Crime & Safety in Pierre
Pierre's real, current crime picture carries a genuine, honest nuance this record discloses directly rather than picking whichever framing looks better: genuinely low in absolute national terms, yet higher than approximately 95% of South Dakota's own communities, with violent crime cited among the nation's highest.
Exploring the idea of moving?
We can connect you with a local real estate professional who knows the area -- no pressure, just a starting point.
Learn moreA Real, Genuinely Moderate Overall Crime Rate in Absolute National Terms
NeighborhoodScout cited Pierre's overall crime rate at approximately 25 crimes per 1,000 residents (a cited approximately 1-in-40 chance of becoming a victim of either violent or property crime) -- explicitly NOT cited among the communities with the very highest crime rates nationally, genuinely lower in absolute terms than some other Tier A+ markets in this project's dataset.
A Real, Less-Flattering Within-South-Dakota Comparison
The same source described Pierre's crime rate as higher than approximately 95% of South Dakota's own cities and towns of all sizes -- a real, disclosed, less-flattering within-state comparison this record does not omit. This reflects South Dakota's own status as a generally exceptionally low-crime state, rather than Pierre being unusually dangerous in absolute national terms.
Violent Crime Specifically Runs Genuinely Higher
Violent crime was cited at approximately a 1-in-197 chance of victimization, separately described as among the highest rates nationally across communities of all sizes -- a real, disclosed, more serious signal than the overall crime-rate figure alone suggests, and one this record does not let the more favorable overall-rate framing obscure.
Property Crime Runs Above-Average Nationally
Property crime was cited at approximately 20 per 1,000 residents, described as an above-average chance of victimization compared to communities of all sizes nationally.
Research Current, Address-Specific Data Directly
This record did not independently research current, address-specific or neighborhood-level crime variance within Pierre to comparable depth this pass. Movers should independently review the Pierre Police Department's own current, published statistics for a precise, current figure specific to a target neighborhood rather than relying on any single aggregator cited here.
Key takeaways
- Pierre's overall crime rate (~25 per 1,000, ~1-in-40 victimization chance) runs genuinely lower in absolute national terms than some other Tier A+ markets in this project's dataset.
- The same source cited Pierre's crime rate as higher than approximately 95% of South Dakota's own communities -- reflecting South Dakota's own low-crime status, not Pierre being nationally dangerous.
- Violent crime specifically (~1-in-197) was cited as among the highest nationally -- a real, more serious signal than the overall rate suggests.
- Property crime (~20 per 1,000) runs above-average nationally.
- Research current, address-specific crime data directly via the Pierre Police Department for a target neighborhood.
Want to know what your budget actually buys here?
Tell us a bit about what you're looking for and we'll connect you with someone local who can walk you through real numbers.
Get local guidanceRead the full Pierre overview for the complete picture -- housing, taxes, climate, and who this place genuinely fits.
Planning a move?
Tell us what you're looking for and we'll connect you with a local expert who can help you make it happen.
Talk to a local expert