Moody County Crime & Safety

Moody County has a total crime rate of 803.7 per 100,000 residents, based on FBI Uniform Crime Reporting data. This includes both violent crimes (189.1 per 100K) and property crimes (614.6 per 100K).

Moody County has a safety score of 66/100, rated "Average". A higher safety score indicates lower crime rates relative to other counties nationwide. It ranks #50 out of 66 counties in South Dakota for safety (1 = safest).

The county’s crime rate of 803.7 is slightly higher than the South Dakota state average of 788.1. Its safety score of 98.7 sits just a fraction below the state average of 98.8. This indicates that Moody County's public safety levels are typical for the state.

Property crime is the primary concern here, with 614.6 incidents per 100,000 residents. Violent crime stands at 189.1, which is higher than the South Dakota average of 131.6. Most interactions with the justice system involve theft or burglary rather than person-to-person violence.

Crime data for Moody County comes from the FBI Uniform Crime Reporting (UCR) program. Local law enforcement agencies submit data on violent crimes (murder, rape, robbery, aggravated assault) and property crimes (burglary, larceny-theft, motor vehicle theft) to the FBI. Rates are calculated per 100,000 residents to allow fair comparison between counties of different sizes. The safety score (0-100) is derived from these rates, with higher scores indicating safer counties.

Moody County has a safety score of 66/100, which is below the South Dakota average of 73/100. Many counties with above-average crime rates invest in community policing, crime prevention programs, neighborhood watch initiatives, and social services aimed at reducing crime over time.