride, of Reagan, said. “I haven’t seen any.” According to the study, Tennessee ranked 49th for the number of assaults per 100,000 residents and 43rd for the number of sex offenders per 100,000 residents. The Jackson Police Department and Madison County Sheriff‘s Office denied our requests for an on-camera interview Monday. To see the study, find the link in the Seen on 7 section of our website.
