Unfortunately, we have a lot of the Southern and Plains culture. We're maybe 1/3 each: 1. proper civilized Midwestern (St. Louis mostly), 2. Arkansas/Tennessee style in the southern half of the state, and 3. sort of Kansas-like (rather than Iowa-like, alas) in the north. So the State is about 2/3's horrific, 1/3 barely tolerable.
The presumes that folks from Arkansas and Tennessee are not "proper[ly] civilized." That is just an assumption. I would hazard to guess that most folks can walk alone at night in most of rural Arkansas and Tennessee. Can folks walk alone at night in Chicago or Saint Louis? Most folks I know would consider roving gangs murdering each other by the hundreds a sign of barbarity, if not anarchy, rather than "proper civilization."
I've walked alone at night in Chicago. Not only did I feel fine, I had a good time! Try it some day.