The 10 Most Dangerous Cities In Montana

The 10 Most Dangerous Places To Live In Montana For 2023

Situated in the northwestern corner of Montana, Polson is located within the Flathead Indian Reservation. Unfortunately, life in this relatively small town comes with its challenges. It ranks as the 1 most dangerous place in Montana, suffering 249 property crimes and 58 violent crimes over the course of the year.

In raw numbers, those might not seem particularly scary. But it’s important to put those figures into perspective. Putting it in terms of population, Polson has per-capita rate of violent crime of 1,055/100k. That’s about the same as Great Falls, Montana, a city with about 11 times more people.

Looking at property crimes, the rate comes in at 4,531/100k. This gives Polson the highest pace in Montana.

Despite being located in bowels of the far west, built along the Milk River in north-central Montana, Havre gets its name from a spot in France, the port city of Le Havre. Ooo la la. But don’t worry: this Havre has its share of old-fashioned American grit, booming as a railroad town around the turn of the 20th century.

Maybe to prove its still got that Wild West spirit, despite its European name, Havre struggles a crime problem. This includes both high rates of property crime and violence. This town of 9,270 residents reported 64 assaults last year.

Built along the Yellowstone River in the south-central part of Montana, Billings represents a key urban area in an otherwise predominantly rural area. Beside the gorgeous natural vistas you can appreciate just outside of town, the community itself features loads of cultural attractions, like the Yellowstone Art Museum or the Western Heritage Center.

However, like any urban area, Billings attracts its share of bad characters. As a result, this ranks as the number 3 most dangerous spot in Montana. Property crime represents a major problem, with high rates of burglary, robbery, and car thefts. The city of 117,866 residents also faced 13 murders last year.

Part of the Flathead Indian Reservation in the northwest section of Montana, Ronan sports a population of just 2,255 people. However, on a per-capita basis, it ranks as one of the most dangerous spots in the state, coming in at eighth highest on that unfortunate list.

During the course of a year, the residents of Ronan suffered 92 property crimes. That equates to a rate of 4,079/100k – enough to put it at fourth highest in Montana.

The true danger in Ronan comes as a result of violence. The small town saw 14violent crimes during the year. Comparing that to the total population, and you get a per-capita pace of 620/100k, enough to rank eighth highest in the state as a whole. Aggravated assaults made up most of the violent crimes in the area.

You’ve heard the expression “good things come in small packages?” Well, it can go the other way as well. Just look at Cut Bank, Montana. It’s a town of 3,053 people that still tops the list of the state’s most dangerous places.

Located about 30 miles south of the Canadian border, Cut Bank gets its name from a nearby gorge. However, the designation could suggest something a little darker: the violent nature of town. In an area with just a few thousand people people, Cut Bank suffered 29 violent crimes. That’s a violent crime rate of 949/100k, the highest rate in the state.

Cut Bank is a little better when it comes to property crime. The town reported 75 property crimes during the year, or a rate of 2,456/100k. That pace puts it at tenth highest on the state’s list for property crime.

Having a population of 75,705 might not seem like much compared to places like New York City and San Francisco. But, for Montana, that number allows Missoula to rank among the biggest cities in the state. That size comes with a dark side, though. Missoula also holds the dubious distinction of being one of the murder capitals of Montana.

The city reported 2 murders over a year, out of 480 violent crimes for the 12-month period. In a small-population state, where everyone’s spread out over a huge area, this ranks as the most killings for any municipality. Missoula also suffered 62 rapes during the year.

In addition to this violent streak, Missoula has a significant problem with property crime. The city saw 2,683 such occurrences during the year, ranking fifth highest ing burglaries and eighth highest in car thefts. In terms of rate, Missoula had a per-capita pace of property crimes of 3,544/100k – the sixth highest pace in Montana.

Every elementary-school student can name Helena as the political capital of Montana. Sadly, it’s also the state’s capital of something else: rape. The city of 33,896 people reported 54 rapes during the year. That’s one for every 627.7 inhabitants – by far the highest rate in the Big Sky state.

Total violent crimes reached 256 during the year, putting Helena sixth highest in the state in that category. The city also suffered 1,088 property crimes over the course of 12 months. That pace projects to a figure of about 3,209/100k – the eighth highest rate in Montana.

Historically an important industrial and transportation center in the state, Great Falls boasts the 3rd highest population in Montana, with 60,386 residents. Unfortunately, a large population often comes with some downsides. In this case, residents of Great Falls have to contend with the second highest rate of property crime in the state.

The city reported 2,708 property crimes over the course of a year. Putting that into perspective, it equates to a per-capita pace of 4,484/100k. With this epidemic of property crime, Great Falls also ranks third highest in the state in overall crime, with a pace of 4,981/100k.

One bright spot: Great Falls is a little better when it comes to violent crime. While it did have 300 of those during the year. As a result, it ranked only 14th highest in the state in its violent-crime rate.

Kalispell, or “flat land above the lake” in the local native Salish language, is known for its quaint beauty – so much so, that it provided the backdrop for the famed 11980 Hollywood film Heaven’s Gate. But the gorgeous landscape hides an ominous secret: Kalispell ranks as the 9 most dangerous city in the state.

With a population of 27,710, Kalispell is among the commercial hubs of the northwestern part of the state. Unfortunately, this prosperity comes with a property-crime problem. The city reported 723 such events during a year, a per-capita rate of 2,609/100k. This pace equates to the ninth highest in the state.

Kalispell also had 138 violent crimes during the year. That would give it the 13th highest violent-crime rate in Montana.

Laurel, located in Yellowstone County, Montana, ranks as the tenth most dangerous place to live in the state for 2023. This ranking is based on crime statistics, including property and violent crime rates. With a population of 7,139 people, Laurel reported 32 cases of violent crime. The property crime rate was also significant, with 235 reported cases, including several burglaries.

Despite these concerning statistics, it’s important to note that with collective effort, things can improve. Situated in the Yellowstone Valley as an east-west terminal division point of the Burlington-Northern Railroad, Laurel has historical significance as a transportation hub. It is home to a Cenex Harvest States oil refinery and Montana Rail Link’s Laurel Yard, making it a vital part of the Billings Metropolitan Statistical Area.

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