• Fatal traffic accidents are one category ranked in the top ten safest cities in the U.S.wrecked car image by hazel proudlove from Fotolia.com
  
  When deciding where to live and raise a family, many people prefer to identify the safest cities. In 2009, "Forbes" magazine ranked the 40 safest metropolitan areas in the United States based on four factors: fatal traffic accidents, natural disaster risk, workplace fatalities and violent crime ratings. In compiling the list, "Forbes" used 2008 information from The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, the United States Bureau of Labor Statistics, the FBI's Uniform Crime Report and the green living website SustainLane. This is a list of the top 10 safest metropolitan areas out of the 40 that "Forbes" ranked.
  
  

#1 Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI

• Based on ratings in the four categories, this metropolitan area ranked as the number one safest place to live in the United States in 2008. Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington had the lowest number of workplace deaths of all cities. With respect to traffic fatalities and natural disaster risk, the area ranked seventh out of the top 40. With a population of 3,229,878 people, this area ranked ninth in violent crime.
  
  

#2 Milwaukee-Waukesha-West Allis, WI

• Ranked the second safest area in the United States, the Milwaukee-Waukesha-West Allis, Wisconsin, metropolitan area, with a population of 1,549,308, had the least amount of natural disasters in 2008. Out of the top 40 safest cities, it had the fourth lowest number of traffic deaths and the 11th lowest workplace fatality rates. It ranked 24th in violent crime.
  
  

#3 Portland-Vancouver-Beaverton, OR-WA

• This metropolitan area is the third safest in America, ranking number one in lowest rate of violent crime and number five in the number of traffic deaths. The three-city area has a population of 2,207,462 and holds a workplace fatality rate of 10 out of the 40 safest cities. Natural disaster risk ranked 25th.
  
  

#4 Boston-Cambridge-Quincy, MA-NH

• With a population of 4,522,858, the Boston-Cambridge-Quincy area ranked as the fourth safest metropolitan area. It had the lowest number of fatal crashes and the fifth lowest rate of workplace fatalities. Its violent crime score was 10th out of the 40 safest, and it had the 28th lowest risk of natural disasters.
  
  

#4 Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA

• Tied with the Boston-Cambridge-Quincy area as the fourth safest metropolitan area in the United States by "Forbes," Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, Washington, has the second lowest rate of workplace deaths and was third lowest in violent crime. With a population of 3,344,813, this area ranked eighth in the category of traffic-related fatalities and 31st out of 40 in natural disaster risk.
  
  

#6 Providence-New Bedford-Fall River, RI-MA

• This metropolitan area, with a population of 1,596,611, ranked as the fifth safest in the United States. It had the sixth lowest crime rate and the seventh lowest workplace fatality risk in 2008. It ranked 11th out of the 40 safest cities in the United States in the category of fatal accidents and 28th in natural disaster risk.
  
  

#7 San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA

• With a ranking of two in violent crime, San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, California, was the seventh safest metropolitan area in the country, according to "Forbes" in 2008. With a population of 1,819,198, it had the sixth lowest traffic related fatalities and the eighth lowest workplace deaths. The natural disaster risk ranked 38th.
  
  

#8 New York-Northern New Jersey-Long Island, NY-NJ-PA

• The metropolitan area of northern New Jersey and Long Island, New York, was the eighth safest in America in 2008, according to "Forbes." With a population of 19,006,798, it had the second lowest fatal crash rating and ranked 11th in violent crime. Workplace fatalities ranked 15th out of 40 areas and 28th in natural disaster risk.
  
  

#9 Cincinnati-Middletown, OH-KY-IN

• The Cincinnati-Middletown metropolitan area tied as the ninth safest in the nation. It scored two in natural disaster risk and eight in violent crime risk. In the category of fatal accidents, these cities ranked 20th; in workplace fatalities, they ranked 27th out of the 40 areas on the "Forbes" list.
  
  

#10 Denver-Aurora, CO and Cleveland-Elyria-Mentor, OH

• Denver-Aurora, Colorado, and Cleveland-Elyria-Mentor, Ohio, metropolitan areas tied at number 10 with populations of over 2,000,000 each. They ranked two in natural disaster risk. Denver ranked five in violent crime. In the category of traffic-related deaths, the Denver area ranked 16th and the Cleveland area ranked 17th.