Maine Ranked Third-Safest State for Kids With Smartphones

Maine has been ranked among the safest states in the country for children who own smartphones, according to a new study from electronics manufacturing company WellPCB.

The study placed Maine third overall, behind only Mississippi and Idaho, with a phone danger score of 10.76 out of 100. Researchers based the rankings on two factors: the average age at which children receive their first phone and the number of reported cybercrime complaints per 100,000 residents.

Why Maine Ranked Highly

In Maine, children receive their first phone at an average age of 11.85 years old. That was the second-latest average among the 10 states identified as the safest for children with phones. The state also recorded 152.1 cybercrime complaints per 100,000 residents.

Top 10 Safest States

Mississippi earned the top spot with a danger score of 2.68, followed by Idaho and Maine, which tied with scores of 10.76. Nebraska, West Virginia, Arkansas, Missouri, Connecticut, Michigan and New Mexico rounded out the top 10.

Infographic: WellPCB

Study Highlights Importance of Safe Technology Use

WellPCB spokesperson Hommer Zhao said the findings show that introducing technology at the right age and with appropriate safeguards can help create a safer online environment for children.

How the Rankings Were Calculated

The study used age data from a Secure Data Recovery report examining when children typically receive smartphones. Cybercrime figures came from the FBI’s 2024 Internet Crime Complaint Center Annual Report.

Researchers standardized and combined both measures to calculate each state’s overall phone danger score. Lower scores indicated a safer environment for children using smartphones. Only 40 states were included in the final rankings because of limited data availability.