Farmer's Insurance Group ranked State College the 16th most secure small town in America in its third annual "Most Secure U.S. Places to Live" survey, which dropped the town from its second-place ranking in 2005.
However, the State College Police Department said there has been no increase in the crime rate since last year.
"In this survey, we were taking a look at various things that go into how a community is made secure for its citizens," Jerry Davies, director of media relations for Farmer's Insurance, said.
Database experts at Sperling's Best Places compiled the rankings and considered crime statistics, extreme weather, environmental hazards, job security and schools, Davies said.
The survey was broken down into three categories: large metropolitan areas, mid-size cities and small towns. State College is considered a small town with fewer than 150,000 residents.
There were 138 small towns considered in the survey, Davies said. St. George, Utah, ranked first as the most secure U.S. small town, followed by Bend, Oregon and the Blacksburg-Christiansburg-Radford area in Virginia.
"If you're in the top 20, that is excellent when you think of the numbers of communities and municipalities out there," Davies said.
State College Police Lt. Dana Leonard said, despite the borough's drop in rank, State College has not seen an increase in crime from 2005 to 2006.
"Our statistics and some of our other information has remained quite steady," Leonard said.
Leonard said he thinks both the 2005 and 2006 numbers are favorable.
"I look at it as the glass being half full," he said. "We're close to the top with [both years' rankings.]"
Penn State University Police could not comment on this year's crime statistics because their overall data is not compiled until the end of the year.
Mayor Bill Welch said he thinks residents should take the results of the survey "with a pound of salt," adding that he thinks State College is a secure area.
"Overall, I think it's a very safe place," he said.
Welch said that certain efforts are necessary to maintain security in town.
"I'm always astonished when, at this late date, there are still folks around who don't lock their doors," Welch said. "Common sense measures are appropriate."
University spokeswoman Jill Shockey also said that adequate safety measures are necessary when it comes to home safety.
"No place is 100 percent safe," Shockey said. "A certain amount of common sense and safety precautions are always helpful."
Shockey said that the university is continually improving safety measures to ensure that the security of students and community members continues, adding that the area is generally safe.
"We don't have to deal with a lot of urban crimes that other schools in Pennsylvania and other population areas might have to deal with," Shockey said.
Leslie Skerpon (sophomore-information sciences and technology) said she feels safe because she thinks there is a great deal of protection in this area.
"If you go out at night, there are officers everywhere," she said. "And there are security guards on campus."
Eric Most (sophomore-information sciences and technology) said that he agreed with Skerpon, adding that he also felt safe in the area around nighttime.
"There are always people everywhere," Most said. "And the streetlights are always on at night."
Mike Smith (junior-architectural engineering) said he isn't concerned about the survey's results.
"I feel very safe," Smith said. "I think it's the sense of community here. It's like we're all in this together."
Davies said the State College population should feel proud of the ranking, despite the drop.
"It speaks very well of how a community is conducting itself for its citizens," Davies said. "The local officials, people who work in the government and the citizens should be commended for taking pride in their community and making the list."
