I've lived in cities for the last 30 years. I don't consider any of them "safe". I leave my shop on congress Street at 1030 most every night and walk to my car. Like in any other city I walk quickly and don't talk to people when I'm walking.

That said, there were 29 homicides in all of Maine in 2022. 15 were domestic. That would be 14 homicides by strangers in the entire state of Maine. There were 333 murders in Baltimore city alone during that period. Not the entire state of Maryland. Just the city. I used to walk around Baltimore at night too. It's an absolutely wonderful place to live but yeah, I watched my back something fierce.

Anyway. If you're convinced Portland is unsafe that's on you but in the relative space of a US state, yes Maine is absurdly safe. Do I take precautions going out, of course.

People commenting here seem like they are shitting their pants leaving their houses which is sad.