Chicago is one of the safest cities in the world — yes, really

Chicago is one of the safest cities in the world, according to a British research firm.

The Economist Intelligence Unit, based in London, provides business analysis and forecasting and has compiled a list of 60 cities from around the world, based on personal safety, health security, digital security and infrastructure safety.

Chicago came in 19th, one of only three U.S. cities on the list.

San Francisco came in 15th and Los Angeles at 18th. The top of the list includes Tokyo, Singapore and Osaka, which have been ranked the highest since 2015.

The list also reflects a divide between wealthy and poor cities. Of the developing world, only Buenos Aires made the list.

Chicago’s homicide count is among the highest of any U.S. city, with more than 500 homicides this year so far. However, Chicago’s actual homicide rate per capita is far from the highest: even though there are more murders in Chicago than Los Angeles and New York put together, the per capita homicide rate is half that of St. Louis, according to the Trace, a nonprofit news site that focuses on guns. Chicago’s homicide rate per capita is also lower than New Orleans, Baltimore and Detroit.

But as far as digital security, Chicago fared among the highest, third in the world. Chicago Business Journal attributed that to Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel’s initiative in cybersecurity, partnering with the U.S. Department of Defense.

However, Chicago’s infrastructure counted against its ranking. According to the index authors, no U.S. city made it to the top 10 in infrastructure safety, and only San Francisco made it to the top 20.

The list also tracks the growth of “megacities,” which are metropolises with more than 10 million people. It is expected there will be 41 megacities by 2030, which experts predict will impact water and power infrastructure, housing supply and health care.

This story was originally published October 12, 2017 at 8:10 PM with the headline "Chicago is one of the safest cities in the world — yes, really."