Minnesota is a great place to live and work, as we are finding out, from personal experience and the folks at Wallethub. They recently published a study about Minnesota being a top state for working moms, you can read about that here. Did you know that Minnesota is also a top state for working in law enforcement?

Next week is National Police Week, a time to celebrate all of those officers who are out there on the streets, responding to calls, and fostering community involvement. Wallethub looked at several different factors to determine the best and worst states to wear a badge. "WalletHub compared the 50 states and the District of Columbia across 27 key indicators of police-friendliness. Their data set ranges from median income for law-enforcement officers to police deaths per 1,000 officers to state and local police-protection expenses per capita."

Working in law enforcement can be very high stress, and yearly salary is not the only thing prospective officers look at when determining where they want to work. They also look at the benefits, including the non-tangibles like access to a fitness center or equipment, and for some, the chance to retire as early as age 40, depending on the age they started with the department.

Beyond financial perks, officers are more likely to be attracted to police departments that steer clear of scandal and corruption and that are transparent with their communities.

With all of that in mind, here are the top 10 states to work as a police officer:

  1. New York
  2. Maryland
  3. California
  4. New Hampshire
  5. Indiana
  6. North Dakota
  7. Minnesota
  8. Massachusetts
  9. New Jersey
  10. Connecticut

And the bottom 10 are:

  • Alaska
  • Oklahoma
  • Georgia
  • Tennessee
  • South Carolina
  • Arizona
  • New Mexico
  • Kentucky
  • Arkansas
  • Lousiana - this is the worst place to be a police officer in the nation. Maybe it has something to do with the heat and humidity?

 

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