--- title: "Sioux Center, home to Dordt University, named safest city in Iowa for second consecutive year" date: 2026-05-01T16:14:00-05:00 author: Jennifer Vermeer canonical_url: "https://www.dordt.edu/news/sioux-center-home-to-dordt-university-named-safest-city-in-iowa-for-second-consecutive-year" section: News --- [ View Dordt News](https://www.dordt.edu/news) [Notable](https://www.dordt.edu/news?category=notable) May 1, 2026 # Sioux Center, home to Dordt University, named safest city in Iowa for second consecutive year For the second year in a row, Sioux Center, home to Dordt University, has been named the safest city in Iowa. ![](https://d3evso2dxyohou.cloudfront.net/generalUploads/safest-city.jpg?mode=crop&pos=center-center&w=66&h=57&f=webp&c=5161ad82&v=29bad6cad21993ab1d87d5b614c050fc638f574e95e31ce56bdca3ce12d974f0) ![]()In this year’s annual Safest Cities report, [SafeWise](https://www.safewise.com/research/safest-cities/iowa/) has named Sioux Center, home to Dordt University, the safest city in Iowa. This marks the [second consecutive year](https://www.dordt.edu/news/sioux-center-home-to-dordt-university-named-safest-city-in-iowa) Sioux Center has taken the top spot in the SafeWise ranking. While the SafeWise “Safest Cities” rankings are designed primarily to identify cities with the lowest per-capita crime rates and to encourage public discussion on community safety, [Sioux Center officials say](https://www.siouxcenter.org/m/newsflash/home/detail/817) this ranking underscores “the amazing qualify of life we experience and one of the many benefits of living in Sioux Center.” With a shared commitment to the well-being of others, Sioux Center residents, law enforcement, schools, churches, and other community organizations all contribute to a strong culture of safety and unity. ![](https://d3evso2dxyohou.cloudfront.net/generalUploads/safest-city-2.jpg?mode=fit&pos=center-center&w=57&h=65&c=331cdedc&v=eacc49458e1a21ca58aaedccb32b97fd86a7b10c3ef3398db461ba9f80cd46da) This—according to Derek Buteyn, director of students & residence life and associate dean of students—is a primary reason students feel at home on campus and within the broader community. “Students feel a sense of belonging on Dordt’s campus in large part because of the familial nature of the community, both on and off campus,” says Buteyn. “Living in a safe community deepens a student's ability to be comfortable and to feel that they belong here—they’re able to adopt this place as their home.” As Dordt anticipates celebrating approximately 372 undergraduate students at [commencement on May 8](https://www.dordt.edu/news/dordt-university-to-celebrate-commencement-ceremonies-on-may-8), many will leave not only with a degree, but with a deep appreciation for the community that shaped their experience and ready to contribute meaningfully to the flourishing of the communities they join next. **About Dordt University** As an institution of higher education committed to the Reformed Christian perspective, Dordt University equips students, faculty, alumni, and the broader community to work toward Christ-centered renewal in all aspects of contemporary life. Located in Sioux Center, Iowa, Dordt is a comprehensive university named to the best college lists by U.S. News and World Report, the Wall Street Journal, Times Higher Education, Forbes.com, Washington Monthly, and Princeton Review. --- [Previous Article ![](https://d3evso2dxyohou.cloudfront.net/generalUploads/2023-24/2022-09-08_000811.jpg?mode=crop&pos=center-center&w=56&h=33&f=webp&c=5ab3fa19&v=3596a29a290a6d8baa894cea7d52ef2fe4625423931db6ecfd960c3f35edf0e5) Education May 04, 2026 ## CACE launches year-long professional development aimed at thoughtful reflection on AI in education Beginning this fall, the Center for the Advancement of Christian Education (CACE) is offering a year-long professional development opportunity to help Christian educators thoughtfully reflect on and integrate artificial intelligence into teaching and learning. Read More ](https://www.dordt.edu/news/cace-launches-year-long-professional-development-aimed-at-thoughtful-reflection-on-ai-in-education) [Next Article ![](https://d3evso2dxyohou.cloudfront.net/generalUploads/faculty-nyc.jpeg?mode=crop&pos=center-center&w=56&h=33&f=webp&c=8f293eb7&v=80e4380a4fb2881362b4fe66b6790e882b69040ee4a23d51e556f17e544316c8) Notable Research and Scholarship Apr 30, 2026 ## Dordt faculty continue learning through academic pilgrimage Faculty at Dordt University participated in a New York City pilgrimage to learn from Andy Crouch, deepening interdisciplinary conversation about faith, learning and flourishing. Read More ](https://www.dordt.edu/news/dordt-faculty-continue-learning-through-academic-pilgrimage) [ ![]() ## View All Dordt News View News ](https://www.dordt.edu/news) Aug 19 General #### [International Student Orientation ](https://www.dordt.edu/events/international-student-orientation-2026-08-19) Aug 20 General #### [International Student Orientation ](https://www.dordt.edu/events/international-student-orientation-2026-08-20) Aug 20 Athletics Men's Soccer #### [8/20 8:00 PM Dordt University Men's Soccer at Carroll - Nelson Stadium ](https://www.dordt.edu/events/8-22-100-pm-dordt-university-mens-soccer-at-carroll) ![A picture of campus behind yellow prairie flowers](https://d3evso2dxyohou.cloudfront.net/generalUploads/2021-22/Buildings-and-Campus/2021-09-23_001574-1.jpg?mode=crop&pos=center-center&w=50&h=50&f=webp&c=3d670641&v=d2bdb7cbdc83e5be46d3a10afe8a1214a0e770536697eb0ddbe29e017d2e9577) <![CDATA[YII-BLOCK-BODY-END]]>