30 Percent of Americans Fear Walking Alone at Night

Walking alone at night within a mile of their home is a scary thought for 30 percent of Americans. Gallup reports that figure matches the lowest level of concern in more than half a century.^[1]

From 1972 to 1993, "40 percent or more of U.S. adults consistently said they were worried." The highest level of fear — 48 percent  — came in 1982. As Gallup notes, "The drop in worry about walking alone since the early 1990s is coincident with national crime statistics indicating that U.S. crime rates have fallen since the early 1990s." According to the research firm, those most likely to fear walking alone at night near their home include "18 to 29 year olds, those with lower incomes, nonwhites and those living in big cities."

Footnotes:

Gallup, "Americans' Fear of Walking Alone Ties 52-Year Low," November 2, 2017

Each weekday, Scott Rasmussen’s Number of the Day explores interesting and newsworthy topics at the intersection of culture, politics, and technology. Columns published on Ballotpedia reflect the views of the author.

Scott Rasmussen is founder and president of the Rasmussen Media Group. He is the author of "Mad as Hell: How the Tea Party Movement Is Fundamentally Remaking Our Two-Party System," "In Search of Self-Governance," and "The People’s Money: How Voters Will Balance the Budget and Eliminate the Federal Debt." Read more reports from Scott Rasmussen — Click Here Now.