Crime in Monroe County, MO

Monroe County is home to 8,730 residents and includes Monroe City and Paris · Updated November 2026

Is Monroe County, MO safe?

Yes. Most US neighborhoods have little crime, and Monroe County has less than most of them: its overall CrimeGrade™ is A+, safer than the neighborhoods where 98% of Americans live. Violent and property crime both grade A+ here. Its neighborhoods are much alike, from A+ to A; see the map below.

A+
Overall CrimeGrade™Safety score 983 of 1,000
Safer than nearly all US neighborhoods What this means

98% of Americans live in neighborhoods with more crime than Monroe County as a whole, and 2% in neighborhoods with less. The typical US neighborhood has a safety score of 838, a CrimeGrade™ of A-. Monroe County scores 983.

Crime is concentrated in a small share of places, so most neighborhoods score high on the 0 to 1,000 scale. That is why a score in the 800s can still mean more crime than most US neighborhoods.

A+
Violent crimeSafety score 982 of 1,000Less violent crime than nearly all US neighborhoods
A+
Property crimeSafety score 985 of 1,000Less property crime than nearly all US neighborhoods

How it works


Crime map of Monroe County

Map of Monroe County shaded by overall CrimeGrade™, from green for the least crime to red for the most
Click the map to explore
F D C B A+
Highest crime Safest
Colorblind friendly off

How to read the map: each area's color compares its crime with the people, homes and cars there, on one national scale, from green for the least crime to red for the most. Each area gets its own color, so a busy shopping center can show red while the homes beside it stay green. The interactive maps load faster on a strong connection. Compare high speed internet in Monroe County, MO at ISP Reports.

Who this page is for: homeowners and renters in Monroe County, and anyone thinking about buying or renting a home there.

Business and enterprise customers: this free map shows neighborhood areas. CrimeGrade™ business reports map crime at about 66-meter detail and estimate it for one address and type of business. See business reports


What stands out in Monroe County

Thefts are uncommon. Monroe County has thefts at less than half the US rate: 4.8 a year per 1,000 residents, against 13.1 nationally.


Crime rates and types in Monroe County

CrimeGrade™ estimates Monroe County has about 19 reported crimes a year for every 1,000 residents, 50% less than the US as a whole and 56% less than Missouri.

Overall crime

Violent crime

Property crime

Reported crimes a year, per 1,000 residents. These figures include simple assaults and vandalism, which the FBI's violent and property crime rates leave out.

Assault is the most common crime in Monroe County, about 37% of everything reported.

CrimeCrimeGrade™Reported a yearPer 1,000 residentsUS per 1,000
Violent crime
MurderA+under 10.060.05
RapeA+20.280.38
RobberyA+under 10.060.62
AssaultA+616.912.3
Property crime
BurglaryA+212.42.4
TheftA+424.813.1
Vehicle theftA+60.702.7
ArsonA+10.170.12
VandalismA+283.25.5

Each CrimeGrade™ compares a crime with what it affects: people for assaults and robbery, homes for burglary, parked cars for vehicle theft. Rates count crimes per 1,000 residents.

Select a crime's name to see its map above. CrimeGrade™ business reports map each crime at about 66-meter detail.


Where and when crime happens in Monroe County

These figures come from the reports of the police departments across Monroe County, 2022 to 2024.

CrimeMost often atBusiest time
VandalismHomes (44%)Afternoon (noon to 6 pm)
Aggravated assaultHomes (67%)Evening (6 pm to midnight)

Shares of the crimes reported to police, 2022 to 2024. Reports with no time recorded are left out of the times.


How Monroe County compares with nearby counties

Monroe County has the least crime of its 10 nearest counties.

Nearby counties

PlaceOverallViolentPropertyResidents
Monroe CountyA+983A+A+8,730
Shelby County 17 milesA+977A+A+5,990
Audrain County 23 milesA+954A+A+24,500
Ralls County 27 milesA+973A+A+10,400
Randolph County 27 milesA+957A+A+24,400
Show all 10
PlaceOverallViolentPropertyResidents
Marion County 31 milesA923A+A28,500
Macon County 34 milesA+978A+A+15,200
Lewis County 43 milesA+979A+A+9,920
Boone County 44 milesA-816A-A-188,000
Pike County 44 milesA+970A+A+17,700
Adams County, IL 45 milesA+927A+A64,800

Nearest first, with each place's distance from Monroe County. Beside each overall CrimeGrade™ is its safety score, from 0 to 1,000 (higher is safer).

Compared with counties of similar size and density, Monroe County is safer than 76% of them.

Counties of similar size and density

PlaceOverallViolentPropertyResidents
Monroe CountyA+983A+A+8,730
Greene County, IAA+984A+A+8,690
Alger County, MIA+982A+A+8,760
Lucas County, IAA+982A+A+8,720
Perry County, TNA+979A+A+8,700
Show all 10
PlaceOverallViolentPropertyResidents
Kemper County, MSA+979A+A+8,730
White Pine County, NVA+974A+A+8,740
Benton County, INA+972A+A+8,740
Jenkins County, GAA+951A+A+8,710
Wilkinson County, GAA+945A+A+8,750
Gallatin County, KYA+943A+A+8,770

Jobs, empty homes and walkability in Monroe County

Two things set Monroe County apart: it has 20 jobs for every 100 residents, against 45 for the US as a whole, and 17.0% of its homes standing empty, against 7.1% nationally. Places with few jobs tend to report less theft and robbery, and theft runs low here.

JobsJobs draw daytime crowds. Places with many jobs tend to report more theft and robbery.20 for every 100 residentsUS: 45Lower than for 98% of Americans
Empty homesSeasonal and vacation homes are left out. Places with many empty homes tend to report more burglary and arson.17.0% of homesUS: 7.1%Higher than for 98% of Americans
Walk GradeBestNeighborhood's grade for getting through daily life on foot, traced along real walking routes to shops, schools and parks. Walkable places tend to report more theft. 90% of residents here live in car-dependent areas.D- (9 of 100)US: 21Lower than for 83% of Americans
Show all 6
Lit at nightSatellite images show which neighborhoods are lit at night, a sign of busy streets and businesses. Brightly lit places tend to report more theft and vandalism.33% where people liveUS: 78%Lower than for 92% of Americans
Residents in dense blocksBlocks of 10,000 or more people per square mile. Dense neighborhoods tend to report more robbery.2% of residentsUS: 24%Lower than for 92% of Americans
Transit serviceBuses and trains an hour at the evening rush. Places with busy transit tend to report more theft and robbery. BestNeighborhood's Transit Grade for Monroe County: F (0 of 100).NoneUS: noneLower than for 86% of Americans

BestNeighborhood, a sister site of CrimeGrade™, ranks the neighborhoods of Monroe County on shops, parks, home prices, getting around and more.

These traits tend to go with more or less crime; none of them causes it on its own. Sources: Census job counts and housing figures, OpenStreetMap and Overture business listings, CrimeGrade™ parking estimates, NASA night-light imagery, US Forest Service tree cover, EPA transit data and BestNeighborhood's Walk Grade.


What crime costs Monroe County

Crime costs Monroe County about $730 a year per household, counting police, courts and prisons as well as victims' losses, 39% less than the US figure of $1,205.

Cost of crime per resident, per year

Counting the pain and suffering of victims, which comes almost entirely from violent crime, the full cost comes to about $11 million a year, or $1,261 per resident.

How the cost breaks down
CrimeCost a yearPer resident
Murder$930,000$106
Rape$150,000$17
Robbery$17,000$2
Assault$790,000$90
Burglary$190,000$21
Theft$220,000$25
Vehicle theft$94,000$11
Arson$35,000$4
Vandalism$200,000$22
Total$2.6 million$298

How CrimeGrade™ works

A CrimeGrade™ shows how much crime an area has compared with the rest of the country, from A+ for the least crime to F for the most. Every neighborhood in the US is graded on the same scale, so a B in Monroe County means the same as a B anywhere else.

CrimeGrade™ starts from the crimes people report to police and measures each kind of crime against what it affects: people for assaults, homes for burglaries, parked cars for car thefts.

The rates on this page count crimes for every 1,000 people who live here, the way police departments report them. Monroe County is a good example: many people work in, shop in or visit it, so its crime per resident looks worse than its CrimeGrade™ suggests.

Comparisons with US neighborhoods use the Census Bureau's block groups, small areas of about 1,400 residents, and count the people who live in each. The figures count crimes reported to police; many crimes, shoplifting above all, never are. Behind the grades, CrimeGrade™ tested 21,607 factors from 125 data families. For business owners, paid CrimeGrade™ location reports estimate crime at a single address for each type of business.

Where the numbers come from

  • Crime reports that police departments file with the FBI
  • State crime records and city crime data, where they are published
  • Population and housing figures from the US Census Bureau
  • Published research on what crime costs victims and communities

These are estimates of reported crime for whole areas, not a record of what happened on any one street. CrimeGrade™ updates them once a year and provides them free and without guarantee. Check local sources before you rely on them for a decision.

More about CrimeGrade™ data


Schools in Monroe County

Schools in Monroe County, MO average a SchoolGrade of D: 36% of students test proficient, against 35% projected for schools like them. Overall, they don't meet expectations. See schools in Monroe County on SchoolGrade