Located in scenic western Montana, Missoula County features a range of landscapes and is home to Missoula city and several other villages. This county offers a lot of amenities and attractions, but there is also a lot of crime and violence in different parts of the county.
We can identify the top five neighborhoods in Missoula County, Montana, with higher crime rates based on recent data collected from NeighborhoodScout, AreaVibes, and CrimeGrade:
Westside
Located north of the Bitterroot Branch and west of the Clark Fork River, this neighborhood has a crime rate of 67 incidents per 1,000 residents, which is higher than the crime rate of 97% of Montanan neighborhoods.
Regarding particular crime categories, the rate of violent crime is nine per 1,000 residents, which is more than double the norm for the state. Concurrently, the rate of property crime stands at 58 per 1,000 inhabitants, above the state average as well.
Heart of Missoula
Located in the center of Missoula’s downtown, this area has a crime rate of 63 occurrences per 1,000 residents, which is higher than the crime rate of 96% of Montanan neighborhoods.
In particular, there are eight violent crimes for per 1,000 residents, which is almost twice as high as the state average. Concurrently, the rate of property crime above the average for the state, with 55 incidents per 1,000 inhabitants.
Franklin to the Fort
Located east of Reserve Street and south of the Clark Fork River, this area has a crime rate per 1,000 residents of 59, which is higher than the rates of 95% of Montanan neighborhoods.
In particular, the rate of violent crime is 7 incidents per 1,000 residents, which is around 50% worse than the average for the state. At 52 incidents per 1,000 residents, the property crime rate is higher than the average for the state.
Riverfront
This area, which is located south of Broadway Street along the Clark Fork River, has a crime rate per 1,000 residents that is 56 times lower than 94% other neighborhoods in Montana.
Upon closer examination, the rate of violent crime is 6 per 1,000 residents, which is around 25% greater than the average for the state. Additionally, the rate of property crime surpasses the state average, with 50 incidents per 1,000 persons.
Northside
This area, which is east of Scott Street and north of the Clark Fork River, has a crime rate of 54 per 1,000 residents, which puts it in the top 7% of communities in Montana in terms of crime frequency.
At six incidences per 1,000 residents, the rate of violent crimes is almost 25% higher than the state average. Similarly, the rate of property crime is higher than the state average, with 48 incidences per 1,000 residents.
In summary
These communities’ high crime rates may be caused by a number of causes, such as poverty, unemployment, gang presence, restricted educational prospects, and substance misuse.
However, they also have certain positive traits that might eventually help reduce crime, like ethnic diversity, social service accessibility, community involvement, and continuous urban renewal initiatives.
Should you want to go to or live in Missoula County, you should become acquainted with the regions that have higher crime rates and take safety and property protection procedures.