The 10 Most Dangerous Cities In Montana


The most dangerous places in Montana are Polson and Havre for 2024 based on Saturday Night Science.

Most dangerous cities in Montana research summary. We analyzed the most recent FBI crime data using Saturday Night Science to determine the most dangerous cities in Montana.

We examined the violent and property crime per capita statistics for every place with over 2,000 residents. In total, we analyzed 32 Montana cities. Here are the results of our analysis:

  • The most dangerous city in Montana is Polson based on the most recent FBI crime data.

  • The violent crime rate in Montana is 1,055 per 100k people.

  • The property crime rate in Montana is 4,531 per 100k people.

  • The safest city in Montana is Colstrip.

  • Montana is the 12th most dangerous state in the United States.

Most Dangerous Cities In Montana Map


Table Of Contents: Top Ten | Table | Methodology | FAQs | References


There are more dangerous things in Montana than grizzly bears, frigid temperatures in Havre, and rodeos in Kalispell on a Friday night.

Big Sky Country has its fair share of dangerous cities.

How did we determine Montana’s dangerous cities? We used Saturday Night Science to analyze the FBI’s latest crime report for violent and property crime rates for the 32 cities with over 2,000 residents.

The areas surrounding Montana’s largest cities, Billings and Missoula, have seen an increase in crime over the years. But, to be fair, the Treasure State has pockets of dangerous places across the state.

The Most Dangerous Cities In Montana For 2024

  1. Polson
  2. Havre
  3. Billings
  4. Ronan City
  5. Cut Bank
  6. Missoula
  7. Helena
  8. Great Falls
  9. Kalispell
  10. Laurel

What’s the most dangerous city in Montana? The most dangerous city in Montana is Polson.

Montana might not be one of the top ten most dangerous states in the country, but the state’s most dangerous places do need some work. So it would be best if you reviewed our list of Montana’s most dangerous places before making any life-changing decisions.

For more Montana reading, check out:

The 10 Most Dangerous Places To Live In Montana For 2024

Polson, MT

Source: Wikipedia User Montanabw | CC BY-SA 3.0

Overall SnackAbility

5
/10

Population: 5,495
Violent Crimes Per 100k: 1,055 (Most dangerous)
Property Crimes Per 100k: 4,531 (Most dangerous)
Murders: 0
More on Polson: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living

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.

Havre, MT

Source: Wikipedia User J.B. Chandler | CC BY-SA 3.0

Overall SnackAbility

6
/10

Population: 9,270
Violent Crimes Per 100k: 992 (Second most dangerous)
Property Crimes Per 100k: 3,959 (Fifth most dangerous)
Murders: 0
More on Havre: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living

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.

Billings, MT

Source: Wikipedia User Sara goth | CC BY-SA 3.0

Overall SnackAbility

8
/10

Population: 117,866
Violent Crimes Per 100k: 929 (Fourth most dangerous)
Property Crimes Per 100k: 4,316 (Third most dangerous)
Murders: 13
More on Billings: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living

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.

4. Ronan City

Ronan City, MT

Source: Flickr User LeeinWashDC | CC BY-SA 2.0

Population: 2,255
Violent Crimes Per 100k: 620 (Eighth most dangerous)
Property Crimes Per 100k: 4,079 (Fourth most dangerous)
Murders: 0
More on Ronan City:

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.

Cut Bank, MT

Source: Wikipedia User Royalbroil | CC BY-SA 3.0

Overall SnackAbility

6
/10

Population: 3,053
Violent Crimes Per 100k: 949 (Third most dangerous)
Property Crimes Per 100k: 2,456 (Tenth most dangerous)
Murders: 0
More on Cut Bank: Data | Crime

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.

Missoula, MT

Source: Wikipedia User w:en:Dsetay | CC BY 2.0

Overall SnackAbility

8
/10

Population: 75,705
Violent Crimes Per 100k: 634 (Seventh most dangerous)
Property Crimes Per 100k: 3,544 (Sixth most dangerous)
Murders: 2
More on Missoula: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living

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.

Helena, MT

Source: Wikipedia User RTC at English Wikipedia | GFDL

Overall SnackAbility

8
/10

Population: 33,896
Violent Crimes Per 100k: 755 (Sixth most dangerous)
Property Crimes Per 100k: 3,209 (Eighth most dangerous)
Murders: 1
More on Helena: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living

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.

Great Falls, MT

Source: Wikipedia User Montanabw | CC BY-SA 3.0

Overall SnackAbility

7
/10

Population: 60,386
Violent Crimes Per 100k: 496 (14th most dangerous)
Property Crimes Per 100k: 4,484 (Second most dangerous)
Murders: 2
More on Great Falls: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living

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, MT

Source: Wikipedia User User: Dan Petesch | CC BY-SA 3.0

Overall SnackAbility

6
/10

Population: 27,710
Violent Crimes Per 100k: 498 (13th most dangerous)
Property Crimes Per 100k: 2,609 (Ninth most dangerous)
Murders: 1
More on Kalispell: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living

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, MT

Source: Wikipedia User Forest Service Northern Region | CC BY 2.0

Overall SnackAbility

6
/10

Population: 7,139
Violent Crimes Per 100k: 448 (16th most dangerous)
Property Crimes Per 100k: 3,291 (Seventh most dangerous)
Murders: 0
More on Laurel: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living

Laurel, located in Yellowstone County, Montana, ranks as the tenth most dangerous place to live in the state for 2024. 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.

Crime By City In Montana

Rank City Population Total Crimes Per 100K Violent Crimes Per 100K Property Crimes Per 100K Murders
1 Polson 5,495 5,586 1,055 4,531 0
2 Havre 9,270 4,951 992 3,959 0
3 Billings 117,866 5,245 929 4,316 13
4 Ronan City 2,255 4,700 620 4,079 0
5 Cut Bank 3,053 3,406 949 2,456 0
6 Missoula 75,705 4,178 634 3,544 2
7 Helena 33,896 3,965 755 3,209 1
8 Great Falls 60,386 4,981 496 4,484 2
9 Kalispell 27,710 3,107 498 2,609 1
10 Laurel 7,139 3,740 448 3,291 0
11 Wolf Point 2,620 2,099 839 1,259 0
12 Belgrade 12,529 2,218 510 1,708 0
13 Glasgow 3,183 1,947 534 1,413 0
14 Livingston 8,552 2,560 362 2,198 0
15 Deer Lodge 2,949 1,593 542 1,051 1
16 Stevensville 2,171 1,427 552 875 0
17 Columbia Falls 5,734 2,354 261 2,092 0
18 Whitefish 9,189 2,143 272 1,871 0
19 Bozeman 55,997 2,075 296 1,778 2
20 Sidney 6,066 1,500 478 1,022 1
21 Libby 3,055 1,571 360 1,211 0
22 Conrad 2,398 1,709 250 1,459 0
23 Hardin 3,656 1,367 300 1,066 0
24 Miles City 8,437 1,019 367 651 0
25 East Helena 2,140 1,588 46 1,542 0
26 Glendive 4,860 1,049 349 699 0
27 Hamilton 5,138 1,479 136 1,342 0
28 Lewistown 6,135 456 407 48 0
29 Manhattan 2,154 1,485 92 1,392 0
30 Red Lodge 2,384 838 335 503 0
31 Dillon 4,075 957 245 711 0
32 Colstrip 2,009 149 99 49 0

Methodology: How we determined the most dangerous cities in Montana for 2024?

Every year the FBI release two crime datasets on cities in Montana. First a preliminary dataset limited to the biggest cities in Montana, followed by a more detailed release at the end of the year.

For our analysis, we focused on the 2022 data, specifically the 2022 Crime In The United States Report for Montana.

So what criteria did we use? Have a look:

  • Violent Crimes Per Capita
  • Property Crimes Per Capita

In order to make the analysis as apples to apples as possible, we only considered Montana cities over 2,000 in population. That left us with 32 cities in Montana.

We then ranked each city from 1 to 32 for the two criteria with a #1 ranking being the most dangerous for the particular criteria.

Next, we averaged the two rankings into one “Dangerous Index”.

Finally, we ranked every city on the “Dangerous Index” with the lowest index being the most dangerous in Montana — Polson. Any ties went to the smaller city.

This article is an opinion based on facts and is meant as infotainment. It is our tenth time ranking the most dangerous places to live in Montana and is updated for 2024.

Most Dangerous Places To Live In Montana FAQs

Yes, Montana is a dangerous state as it ranks as the #12 most dangerous state in the United States based on our analysis of the latest FBI Crime Data. The violent crime rate in Montana ranks 11th most dangerous in the United States — 27.05% worse than US average violent crime rate. The property crime rate in the Treasure State ranks 22nd most dangerous in the United States — 8.51% worse than US average property crime rate. The latest reporting year from the FBI was 2022.

Yes, Billings is a dangerous city. Billings ranks as the #37 most dangerous out of 328 major cities over 100,000 people in the United States based on our analysis of the latest FBI Crime Data. Keep in mind that are always safe and dangerous parts of any city, so even though Billings might be considered dangerous you still need to be aware of where you are.

Compared to other big cities, the violent crime rate in Billings ranks 48th highest in America — 67.84% worse than US average violent crime rate. The property crime rate in the ranks 38th highest in the United States — 58.19% worse than US average property crime rate. Note the latest reporting year from the FBI was 2022 and that no city in America is ‘dangerous’. Despite the uptick in murders, it’s nothing like you’d see in Tijuana or Caracas where the murder rate is 2x any American city.

Graphing The Most Dangerous And Safest Places In Montana

Most Dangerous Cities In Montana Graph

Click To Enlarge

Summary: Locking It All Up In Montana

So what is the most dangerous city in Montana? After analyzing 32 cities in Montana, Polson takes the top spot as the most dangerous city in Montana based on the most recently reported FBI data — 2022.

The latest FBI crime data shows that Polson ranks as the most dangerous city in Montana for 2024.

The most dangerous cities in Montana are .

We want to point out again that there’s still safes places in Polson and that this isn’t a comment on the people that live there. So please don’t beat us up.

What’s the most dangerous city in Montana? The most dangerous city in Montana is Polson.

Montana might not be one of the top ten most dangerous states in the country, but the state’s most dangerous places do need some work. So it would be best if you reviewed our list of Montana’s most dangerous places before making any life-changing decisions.

Learn more about the safest places in Montana.

If you’re looking for something more national, check out the most dangerous cities in America or the most dangerous states in America.

Here are the safest cities in Montana:

  1. Hardin (Pop. 3,656)
  2. Miles City (Pop. 8,437)
  3. East Helena (Pop. 2,140)
  4. Glendive (Pop. 4,860)
  5. Hamilton (Pop. 5,138)
  6. Lewistown (Pop. 6,135)
  7. Manhattan (Pop. 2,154)
  8. Red Lodge (Pop. 2,384)
  9. Dillon (Pop. 4,075)
  10. Colstrip (Pop. 2,009)

For more Montana reading, check out:

References

About Chris Kolmar

Chris Kolmar has been in the real estate business for almost ten years now. He originally worked for Movoto Real Estate as the director of marketing before founding HomeSnacks.

He believes the key to finding the right place to live comes down to looking at the data, reading about things to do, and, most importantly, checking it out yourself before you move.

If you've been looking for a place to live in the past several years, you've probably stumbled upon his writing already.

You can find out more about him on LinkedIn or his website.

12 thoughts on “The 10 Most Dangerous Cities In Montana

    1. Things must’ve changed in Butte, when I was growing up in the 70s it was one of the most dangerous places to go. If you’re a teenager cruising the gut with an 18 license plate you become a target but that’s also true in any small town in Montana.

    1. Bill Wilson, only Wolf Point, Polson and Ronan are on Reservations. The other seven are not. Also, I grew up in Wolf Point, number one on the list, and feel completely safe there, then and now. There is poverty and desperation and alcoholism, in many of these rural towns, whether or not they are on a reservation. Also, Wolf Point is now close to the Bakken oil range, where an influx of people, desperate for jobs have permeated the Northwestern North Dakota and Northeastern Montana, bringing crime with them.

    2. Sounds like Bill Wilson is a little Prejudiced. Come visit me in Wolf Point and I will introduce you to some of my friends!!!Unless you would rather not.

    3. Got something against native americans. How about you keep reservations and native americans out of this. Theser are also the highest in poverty and unemployment per cap. Whats that tell you?

    4. Whats all on the reservation? Their is no reservation towns on this list. Because reservation towns are necessarily part of the state because they are basically their own nations. They are not under state jurisdiction. They are under federal jurisdiction. And they police their own.

  1. I do not believe this report. I live in Cut Bank and we have way more than 0 African American’s living there. Maybe check your info BEFORE publishing.

  2. Hmmmm Where to begin : hahaha This is a flawed report , whatever , First of all you are only taking towns over 2, 000 , which already means , you do not have the foggiest idea of how crime is reported and to to whom. Then there is the matter of the reservations Montana is a flawed state Some areas of Mt are mostly county . Does Mt have a uniform crime reporting system . How are suburbs of larger towns handled is that county crime or town crime ?

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