The City of McAllen is once again listed as one of the most secure places to live, work and visit, according to a recent study by the Farmers Insurance Group. Among American metropolitan areas boasting populations of 500,000 or more, McAllen is named among the top 15 most secure in the United States.

McAllen Chamber President Steve Ahlenius says McAllen continues to be one of the safest cities in Texas. “FBI statistics show McAllen is a great place to live and have events” Ahlenius said.

For the seventh year in a row, Farmers Insurance Group, has ranked U.S. metropolitan areas for safety and security. Cities were ranked in terms of data collected by Sperling’s BestPlaces for air quality, crime statistics, environmental hazards, extreme weather, home foreclosures, housing depreciations, job loss statistics, life expectancies, natural disaster risks, terrorist threats and other security concerns.

Nancy Millar, Director of the McAllen Convention and Visitors Bureau, says the results of this survey show what they have felt all along, and that is, that McAllen is a safe place to live and visit. “If you like the outdoors, this is the perfect place” Millar said as she described that McAllen ranks number one in the entire United States for Birding and Butterflying. “We are a fantastic destination during the winter because you can get out of the cold and enjoy plenty of arts and entertainment at a very low cost of living.”

But for Victor Castillo, Convention Sales Director at the McAllen Convention and Visitors Bureau, this survey confirms why more state associations and national groups are looking at McAllen as a meeting destination. “We not only have a safe city, we have the nicest hotels and a magnificent convention center” Castillo said as he mentioned the American Planning Association, the Texas Transit Association, the Combined Law Enforcement Association of Texas and the P.E.O. Sisterhood among several groups committed to holding their annual conventions and conferences in McAllen.

Robert Woudstra, chairman of Farmers Insurance Group, commented on the recent ranking of the most secure U.S. places to live. “Farmers [Insurance Group] congratulates all of the communities recognized in the 2010 annual Farmers Most Secure Places to Live survey. In today’s challenging economy, citizens look to their local governments to keep their communities secure and economically strong,” he said.