The Safest and Most Dangerous Places in Garfield County, MT: Crime Maps and Statistics

Crime per Capita in Garfield County

This overview combines violent, property, and other offenses into a single grade for Garfield County. The dedicated violent crime and property crime pages go deeper on each. The map below shows the overall crime rate per 1,000 residents.

 

Garfield County, MT Map of Crime Rates
Click the map to explore
A+ B C D F
Safest Highest crime
Colorblind friendly off

D+

Overall Crime Grade™

D
C
Other Crime Grade
D-

$666,913

Cost of Crime™ for Garfield County, MT

In 2025, crime will cost $1,367 per household.

More cost data

On the map, green marks the parts of Garfield County with the least crime overall and red marks the most. Each area is weighted by the type and severity of every offense, so a place with rare but serious violent crime can grade differently from one with frequent petty theft. The Interpreting the Crime Maps section below explains how to read the colors.

Is Garfield County, MT Safe?

The D+ overall grade blends the violent, property, and other grades shown above into one measure, set against the average US county, where Garfield County's combined rate is higher than the norm. Garfield County sits in the 25th percentile, ahead of 25% of counties and behind 75%. The grade covers only Garfield County's official city boundaries. See the table below for nearby counties.

The overall crime rate in Garfield County is 41.15 per 1,000 residents in a typical year. Residents generally consider the south part of the county the safest. Your chance of being a victim ranges from 1 in 24 in the north areas to 1 in 26 in the south.

Counting total incidents instead of per-capita rates, the central parts of Garfield County, MT report the most crime, about 13 cases per year. The south part reports the fewest, around 0 per year.

The Cost of Crime™ in Garfield County, MT

Across all crime types, the projected cost of crime in Garfield County for 2025 is $666,913, about $600 per resident and $1,367 per household. That equals 1.7% of the median household income. These figures cover tangible costs, which include:
  1. Criminal justice system costs (law enforcement, courts, and imprisonment): 59.0%
  2. Direct costs to victims (damaged property, medical expenses, and lost wages): 28.1%
  3. Lost economic contribution from offenders (time in prison or repeat offenses): 12.9%

How Much Does Crime Cost in Garfield County Compared to Other Counties?

Garfield County, MT: $600
Missoula County, MT: $588
Flathead County, MT: $323
Montana: $495
USA: $464

The overall cost of crime per resident in Garfield County is $600 per year, which is $136 more than the national average and $105 more than Montana's state average. The comparison below uses counties similar to Garfield County:
  • In Missoula County, MT, crime costs $588 per person, which is $12 less than in Garfield County.
  • In Flathead County, MT, crime costs $323 per person, which is $277 less than in Garfield County

2025 Projected Cost by Type of Crime

The table below shows the total cost of crime to the residents of Garfield County for the year 2025 along with the projected cost per resident.
Crime
Cost to Garfield County
Cost per Garfield County Resident
Murder
$144,747
$130
Rape/Sexual Assault
$75,485
$68
Robbery
$15,548
$14
Assault
$139,606
$126
Kidnapping
$24,234
$22
Vehicle Theft
$10,186
$9
Burglary
$37,904
$34
Theft
$70,193
$63
Arson
$2,893
$3
Vandalism
$99,091
$89
Animal Cruelty
$903
$1
Drug Crimes
$37,394
$34
Identity Theft
$8,730
$8
Total Cost of Crime
$666,913
$600

The Intangible Cost of Crime in Garfield County, MT

The totals above count tangible costs only. Violent crime also carries a human cost, the pain and trauma borne by victims and their families, which research-based methods estimate so it can be compared across places. That intangible cost in Garfield County totals $1,363,893 ($1,227 per resident), and all of it comes from violent crime rather than property loss. Added to the tangible costs, the full estimate reaches $2,030,807 ($1,826 per resident). All Cost of Crime figures come from scholarly research on the cost of crime. Read more about our methodology here.

Interpreting the Crime Maps

Crime rates on the map are measured per resident, so areas with heavy visitor traffic can read high because crime follows crowds, even where few people live. The county holds few retail establishments, which lifts recorded crime around those blocks. A red area does not always mean the neighborhood is unsafe for residents.

Airports, parks, and transit hubs create the same effect. Major airports draw large crowds with few residents nearby, so they read as high-crime spots. Parks and recreational areas do the same, and of Garfield County's 1,112 residents few live beside them. Before assuming an area is unsafe, weigh both the per-capita rate and the total number of incidents, and note what sits nearby.

The interactive maps load faster on a strong connection. Compare high speed internet in Garfield County, MT at ISP Reports.

Garfield County Crime Breakdown

The tables below show which crimes are used to calculate the Crime Grades above. All crime rates are shown as the number of crimes per 1,000 Garfield County residents in a standard year.

Violent Crime Rates

Crime Type
Crime Rate
Assault
4.371
Robbery
0.4445
Rape
1.120
Murder
0.0693
Total Violent Crime
6.005 (D)
 
 

 


Property Crime Rates

Crime Type
Crime Rate
Theft
12.19
Vehicle Theft
0.5915
Burglary
3.758
Arson
0.1077
Total Property Crime
16.65 (C)
 
 

 


Other Crime Rates

Crime Type
Crime Rate
Kidnapping
0.3594
Drug Crimes
4.546
Vandalism
12.47
Identity Theft
1.014
Animal Cruelty
0.1098
Total "Other" Rate
18.50 (D-)

 


Crime Maps and Rates for Nearby Counties

Compared to surrounding counties, the rate of crime in Garfield County is similar. The table below shows Crime Grades for counties close to Garfield County.

Nearby County
Overall Crime Grade
Violent Crime Grade
Property Crime Grade
B+
D+
A+
F
F
F
B
A-
A+
B-
C+
A-
C
C
C
C+
D+
C+
D
C-
D
D+
D+
C+
F
C+
F
F
F
F

Crime Maps and Rates for County with Similar Populations

Garfield County is similar versus other counties of the same size for crime. The table below compares crime in counties with comparable overall population in the county‘s boundaries.

Similar County
Overall Crime Grade
Violent Crime Grade
Property Crime Grade
B
C
C
C-
B-
B-
C
C+
C+
D+
C+
C+
C
D
D
D+
B-
B-
F
F
F
D-
D
D
B+
C
C
D
D+
D+

Considering only the crime rate, Garfield County is less safe than the Montana state average and less safe than the national average.

Safety and school performance are separate topics, but both shape moving decisions. Using SchoolGrade data, schools in Garfield County, MT average SchoolGrade of B+, with 52% actual proficiency versus 47% projected; overall, schools exceed expectations. See Garfield County schools on SchoolGrade

About the Data

CrimeGrade.org provides highly detailed and accurate crime data, used by insurance companies, home security firms, and other industries. Our data is available for licensing—learn more about our USA crime data and licensing.

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Home Security

A crime occurs on average every 7 days 23 hours in Garfield County. Want to protect your home?

Home Security Companies in Garfield County, MT

All maps and statistics above are projections, not certainties, and provided without guarantee free of charge. Verify all info before making any decisions based on the data.