Montana’s Crime Rate: What Happened To The Last Best Place?

For many, living in Montana is a bucket-list item, a dream come true if you will.

I mean, the idea of living someplace beautiful, surrounded by mountains, streams, trees, and no one living next to you, is a pretty good definition of Heaven in my book. Oh sure, there are towns where the houses are built right next to each other; however, much of Montana still has the rustic, rural feel.

For decades, Montana has been a place where people have gone to escape the hustle and bustle and start anew. Back in the old days, folks would travel here in hopes of striking it rich; nowadays, the rich come here to escape people.

READ MORE: One of the most remote areas in America is here in Montana

However, when it comes to your safety, Montana might not be the best place to call home.

How safe is Montana?

According to one source, Montana is one of the most unsafe states to call home. I'll be honest with you, other than a few times in the forest, I've never felt unsafe here in Big Sky Country. However, the folks over at Mental Floss have deemed Montana the 40th safest state in America.

So, why are we ranked 40th?

According to their site, Mental Floss says that we have a high rate of violent crime here. In fact, our violent crime rate is higher than the national average, and we're ranked 12th in the country.

So maybe Mental Floss doesn't know what they're talking about, right? Well, according to WalletHub, we're not ranked much higher when it comes to safety. They put us at 39th out of 50. It seems that the whole personal safety thing plays a big factor in their rankings as well.

Are there any states in our area that are safe? Actually, yes.

Utah, Wyoming, and Idaho all make the Top 20 for the Safest States in America, so what's up with Montana? While there are several theories, it really comes down to who you ask. Certain people or groups will point the finger in one direction, while others will do the opposite.

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The truth? You should probably not move here. It's very dangerous, however, Idaho, Utah, and Wyoming are lovely.