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What are the worst places to live in Montana (Photo: New Home Source)
A list of Montana’s most dangerous towns for 2023 shows a less perfect side of the state that is known for its beautiful scenery and outdoor activities. RoadSnacks looks into the numbers by looking at FBI crime records for 31 towns with populations of 2,000 or more to find both serious and property crimes.
Even though Montana isn’t the most dangerous state for crime, it could be better, and the problems don’t just happen in the state’s biggest towns. There are some problems in Billings and Missoula, but the state has been able to spread them out more equally.
As people in Montana think about possible answers, like more police, more monitoring, or better recovery programs, it’s clear how important it is to deal with crime in the most dangerous areas. People in Montana are being asked to look over the list of the state’s most dangerous places before making important decisions. They understand that everyone needs to work together to make neighborhoods safer.
Here are the 10 most dangerous places to live in Montana in 2023.
| City | Population | Violent Crimes per 100k | Property Crimes per 100k |
|---|---|---|---|
| Billings | 110,157 | 852 | 4,765 |
| Ronan | 2,141 | 934 | 3,082 |
| Helena | 33,629 | 642 | 3,648 |
| Polson | 5,115 | 703 | 3,206 |
| Havre | 9,820 | 712 | 3,054 |
| Cut Bank | 3,075 | 747 | 2,536 |
| Great Falls | 58,345 | 455 | 5,140 |
| Missoula | 76,468 | 491 | 3,589 |
| Wolf Point | 2,744 | 1,202 | 1,931 |
| East Helena | 2,113 | 473 | 2,366 |
1. Billings
Billings is a lively city in south-central Montana that sits on the Yellowstone River. It has beautiful natural scenery and culture gems like the Yellowstone Art Museum and the Western Heritage Center. Even though Billings is beautiful, it is found to be Montana’s most dangerous city. This is mostly because of its high rates of property crimes like burglaries, robberies, and car thefts. This city of 110,157 people has seen 14 murders in the past year alone, which is very worrying. The serious crime rate in Billings is 852 per 100,000 people, and the property crime rate is 4,765 per 100,000 people. These numbers show how important it is for the whole community to work together to make the city safer.
2. Ronan City
The small city of Ronan, which is in the northwest of Montana and on the Flathead Indian Reservation, has a criminal offense rate that is way too high for its population of 2,141. Ronan is the second most dangerous place in Montana, even though it is not very big. In one year, there were 66 property crimes and 20 serious crimes reported. With a serious crime rate of 934 per 100,000 people and a property crime rate of 3,082 per 100,000 people, the numbers show that the community faces big problems and that specific steps need to be taken right away to make Ronan safer.
3. Helena
It’s scary to know that Helena, which is known as Montana’s political capital, is also the state’s capital for reported rapes. With 33,629 people, the city had the highest number of rapes in Montana, with 50 reported in just one year. Helena also had 216 serious crimes and 1,227 property crimes during the same time period as this scary number. With a serious crime rate of 642 per 100,000 people and a property crime rate of 3,648 per 100,000 people, these numbers make it clear that the whole city needs to work together to make it safer.
4. Polson
Polson, a small town in northwest Montana, is in the middle of the Flathead Indian Reservation and has a lot of safety issues.” It has been named the fourth most dangerous place in Montana, with 5,115 people living there. 164 property crimes and 36 serious crimes were reported in a single year. With a serious crime rate of 703 per 100,000 people and a property crime rate of 3,206 per 100,000 people, these numbers make it clear that Polson needs community-based programs to solve its safety problems.
5. Havre
With its history as a rough American train town, Havre, which is in north-central Montana and on the Milk River, has a lot of safety problems. Even though there are only 9,820 people living in this town, rising rates of property crime and serious crime have made it famous. There have been 57 assaults in Havre in the past year alone, which adds to the city’s serious crime rate of 712 per 100,000. The rate of property thefts also hit a scary 3,054 per 100,000, which is very high. These numbers show how important it is for Havre to have community-based programs to deal with safety issues right away.
6. Cut Bank
With only 3,075 people, Cut Bank, Montana, is a small but peaceful town. However, its high crime rate makes it the most dangerous place in the state, challenging the saying “small is beautiful.” Cut Bank is only 30 miles from the Canadian border and got its name from a canyon close by. It has a strong flow. The town, which has only a few thousand people, had 23 violent events, giving it the highest violent crime rate in Montana at 747 per 100,000 people. Cut Bank has a pretty good property crime record, with 78 recorded cases. However, with a rate of 2,536 per 100,000 people, it is the ninth most common place in the state for property crime. These numbers show how important it is to act quickly to address safety issues in Cut Bank.
7. Great Falls
With a long past as an important shipping and industry hub, Great Falls, Montana, which has 58,345 people and the third-largest population in the state, has a lot of problems when it comes to crime. In this case, the city’s disturbing reputation for having the highest rate of property crime in Montana is partly due to its bigger population. The city reports an unbelievable 2,999 property crimes every year, which is 5,140 crimes for every 100,000 people. With a crime rate of 5,596 crimes per 100,000 people, Great Falls is the second most dangerous place in Montana because of all the property crime that happens there. While the numbers for property crime are worrying, the numbers for serious crime in Great Falls are much better, with 266 cases reported. Even so, it’s still the 12th most dangerous place in the state. These numbers show how important it is for the whole community of Great Falls to work together to fix safety problems.
8. Missoula
With 76,468 people, Missoula is one of Montana’s biggest towns and has a big crime problem. There were 376 serious crimes in the city last year, including four killings, the most in the state. Also, 60 rapes were reported in Missoula. Property crime is also a problem. There have been 2,745 reports of burglaries and car thefts in the city, which ranks it eighth in the country. There were 3,589 property crimes for every 100,000 people, which is the fourth most in Montana. These numbers show how important it is to act quickly to fix safety problems in Missoula.
9. Wolf Point
10. East Helena
East Helena, a small town with only 2,113 people near Helena, Montana’s capital, is one of the most dangerous places in the state. The town had 10 serious crimes and 50 property crimes in a year, which is a big increase for such a small town. East Helena is the 11th most risky place in Montana for both property and violent crime, with rates of 473 crimes per 100,000 people for property crimes and 2,366 crimes per 100,000 people for violent crimes. It is safer than bigger towns like Missoula. To fix the safety problems in East Helena, small-scale activities are needed.
The worst crime that has ever happened in Montana
In 1999, Nathaniel Bar-Jonah shocked Montana when he was caught in Great Falls for pretending to be a police officer and trying to take children from their parents. During the probe, troubling evidence was found, such as a guide with recipes for “little boy stew” and a list of boys’ names that were marked “died.” Even though Bar-Jonah wasn’t charged with murder, he got 130 years in jail in 2002 for abusing children and trying to take them away. The case changed how sex abusers are tracked and had a long effect on the community.
Traveling to Montana? Here are five safety tips.
“If you want to plan a trip to Montana, which is one of the least crowded states in the US, keep these important tips in mind:
Emergency Supplies: Because the regions are so big, it’s important to have food, drink, and an emergency kit on hand in case you get stuck on a long trip and can’t easily get to things you need.
Protect Your Valuables: Be aware of your surroundings when you’re in Yellowstone National Park or another popular tourist spot. Put your goods somewhere out of sight, like a safe place in your car or at your hotel.
Travel Insurance: Because of the wildlife and bad weather in Montana, it’s a good idea to have travel insurance. It protects you and gives you money in case something unexpected happens.
Wear layers because the weather in Montana can change a lot during the day. Wear several layers of warm clothes so that you can adapt to changing weather.
Tell Your Bank: Tell your bank about your trip to Montana before you leave. This lets them know where you are and keeps them from blocking valid charges to your account.
These tips can help you stay safe and have a better time while you’re visiting Montana.
