Lehi City News
Lehi named safest suburb in America for second year in a row
Staff Writer | Lehi Free Press
Lehi’s rapid growth has long made headlines. Now, for the second year in a row, it’s being recognized for something else: safety.
A recent SmartAsset study ranked Lehi as the safest suburb in America. The city boasts low violent and property crime rates, along with broader indicators of community stability. While Lehi continues to expand along Utah County’s tech corridor, it welcomes new businesses, neighborhoods, and families at a steady pace—a trend now matched by its reputation for safety.
Fox 13 News highlighted the ranking, examining how Lehi has maintained low crime rates even as its population has surged. In its evaluation, SmartAsset compared suburbs nationwide using metrics such as violent crime and property crime rates, and the percentage of residents without health insurance.
While the data explains how Lehi earned the ranking, residents say the reasons feel more personal.
At Lucky Sole Shoe Repair on Main Street, owner Dax Williamson reflected on the city’s evolution. Inside his shop, he pointed to handcrafted details that reflect Lehi’s roots.
“This [countertop] and this table and those seat tops all came from an elm tree that just got cut down, down the road,” Williamson told Fox 13.
For decades, Williamson has operated his business in Lehi. He has watched the city transform from a quiet community surrounded by open land into one of the state’s fastest-growing cities. As the city has expanded, growth has brought new traffic and steady development.
“You can’t walk across the street here, it’s gotten really busy,” he said.
Despite the expansion, Williamson said crime has remained rare in his experience.
“We’ve had one theft here at our business in 30 years,” Williamson said. “Even with all these houses and developments coming up, people keep an eye on their neighborhoods. It’s just the community taking care of each other — I think that’s a big part of it.”
That sense of shared responsibility was echoed by the Lehi Police Department.
Sgt. Levi Lewis told Fox 13 that maintaining safety in a growing city requires cooperation between residents and officers.
“It is a community-involved and law enforcement-involved effort. It’s collaborative,” Lewis said.
As Lehi’s population increases, so does the demand for public safety services. Lewis identified hiring proactive officers as a key strategy.
“It’s just a matter of trying to hire the right people, and we’re getting a lot of good officers who are proactive. That’s where it all starts,” he said.
Lehi’s growth has closely followed the expansion of Silicon Slopes. Major technology companies have established offices along the Interstate 15 corridor, and residential construction has followed, bringing thousands of new families to the area in recent years.
Rapid development can often present challenges for infrastructure and public safety. Yet Lehi’s repeat ranking suggests the city has managed that balance effectively.
The SmartAsset study evaluated suburbs nationwide with populations between 5,000 and 100,000 residents. By focusing on crime data and broader measures of stability, the study identified communities where residents are statistically less likely to experience violent or property crime.
For Lehi, recognition underscores a continued trend rather than a one-time achievement.
“It’s just the community taking care of each other,” Williamson said.
As cranes continue to shape the skyline and new neighborhoods fill in, city leaders and residents alike recognize that maintaining safety will require continued effort. For now, the numbers—and the voices of those who live and work here—point to a city that continues to grow while preserving the sense of accountability and connection that many residents value most.
