Disclaimer: Am not an USian but an European.

https://shs.cairn.info/revue-francaise-de-sociologie-1-2007-5-page-101?lang=en

This is a French journal about fear in women and how it affects their mobility. Whenever someone says

the risk of a fragile, shallow, unhinged, emotionally unstable man going berserk and MURDERING her.

it pops in my mind. The data they gathered suggests that women fear of violence is unrelated to actual rates of said violence happening, but is correlated to past smaller transgressions ("anticipated violence"). Long story short, if you were ever catcalled, or given a [clumsy] compliment, you're likely to imagine ("anticipate") out-of-proportion violence in multiple contexts.

The actual crime rate and crime gender proportion (in the US) - https://counciloncj.org/womens-justice-by-the-numbers/ - violence victims rate is 60-70% down since 1984 and since 2009 men and women are as likely to be the victim [before that men were most likely]; and the number of women perpetrators grown up. Oh, and the homicide rate by spouse is also closing the gap (although some studies suggest that the increase in women killing their husbands should be attributed to them not being dismissed as potential perpetrators by the police force)

I'm not dismissing your feelings OP, and your strategy seems very prudent, but I want to add to this discussion that it's much much safer than you or the social media will try to paint, despite the fear you feel.

And that you're not more likely to be a victim of a violent crime than a man (https://counciloncj.org/womens-justice-by-the-numbers/).