Nelson County is home to 3,020 residents and includes Lakota and McVille · Updated November 2026
Is Nelson County, ND safe?
Yes. Crime is low across most of the US, and lower still in Nelson County: an overall CrimeGrade™ of A+, safer than the neighborhoods where 99% of Americans live. Violent and property crime both grade A+ here. Every neighborhood in Nelson County grades A+.
A+
Overall CrimeGrade™
Safety score 995 of 1,000Safer than nearly all US neighborhoodsi What this means
99% of Americans live in neighborhoods with more crime than Nelson County as a whole, and 1% in neighborhoods with less. The typical US neighborhood has a safety score of 838, a CrimeGrade™ of A-. Nelson County scores 995.
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.
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 Nelson County, ND at ISP Reports.
Who this page is for: homeowners and renters in Nelson 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 Nelson County
Crime per resident runs higher than the grade. Nelson County draws many workers, shoppers and visitors: it has 12.3 stores and restaurants for every 1,000 residents, against 10.5 nationally. Crimes against them are counted against the few who live here, so crime per resident looks higher than the CrimeGrade™ suggests. The CrimeGrade™ counts everyone who spends time here.
Crime rates and types in Nelson County
CrimeGrade™ estimates Nelson County has about 19 reported crimes a year for every 1,000 residents, 48% less than the US as a whole and 50% less than North Dakota.
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.
Theft is the most common crime in Nelson County, about 38% of everything reported.
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.
How Nelson County compares with nearby counties
Nelson County has less crime than 8 of its 10 nearest counties; only Cavalier County and Eddy County have less.
Empty homes, walkability and density in Nelson County
Two things set Nelson County apart: it has 20.1% of its homes standing empty, against 7.1% nationally, and a Walk Grade of D- (7 of 100) on BestNeighborhood, against 21 for the US as a whole. Places with many empty homes tend to report more burglary and arson.
Empty homesSeasonal and vacation homes are left out. Places with many empty homes tend to report more burglary and arson.20.1% of homesUS: 7.1%Higher than for 99% 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. 96% of residents here live in car-dependent areas.D- (7 of 100)US: 21Lower 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 90% of Americans
Show all 6
Stores and restaurantsShops and restaurants draw crowds and parked cars. Places with many stores tend to report more theft.12.3 per 1,000 residentsUS: 10.5Higher than for 87% 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 Nelson County: F (0 of 100).NoneUS: noneLower than for 86% of Americans
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.47% where people liveUS: 78%Lower than for 86% of Americans
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 Nelson County
Crime costs Nelson County about $694 a year per household, counting police, courts and prisons as well as victims' losses, 42% 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 $4.2 million a year, or $1,407 per resident.
How the cost breaks down
Crime
Cost a year
Per resident
Murder
$400,000
$133
Rape
$76,000
$25
Robbery
$7,800
$3
Assault
$190,000
$62
Burglary
$29,000
$9
Theft
$110,000
$38
Vehicle theft
$29,000
$9
Arson
$22,000
$7
Vandalism
$94,000
$31
Total
$960,000
$318
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 Nelson 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.
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
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.
Schools in Nelson County, ND average a SchoolGrade of B: 45% of students test proficient, against 43% projected for schools like them. Overall, they meet expectations. See schools in Nelson County on SchoolGrade
