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

Crime per Capita in Powell County

This overview combines violent, property, and other offenses into a single grade for Powell 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.

 

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

C+

Overall Crime Grade™

C
A-
Other Crime Grade
D-

$3.26 million

Cost of Crime™ for Powell County, MT

In 2025, crime will cost $1,056 per household.

More cost data

On the map, green marks the parts of Powell 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 Powell County, MT Safe?

The C+ overall grade blends the violent, property, and other grades shown above into one measure, set against the average US county, where Powell County's combined rate is about the same as the norm. Powell County sits in the 48th percentile, ahead of 48% of counties and behind 52%. The grade covers only Powell County's official city boundaries. See the table below for nearby counties.

The overall crime rate in Powell County is 31.34 per 1,000 residents in a typical year. Residents generally consider the northwest part of the county the safest. Your chance of being a victim ranges from 1 in 28 in the northeast areas to 1 in 43 in the northwest.

Counting total incidents instead of per-capita rates, the south parts of Powell County, MT report the most crime, about 152 cases per year. The southwest part reports the fewest, around 1 per year.

The Cost of Crime™ in Powell County, MT

Across all crime types, the projected cost of crime in Powell County for 2025 is $3,264,719, about $452 per resident and $1,056 per household. That equals 1.5% of the median household income. These figures cover tangible costs, which include:
  1. Criminal justice system costs (law enforcement, courts, and imprisonment): 59.8%
  2. Direct costs to victims (damaged property, medical expenses, and lost wages): 27.0%
  3. Lost economic contribution from offenders (time in prison or repeat offenses): 13.1%

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

Powell County, MT: $452
Missoula County, MT: $588
Flathead County, MT: $323
Montana: $495
USA: $464

The overall cost of crime per resident in Powell County is $452 per year, which is $12 less than the national average and $43 less than Montana's state average. The comparison below uses counties similar to Powell County:
  • In Missoula County, MT, crime costs $588 per person, which is $136 more than in Powell County.
  • In Flathead County, MT, crime costs $323 per person, which is $129 less than in Powell County

2025 Projected Cost by Type of Crime

The table below shows the total cost of crime to the residents of Powell County for the year 2025 along with the projected cost per resident.
Crime
Cost to Powell County
Cost per Powell County Resident
Murder
$656,918
$91
Rape/Sexual Assault
$489,164
$68
Robbery
$43,083
$6
Assault
$561,830
$78
Kidnapping
$108,377
$15
Vehicle Theft
$132,052
$18
Burglary
$105,349
$15
Theft
$309,149
$43
Arson
$33,090
$5
Vandalism
$578,556
$80
Animal Cruelty
$11,384
$2
Drug Crimes
$183,236
$25
Identity Theft
$52,533
$7
Total Cost of Crime
$3,264,719
$452

The Intangible Cost of Crime in Powell 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 Powell County totals $6,858,757 ($949 per resident), and all of it comes from violent crime rather than property loss. Added to the tangible costs, the full estimate reaches $10,123,477 ($1,401 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 south 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 Powell County has 5, do the same, and of Powell County's 7,224 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 Powell County, MT at ISP Reports.

Powell 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 Powell County residents in a standard year.

Violent Crime Rates

Crime Type
Crime Rate
Assault
2.708
Robbery
0.1896
Rape
1.117
Murder
0.0484
Total Violent Crime
4.063 (C)
 
 

 


Property Crime Rates

Crime Type
Crime Rate
Theft
8.263
Vehicle Theft
1.180
Burglary
1.608
Arson
0.1897
Total Property Crime
11.24 (A-)
 
 

 


Other Crime Rates

Crime Type
Crime Rate
Kidnapping
0.2474
Drug Crimes
3.429
Vandalism
11.21
Identity Theft
0.9395
Animal Cruelty
0.2130
Total "Other" Rate
16.04 (D-)

 


Crime Maps and Rates for Nearby Counties

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

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

Crime Maps and Rates for County with Similar Populations

Powell County is lower 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
A
B-
B-
D+
D
D
B
A-
A-
D
D
D
F
F
F
D+
D
D
B
A
A
D+
D+
D+
F
F
F
F
C-
C-

Considering only the crime rate, Powell County is safer than the Montana state average and as safe as the national average.

Safety and school performance are separate topics, but both shape moving decisions. Using SchoolGrade data, schools in Powell County, MT average SchoolGrade of C+, with 39% actual proficiency versus 38% projected; overall, schools meet expectations. See Powell 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

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Home Security Companies in Powell 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.