A national personal-finance website lists Georgia as one of the worst states in which to be a police officer.
WalletHub compared the 50 states and the District of Columbia. Georgia ranks 44th on the list between Oklahoma and Tennessee.
New York ranks as the best state to be a police officer.
Surveyors looked at three main areas: opportunity and competition, job hazards and protections, and quality of life. They evaluated 27 key indicators of police friendliness including median income, police deaths per 1,000 officers, and state and local police-protection expenses per capita.
According to the survey results, the majority of the best states for police officers are in the north. The majority of worst states for police officers are in the south (see below).
Best States for Police Officers
- New York
- Maryland
- California
- New Hampshire
- Indiana
- North Dakota
- Minnesota
- Massachusetts
- New Jersey
- Connecticut
Worst States for Police Officers
- Alaska
- Oklahoma
- Georgia
- Tennessee
- South Carolina
- Arizona
- New Mexico
- Kentucky
- Arkansas
- Louisiana
The District of Columbia has the most police and sheriff’s patrol officers per 100,000 residents, 810.54, which is 6.1 times more than in Oregon, the fewest at 133.91.
Illinois has the highest median annual wage for police and sheriff’s patrol officers (adjusted for cost of living), $76,264, which is 1.9 times higher than in Mississippi, the lowest at $40,719.
Rhode Island has the fewest individuals killed by police per 1,000,000 residents, 5.68, which is 10.6 times fewer than in New Mexico, the most at 59.96.
Maine has the fewest violent crimes per 1,000 residents, 1.21, which is 8.3 times fewer than in the District of Columbia, the most at 10.05.
The District of Columbia has the highest state and local police-protection expenses per capita, $882.44, which is 5.5 times higher than in Kentucky, the lowest at $160.82.
