Branson Crime Update: The Real Picture Behind the Numbers

You've probably heard it said that talk is cheap and I would agree. There's been a lot of talk about the rising crime rates in the Branson, Missouri area, but what is the real story? Let's dig into some real numbers and see if there's a real problem or big hype about nothing.

I think that part of the problem with getting a true idea of how bad (or not) crime is in Branson, Missouri is stories are being shared based on the data from just one source. For this one, I'll include several.

Let's begin with Neighborhood Scout. It does show that Branson, Missouri has a crime rate of 62.79 for every 1,000 residents compared to the national average of cities its size of only 23.4. That would place Branson in the bottom 1% for safest cities in America. Yikes.

Area Vibes agrees and gives Branson an F grade for crime and the details in their numbers paint a very disturbing picture. Specifically, their data shows rape incidents that are more than TRIPLE the national rate. Branson has a rape occurrence of 138.2 for every 100,000 residents while the national average is still a troubling 40.

Vehicle theft and property damage are also TRIPLE the national rate according to Area Vibes.

But, not every data source agrees that Branson is so dangerous...

I decided to check Niche to see what the real residents of Branson are saying. An overwhelming majority of their audience said that they feel safe in Branson. They also show robbery, assault and burglary are below the national average.

The answer as to how dangerous Branson would be for you would depend on what part of the area you live in or spend the most time in. Neighborhood Scout shows the southwest part of the city along with Table Rock and Gretna seem to be the more problematic areas.

This is another example of why you need to question the sources that are the narrative behind these Branson crime claims before you make up your own mind about whether they're valid or not.