A new report has identified Montana’s 10 most dangerous towns for 2026 based on AreaVibes crime data analysis. While Montana is generally considered safe, certain communities face significant public safety challenges.
Montana’s 10 Most Dangerous Cities (2026)
According to AreaVibes, ranked by violent crime per 100,000 residents:
| # | City | Violent Crime Rate | Grade |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Billings | 746.1/100K | F |
| 2 | Missoula | 596.9/100K | F |
| 3 | Great Falls | 574.4/100K | F |
| 4 | Helena | 513.7/100K | F |
| 5 | Bozeman | 434.1/100K | F |
| 6 | Belgrade | 341.3/100K | F |
| 7 | Kalispell | 292.9/100K | F |
| 8 | Wolf Point | Highest in MT | F |
| 9 | Havre | Highest property crime | F |
| 10 | Colstrip | Safest (but issues) | F |
Note: Rankings use per-100,000 population basis, which can make smaller towns appear more dangerous than larger cities
Key Crime Statistics
- Billings leads with 911 violent crimes and 3,765 property crimes (2024) among 122,105 residents
- Missoula has the highest property crime rate at 3,629.4/100K
- Great Falls ranks third with 574.4/100K violent crime
- Montana’s average violent crime rate across these cities:Â 499.9/100K
- Montana’s overall crime rate:Â 3,450 per 100KÂ (25% above national average)
- Wolf Point tops violent crimes statewide
- Havre has highest property crime
The average violent crime rate in Montana’s 7 highest-crime cities exceeds the U.S. national violent crime benchmark significantly.
SOURCES:
- https://k99hits.com/most-dangerous-montana-towns-2026/
- https://www.safehome.org/safest-cities/mt/
