Is There A Lot of Crime in Montgomery, Alabama? (What You Should Know)

As the state capital, Montgomery is easily one of the most well-known cities in Alabama. So, you may be curious to know if the city of Montgomery, Alabama has a lot of crime! Make sure to keep reading to find out more!

Crime rates in Montgomery, Alabama are alarmingly high. The city has higher reports in areas of violent crimes as well as in property crimes than the United States average and the Alabama state average. Overall crime rates exceed both state and national averages as well.

Even though these crime rates are high, the city does have a very large population, and there are areas of Montgomery that are actually quite safe and rather foreign to crime. We have done all the research and have the answers for you! So read on to learn about the types of crimes that are most common in the city and for lists of the safest and most dangerous neighborhoods in Montgomery.

Summary of Montgomery Crime Reports

Montgomery, Alabama is not the safest place to be in the state or in the nation. In fact, a study on the overall crime rates in cities across the United States shows that Montgomery is only safer than a small 9% of cities in the nation. This means that crime reports in Montgomery show it is more dangerous than 91% of US cities.

There are approximately 7,522 crimes reported annually in the city. This statistic is composed of 1,031 violent crimes and an average of 6,491 property crimes committed. Montgomery has approximately 37.50 overall crimes committed per 1,000 residents. There are approximately 5.14 violent crimes reported and 32.36 property crimes reported per 1,000 residents, which makes up this final sum of 37.50 crimes per capita.

The United States has an average of approximately 26.9 crimes committed per square mile overall. The state of Alabama has far fewer crimes per square mile with a mere 12 on average. However, the city of Montgomery exceeds both of these averages with a total of 46 crimes committed per square mile of the city. A consistent pattern of higher crime rates in Montgomery than the averages shown by Alabama and the US will be apparent in the following crime statistics as well.

Property Crime Reports

Each person in Montgomery claims a 1 in 31 chance that they will be the next victim of a property crime committed there. This is considerably more dangerous than the 1 in 48 chance each person in the entire state of Alabama has that they will fall victim to a property crime.

There are approximately 32.36 property crimes committed in Montgomery per 1,000 residents. This exceeds the national and state averages of 19 and 20.93 respectively. In fact, it is a full 1.55 times higher than the state of Alabama and 1.7% higher than the national average in the United States. For reference, some examples of property crimes include burglary, theft, and motor vehicle theft. These types of crimes are far more common in Montgomery than in the rest of the state of Alabama or in the average city in the United States.

The City’s Violent Crime Rates

There are around 5.14 violent crimes recorded in the city of Montgomery per 1,000 residents. This exceeds the national and Alabama state averages of 4 and 4.44 respectively. There are more violent crimes committed in Montgomery than are common in cities in Alabama or across the entire United States. While in Montgomery, you have a 1 in 195 chance that you will become the victim of a violent crime committed in the city. The city offers far worse odds than the state of Alabama with only a 1 in 225 chance that you will fall victim to a violent crime while there.

Most Dangerous Neighborhoods and Areas

Crime rates are rather high overall in the city of Montgomery. This is clearly shown in the statistics above and also in relation to the national and state averages for the United States and Alabama. However, it is normal for there to be some parts of every city that have higher crime rates than others, even when the city appears rather dangerous as a whole. In the case of Montgomery, there are definitely some neighborhoods that are more dangerous than others and are recommended by locals to avoid when researching the area with intentions of moving there.

  • Chisolm
  • South Montgomery
  • Washington Park
  • West End
  • West Montgomery

While locals and other articles show that these neighborhoods are among the more dangerous within Montgomery, it is important to mention that not all crime occurs here. These are just places that are known to report more crimes as is shown on crime rate maps.

Safest Neighborhoods in Montgomery

Most people feel it is important to know which parts of the city are more or less dangerous than others, but it is also really useful to know which neighborhoods and areas are the safest. This is especially beneficial information when looking at moving to the area. Anyone who is thinking about or planning on moving to Montgomery should begin by reviewing the homes in the following neighborhoods because the crime rates for each of them are far lower than in other parts of the city.

  • Cloverdale
  • Cottage Hill
  • Eastchase
  • Garden District
  • Halycon
  • Hampstead
  • Old Cloverdale
  • Pinedale
  • The Grove
  • Wynlakes

Living in one of these neighborhoods does not mean that you will not experience any crime at all, but it does increase the probability that you will be further from harm’s way. Feel free to research crime maps for Montgomery as well, as this information will help in deciding which part of the city will best match the kind of lifestyle you and your family hope to lead. Living in a safer area will help in making friends and forming social connections with like-minded and trustworthy people as well.

Why is This Important?

Now that you have read all of the information, it’s good to know why it’s so important in the first place. Knowing a city’s crime rates is essential in order to visit or living in a city. Knowing the city’s crime rates will help keep you and your family safe!

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