The cores of most US cities are more dangerous than most of southern AZ.
I totally agree! It's amazing how much power the media has over the public's perception.I did a road trip with my Mom a few years back and she refused to go anywhere near the border, i.e., I-10 West from El Paso. But she was fine with Phoenix. She routinely drives past Newark and Camden, NJ though. Makes zero sense. Irrationality will rear it's ugly head when people think about crime in certain places, once again, it comes back to the news media. One american getting murdered in Juarez will receive multiple times more press than in DC, if reported at all.
I was looking at some different statistics and the most dangerous places are East of the Mississippi with a few exceptions in TX and CA. Only when the data is considered from a very wide perspective (entire metro area) does places in the SW show up. Las Vegas is just as dangerous as Phoenix or Albuquerque and people don't hesitate about going there. They worry about the plane crashing or loosing money on the craps table. However, the safest places are also generally East of the Mississippi as well. The NW does not appear to be on the crime radar overall.
The last table finally mentions NM and AZ.
http://www.morganquitno.com/cit04pop.htm
More recent, similar data.
http://www.morganquitno.com/cit07pop.htm
City data gives a crime rate per city with the average being 319
Albuquerque 583
Boise 304
Overall data says to stay away from cities in general and you will be OK. Human beings are the most dangerous animals on earth.
Short answer: move to Boise. The border up there is safer.
I live 15 miles from Mexico and I worry about being stabbed by a homeless person; you don't see homeless Mexicans very often in San Diego. I read the other day that many are anti-immigrating back across because the US wasn't as prosperous as they thought it would be. I still go to TJ and Rosarito but now I usually bring someone with me.
Just another .02