Farmers Insurance Group of Companies® annually ranks hundreds of U.S. communities based on safety and security. In this year’s large city category of the "Most Secure Places to Live in the U.S." study, Farmers has rated Bethesda, Md., Grand Rapids, Mich., and Pittsburgh, Pa., as the most secure large metropolitan areas (population of 500,000 or greater). The study of large metropolitan areas, compiled by researchers at Sperling’s BestPlaces, took into consideration a number of criteria, including economic stability, crime statistics, extreme weather, risk of natural disasters, housing depreciation, foreclosures, air quality, environmental hazards, life expectancy, motor vehicle fatalities, and employment numbers.