Surprising Data Says This is the Most Dangerous Place in Missouri

It doesn't look dangerous, but there are new numbers that show if you want to put yourself in the most peril in the state of Missouri, there's one small place you should hang out at.

I became curious about this as I haven't seen any new crime rate numbers for Missouri places in 2025. That's why I decided to find my own by querying the database at USA.com. I rely on their data because it doesn't come with any narrative, just the raw numbers I'm interested in. When I asked the question about the highest crime rates in Missouri, I did not expect the results. This is the most dangerous place in Missouri right now (allegedly).

What is this Missouri place?

The overhead map gives you a better vantage point. This is Wellston, Missouri.

That still doesn't tell you all that you need to know, so let's zoom out further and you'll understand.

That explains it. Wellston is a tiny community in the northwest part of the greater St. Louis area. This is their crime rate right now compared to the rest of the state.

1.  8,492 Wellston, MO / 2,010
2. 8,156 Kinloch, MO / 234
3. 6,169 Saint Louis, MO / 318,727
4. 5,915 Randolph, MO / 26
5. 5,721 Branson, MO / 10,942
6. 4,662 Jennings, MO / 14,730
7. 4,394 Berkeley, MO / 9,120
8. 4,203 Saint Robert, MO / 4,882
9. 4,185 Bel Ridge, MO / 2,715
10. 4,152 Kansas City, MO / 465,005

I think I know what's going on here. The crime rate is per capita which means that even one crime in the small community of Wellston is going to be weighed much heavier in the crime index compared to metro Kansas City or downtown St. Louis. Still, it's a horrifying sky-high crime rate no matter how many people live there.