Fourth Annual Farmers Insurance Study Ranks Most Secure U.S. Places to Live

Corvallis, Ore., Rated No. 1

LOS ANGELES, Dec. 10 /PRNewswire/ -- Health, prosperity, safety and
security are all desirable aspects when it comes to seeking a place to live,
work or raise a family. According to the fourth annual Most Secure U.S. Places
to Live rankings from Farmers Insurance Group of Companies,(R) the city that
best meets those qualifications is Corvallis, Ore.
The rankings, compiled by database experts at www.bestplaces.net, took
into consideration crime statistics, extreme weather, risk of natural
disasters, environmental hazards, terrorism threats, air quality, life
expectancy and job loss numbers in 379 U.S. municipalities. The study divided
the communities into three groups: large metropolitan areas, mid-size cities
and small towns.
Corvallis is the fourth different city in four years to earn top honors in
the Farmers study. The leading communities in the three previous studies were:
the Provo-Orem, Utah, area in 2004; the Richland-Kennewick-Pasco area of
southeast Washington in 2005; and St. George, Utah, in 2006.
"The Farmers Most Secure Places to Live survey tells a lot about families
and local government today," says Ron Coble, Senior Vice President of
Legislation, Regulation and Media Relations for Farmers Insurance Group.
"Whether you are single or have a large family, knowing that you are secure in
your home and workplace takes a higher priority today than ever before."
Top-ranked Corvallis, whose population of 81,105 places it among the small
towns, is nestled in the heart of Oregon's Willamette Valley and is home to
Oregon State University. In 2006, Corvallis was honored as only the third
U.S. city at that time to meet the EPA's challenge to become a Green Power
Community. Corvallis' low crime rate and negligible threats of extreme
weather, environmental hazards and terrorist threats led to its No. 1 ranking
in the 2007 Farmers study.
The San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara area in northern California's Silicon
Valley tops all large metropolitan areas (population of 500,000 or greater),
scoring particularly well in the extreme weather and terrorist threats
categories. The area is considered one of the leading research and development
centers of the world; in 2005, San Jose and Sunnyvale ranked first and second
in the number of utility patents filed in the U.S.
Olympia, Wash., is the most secure mid-size city (population between
150,000 and 500,000). The state capital has become a hub for artists and
musicians. The extremely clean air and the long life expectancy of Olympia's
residents aided its lofty ranking.
Here are the Farmers Insurance Group's Most Secure U.S. Places to Live for
2007:
Most Secure Places to Live - Large Metro Areas (500,000 or more residents)
1. San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, Calif.
2. Boise City-Nampa, Idaho
3. Bethesda-Gaithersburg-Frederick, Md.
4. San Francisco-San Mateo-Redwood City, Calif.
5. Oxnard-Thousand Oaks- Ventura, Calif.
6. Bridgeport-Stamford-Norwalk, Conn.
7. Nassau County-Suffolk County, N.Y.
8. New Haven-Milford, Conn.
9. Lake County, Ill./Kenosha County, Wis.
10. Honolulu, Hawaii
11. Portland-South Portland-Biddeford, Maine
12. Cambridge-Newton-Framingham, Mass.
13. Edison, N.J.
14. Portland-Beaverton, Ore./Vancouver, Wash.
15. Santa Ana-Anaheim, Calif.
16. Madison, Wis.
17. Seattle-Bellevue-Everett, Wash.
18. Rochester, N.Y.
19. Syracuse, N.Y.
20. Essex County, Mass.

Most Secure Places to Live - Mid-Size Cities (150,000 - 500,000 residents)
1. Olympia, Wash.
2. Rockingham County-Strafford County, N.H.
3. San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles, Calif.
4. Sioux Falls, S.D.
5. Bellingham, Wash.
6. Fargo, N.D.
7. Naples-Marco Island, Fla.
8. Las Cruces, N.M.
9. Lancaster, Pa.
10. Bremerton-Silverdale, Wash.
11. Binghamton, N.Y.
12. Lynchburg, Va.
13. Burlington-South Burlington, Vt.
14. Rochester, Minn.
15. Santa Barbara-Santa Maria, Calif.
16. Charlottesville, Va.
17. Santa Rosa-Petaluma, Calif.
18. Salinas, Calif.
19. St. Cloud, Minn.
20. Medford, Ore.

Most Secure Places to Live - Small Towns (Fewer than 150,000 residents)
1. Corvallis, Ore.
2. Harrisonburg, Va.
3. Ithaca, N.Y.
4. State College, Pa.
5. Logan, Utah
6. Lewiston, Idaho
7. Bismarck, N.D.
8. St. George, Utah
9. Napa, Calif.
10. Bend, Ore.
11. Wenatchee, Wash.
12. Mount Vernon-Anacortes, Wash.
13. Ames, Iowa
14. Morgantown, W. Va.
15. Wausau, Wis.
16. Iowa City, Iowa
17. Winchester, Va.
18. Coeur d'Alene, Idaho
19. Glens Falls, N.Y.
20. Grand Forks, N.D.

Farmers Group Inc. is a wholly owned subsidiary of Zurich Financial
Services, an insurance-based financial services provider with a global network
of subsidiaries and offices in North America and Europe as well as in Asia
Pacific, Latin America and other markets. Farmers(R) is the nation's third-
largest personal lines property & casualty insurance group. Property and
casualty products are underwritten and issued by the Farmers Exchanges and
their subsidiaries, which Farmers Group Inc. manages but does not own.
Headquartered in Los Angeles and doing business in 41 states, the Farmers
insurers provide homeowners, auto, business, life insurance and financial
services to more than 10 million households. For more information about
Farmers, visit our Web site at www.farmers.com.
SOURCE Farmers Group Inc.

Jerry Davies, Director of Media Relations, Farmers Insurance Group,
+1-213-400-4459