All 50 states ranked for identity theft and credit card fraud, from most at risk to the least

• Identity theft is on the decline in the US, but cases of credit card fraud have risen.
• Both credit card fraud and identity theft have a national average cost between $2,500 and $3,000.
• Nevada is the worst state for these financial crimes, while residents of Iowa are least likely to experience identity theft.

Identity theft can strike anyone, anywhere. But some places may be more susceptible to the financial crime.

RewardExpert found out which states are the biggest targets for credit card fraud and identity theft and where these financial breaches happen less frequently. In 2016, credit card fraud increased nationally by 5.15% — but that was offset by a drop in identity theft of 16.05%.

To rank each state in terms of security, RewardExpert took the incidence rate of credit card fraud and identity theft in each state and adjusted for the financial severity of the losses. They also took into account year-over-year trends, and data from the FBI’s Internet Complaint Center.

While no correlation was found between per capita income and the likelihood of fraud or identity theft, a strong relationship between credit scores and these criminal activities was linked. The residents of the 10 states with the most fraud have an average credit score of 660, compared to 681 for the residents of the 10 safest states.

However, a low credit score may deter criminals where income is also lower, according to the report. After all, it does not make sense to commit credit card fraud against an individual with little to steal from.

The southwest is a particularly bad geographic region for these crimes with Texas, New Mexico, Arizona, Nevada, and California all being among the 10 states most at risk. States in the Great Plains have less to worry about: Nebraska, Wyoming, South Dakota, and North Dakota are several of the 10 safest states.

The average loss in cases of identity theft is $2,678 and $2,935 for credit card fraud, but the amount varies greatly between different states.

Below, find all 50 states ranked from the highest risk of identity theft and credit card fraud to the least. We’ve also included each state’s per capita income, the frequency of credit card fraud and identity theft (per 100,000 residents), and the average loss associated with both.