Study Says Montana is One of the Most Unsafe States in America

Missoula, MT (KGVO-AM News) - The financial website Wallet Hub released a study on Monday stating that Montana is one of the most unsafe states in America, coming in 42^nd overall, and specifically coming in 49^th in suicides and for Montana’s driving safety laws.

KGVO News spoke to Wallet Hub analyst Cassandra Happe, who described the metrics of the study.

Montana Rated as one of the most Unsafe States in the Country

“For this study, we looked at safety kind of in a holistic sense, across five key dimensions,” began Happe. “Those dimensions were personal and residential safety, financial safety, road safety, workplace safety, and emergency preparedness. There were 52 metrics that went into those five categories, and then we graded every one on each metric, and then we ranked them based on that overall rating.”

Happe said Montana ranked poorly in some important categories, especially in violent crimes.

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Montana Ranked High in Assaults and Sex Offenders per Capita

“Assaults per capita and sex offenders per capita,” she said. “In assaults per capita, Montana ranked 41st, and sex offenders per capita, they ranked 48^th. But since those were double weights, those were taken into much higher consideration. However, the hate crime incidents per capita were an area where Montana did very well where they ranked sixth overall.”

Happe said Montana needs improvement in a wide variety of other areas of safety for its citizens.

Here's Where Montana Needs the Most Work

“Suicide rates, improving the driving laws, and working on improving workplace safety to bring down the fatal occupational injuries for full-time workers and then also saving more for children's college,” she said. “That's another area where Montana could really improve from a financial safety standpoint."

The states rated the safest were almost all from New England, with Connecticut at 6, Massachusetts at 5, New Hampshire at 3, Maine at 2, and Vermont as the safest state in America.

The least safe state was Louisiana.