Mexico's Safest State Is Seeing a Real Estate Boom
Yucatán’s governor says supporting the local police is key to the low crime rate, which is boosting population and investment in the region.
The Plaza Mayor in Mérida, where investors are renovating old houses to rent to tourists.
Photographer: Marica van der Meer/Arterra/Universal Images Group Editorial
Mexico’s lowest-crime region is strengthening its reputation as an oasis of calm in a country roiled by drug killings. Yucatán, the southeastern state known for its Mayan ruins, has a homicide rate more than 90% lower than the national average.
Governor Mauricio Vila says this is the fruit of relying on local police rather than just federal armed forces — paying them well, and giving them the technology they need, such as security cameras and machines to read license plates.