$14.2 million
Cost of Crime™ for McDonald County, MO
In 2025, crime will cost $1,657 per household.
More cost data
On the map, green marks the parts of McDonald 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 McDonald County, MO Safe?
The D+ overall grade blends the violent, property, and other grades shown above into one measure, set against the average US county, where McDonald County's combined rate is slightly higher than the norm. McDonald County sits in the 30th percentile, ahead of 30% of counties and behind 70%. The grade covers only McDonald County's official city boundaries. See the table below for nearby counties.
The overall crime rate in McDonald County is 38.13 per 1,000 residents in a typical year. Residents generally consider the northeast part of the county the safest. Your chance of being a victim ranges from 1 in 20 in the south areas to 1 in 47 in the northeast.
Counting total incidents instead of per-capita rates, the southwest parts of McDonald County, MO report the most crime, about 294 cases per year. The east part reports the fewest, around 34 per year.
The Cost of Crime™ in McDonald County, MO
Across all crime types, the projected cost of crime in McDonald County for 2025 is $14,186,006, about $589 per resident and $1,657 per household. That equals 2.4% of the median household income.
These figures cover tangible costs, which include:
- Criminal justice system costs (law enforcement, courts, and imprisonment): 54.7%
- Direct costs to victims (damaged property, medical expenses, and lost wages): 33.4%
- Lost economic contribution from offenders (time in prison or repeat offenses): 11.8%
How Much Does Crime Cost in McDonald County Compared to Other Counties?
| McDonald County, MO: |
$589
|
| St. Louis City, MO: |
$1636
|
| Cass County, MO: |
$361
|
| Missouri: |
$660
|
| USA: |
$464
|
The overall cost of crime per resident in McDonald County is $589 per year, which is $125 more than the national average and $71 less than Missouri's state average. The comparison below uses counties similar to McDonald County:
- In St. Louis City, MO, crime costs $1,636 per person, which is $1,047 more than in McDonald County.
- In Cass County, MO, crime costs $361 per person, which is $228 less than in McDonald County
2025 Projected Cost by Type of Crime
The table below shows the total cost of crime to the residents of McDonald County for the year 2025 along with the projected cost per resident.
Crime |
Cost to McDonald County |
Cost per McDonald County Resident |
Murder |
$4.65 million |
$193 |
Rape/Sexual Assault |
$1.05 million |
$44 |
Robbery |
$435,344 |
$18 |
Assault |
$2.24 million |
$93 |
Kidnapping |
$219,901 |
$9 |
Vehicle Theft |
$470,756 |
$20 |
Burglary |
$958,930 |
$40 |
Theft |
$1.90 million |
$79 |
Arson |
$116,482 |
$5 |
Vandalism |
$1.12 million |
$46 |
Animal Cruelty |
$14,961 |
$1 |
Drug Crimes |
$952,205 |
$40 |
Identity Theft |
$59,549 |
$2 |
Total Cost of Crime |
$14,186,006 |
$589 |
The Intangible Cost of Crime in McDonald County, MO
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 McDonald County totals $36,592,048 ($1,520 per resident), and all of it comes from
violent crime rather than property loss. Added to the tangible costs, the full estimate reaches $50,778,055 ($2,109 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 southwest part of the county holds more 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, of which McDonald County has 3, do the same, and of McDonald County's 24,077 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 McDonald County, MO at ISP Reports.
McDonald 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 McDonald County residents in a standard year.
Violent Crime Rates
Crime Type |
Crime Rate |
Assault |
3.241 |
Robbery |
0.5748 |
Rape |
0.7212 |
Murder |
0.1027 |
Total Violent Crime |
4.640 (C-) |
|
|
Property Crime Rates
Crime Type |
Crime Rate |
Theft |
15.25 |
Vehicle Theft |
1.263 |
Burglary |
4.391 |
Arson |
0.2003 |
Total Property Crime |
21.10 (D+) |
|
|
Other Crime Rates
Crime Type |
Crime Rate |
Kidnapping |
0.1506 |
Drug Crimes |
5.347 |
Vandalism |
6.485 |
Identity Theft |
0.3195 |
Animal Cruelty |
0.0840 |
Total "Other" Rate |
12.39 (C-) |
Individual McDonald County Crime Maps & Stats
Crime Maps and Rates for Nearby Counties
Compared to surrounding counties, the rate of crime in McDonald County is similar. The table below shows Crime Grades for counties close to McDonald County.
Nearby County | Overall Crime Grade | Violent Crime Grade | Property Crime Grade |
|---|
| C+ | C+ | C+ |
| C | C | C+ |
| C- | C- | D+ |
| D+ | C | D+ |
| C | C | C |
| C- | C- | C- |
| D+ | C- | B- |
| C- | C- | C- |
| C+ | C+ | B- |
| D+ | D+ | D+ |
Crime Maps and Rates for County with Similar Populations
McDonald County is higher 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 |
|---|
| C- | C+ | C+ |
| D- | D- | D- |
| A- | A- | A- |
| B | A | A |
| B- | C | C |
| C+ | C | C |
| D | C- | C- |
| A+ | A | A |
| D | D | D |
| A+ | A | A |
Considering only the crime rate, McDonald County is as safe as the Missouri 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 McDonald County, MO average SchoolGrade of C, with 35% actual proficiency versus 36% projected; overall, schools meet expectations. See McDonald 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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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.