City Crime Score
Very low crime
Population
12,110
Median Income
$61,704
Home Value
$82,189
Median Age
22.0
Crime Statistics
Demographics
27.3% have a bachelor's degree or higher
Housing
Fort Leonard Wood, MO Crime Map
Explore crime rates, safest neighborhoods, and detailed crime statistics
Fort Leonard Wood Crime Overview: What the Data Actually Shows
Fort Leonard Wood earns an overall crime grade of B — a meaningful distinction that places this Pulaski County community well above average in safety compared to many Missouri cities of similar size. With a population of 14,779 spread across a low-density footprint of roughly 247 residents per square mile, the community's physical layout and military infrastructure both play measurable roles in keeping crime rates relatively contained.
The city's socioeconomic profile reinforces that picture. A median household income of $58,598, a poverty rate of just 4.2%, and a median rent of $1,251 collectively point to a stable residential base. Research consistently links lower poverty rates to reduced property and violent crime — and Fort Leonard Wood's numbers bear that out in its B-grade safety profile.
Understanding the Crime Grade Breakdown
A B overall crime grade means Fort Leonard Wood performs better than a majority of comparable communities nationally, but it isn't without nuance. Property crimes — including vehicle theft, larceny, and burglary — tend to account for the largest share of reported incidents in communities like this one, and Fort Leonard Wood is no exception. Violent crime incidents, including assault, represent a smaller but non-trivial portion of the local crime picture.
The unemployment rate of 5.4% sits modestly above the national average, which can create pockets of economic stress that correlate with opportunistic property crime. Residents near commercial corridors and transitional zones — including areas around the St. Robert gateway and the Highway 66 commercial strip — should remain most attentive to vehicle and property security.
Neighborhood-Level Safety Patterns
Fort Leonard Wood's safety profile is shaped heavily by its dual character: a federally controlled installation surrounded by civilian communities. Inside the installation perimeter, security infrastructure and controlled access create conditions that are exceptionally difficult to replicate in purely civilian neighborhoods. The areas immediately adjacent to the Main Gate — including residential zones in St. Robert — benefit from proximity to that security culture, with active community policing and a high proportion of law-enforcement-familiar residents.
Waynesville, the Pulaski County seat located just a few miles from the installation, shows more variability in crime patterns. Commercial zones along Business 44 see a higher concentration of reported larceny and vehicle-related incidents relative to the quieter residential streets further from the highway. Understanding these micro-level patterns is exactly what a crime map makes visible — and why filtering incident data by category and time period matters so much for practical safety planning.
How Fort Leonard Wood's Demographics Shape Its Safety Grade
The 4.2% poverty rate in Fort Leonard Wood is notably low — well below Missouri's statewide average — and this single factor carries significant weight in crime modeling. Communities with poverty rates under 10% consistently record fewer incidents of both violent and property crime per capita. Combined with the military community's emphasis on discipline, accountability, and neighborhood cohesion, Fort Leonard Wood's demographic profile actively supports its B-grade outcome.
The population density of 247 people per square mile is also relevant. Lower-density communities tend to have fewer anonymous interactions — the kind that enable opportunistic crimes — while still maintaining enough community connectivity for effective neighborhood watch activity. Fort Leonard Wood sits in a productive middle ground on this spectrum.
Using the Crime Map Effectively
The most actionable way to use Fort Leonard Wood's crime map is to layer multiple filters simultaneously. Start by selecting a 90-day window and isolating property crime incidents. This quickly reveals whether larceny clusters around specific commercial zones (common near the St. Robert retail corridors) or whether residential burglary is more dispersed. Then switch to violent crime incidents to assess whether any specific blocks or intersections show repeated activity.
- Time-of-day filters reveal whether incidents cluster during late-night hours or daytime — critical for planning routines.
- Heat map overlays compress hundreds of data points into an immediately readable visual, making it easy to distinguish between genuinely elevated-risk zones and areas with isolated incidents.
- Year-over-year comparison shows whether the B-grade trajectory is improving, stable, or declining — the most important long-term signal for residents and prospective movers.
Practical Safety Tips Grounded in Fort Leonard Wood's Profile
Given the specific crime patterns typical of communities with Fort Leonard Wood's profile — moderate property crime, low violent crime, stable socioeconomics — the most high-return safety actions are property-focused:
- Vehicle security is the top priority. Auto theft and vehicle burglary are disproportionately common in military-adjacent communities with high vehicle ownership rates. Never leave valuables visible, and use steering wheel locks or GPS trackers for higher-value vehicles.
- Engage with installation resources. Fort Leonard Wood's Directorate of Emergency Services (DES) publishes crime statistics and safety alerts specifically for the installation and surrounding community — a resource many civilian neighbors overlook.
- Participate in Waynesville and St. Robert neighborhood watch programs. These civilian communities adjacent to the installation have active programs that meaningfully reduce repeat victimization in residential zones.
- Report early and specifically. In low-density communities, early reporting of suspicious activity has an outsized impact because law enforcement can respond before patterns escalate.
Frequently Asked Questions
Frequently Asked Questions: Fort Leonard Wood Crime & Safety
What is Fort Leonard Wood's overall crime grade?
Fort Leonard Wood receives an overall crime grade of B, indicating a safer-than-average community profile relative to comparable U.S. cities. This grade reflects the combined influence of low poverty (4.2%), a stable median household income of $58,598, and the security infrastructure associated with the adjacent military installation. A B grade means residents face meaningfully lower crime risk than in most urban and suburban Missouri communities, though property crime — particularly vehicle-related incidents — remains the category most worth monitoring.
Is Fort Leonard Wood safe to live in?
By most measurable standards, yes. The B overall crime grade, a poverty rate of just 4.2%, and the strong community cohesion fostered by the military presence all contribute to a genuinely safer-than-average living environment. Areas closest to the installation — including residential neighborhoods near the Main Gate and the St. Robert community — benefit most directly from security spillover effects. As with any community, pockets of higher activity exist near commercial corridors, but the overall residential experience in Fort Leonard Wood skews toward safety.
What types of crime are most common in Fort Leonard Wood?
Property crimes — including larceny, vehicle theft, and burglary — represent the most frequently reported category of incidents in and around Fort Leonard Wood. This pattern is consistent with communities that have high vehicle ownership rates, active commercial zones, and significant transient populations (in this case, soldiers rotating through training cycles). Violent crime incidents, including assault, occur at lower rates and tend to be isolated rather than concentrated in specific residential neighborhoods. Drug-related offenses also appear in the data, particularly in areas adjacent to Highway 66 commercial zones near St. Robert and Waynesville.
Which neighborhoods in Fort Leonard Wood are safest?
Residential areas within or immediately adjacent to the installation perimeter — including on-post family housing neighborhoods — benefit from controlled access and dedicated security patrols, making them among the safest residential environments in Pulaski County. In the civilian communities surrounding the base, neighborhoods in St. Robert closer to the installation entrance generally report fewer incidents than those further along the commercial highway strips. Waynesville's established residential streets away from the Business 44 corridor also tend to show lower incident density on the crime map. Using the map's heat overlay filtered to a 90-day window gives the most current and granular picture of any specific block or zone.
How does Fort Leonard Wood's crime rate compare to other Missouri cities?
Fort Leonard Wood's B crime grade places it favorably against Missouri's broader urban landscape. Cities like St. Louis, Kansas City, and Springfield carry significantly higher crime rates, particularly for violent crime. Even mid-size Missouri cities often struggle with property crime rates that would pull their grades below what Fort Leonard Wood achieves. The combination of low population density (247 per square mile), low poverty, and military community culture creates conditions that are difficult for larger, more economically diverse cities to replicate. For a community of 14,779 residents, a B grade represents a genuinely strong safety outcome.
Does the military base affect crime rates in Fort Leonard Wood?
Substantially, yes — in both directions. The installation's controlled access, on-post law enforcement, and culture of accountability directly suppress crime within the perimeter and create a security-aware civilian population in surrounding neighborhoods. However, the high rotation of trainees and the presence of large numbers of young adults in transitional life circumstances can contribute modestly to certain incident types — particularly alcohol-related offenses and minor property crimes — in off-post commercial areas near St. Robert and Waynesville. On balance, the net effect of the military presence on Fort Leonard Wood's crime profile is strongly positive, as reflected in the B overall grade.
Is Fort Leonard Wood a good place for military families?
Fort Leonard Wood's data profile aligns well with the priorities most military families express: safety, economic stability, and community cohesion. The B crime grade, $58,598 median household income, and 4.2% poverty rate all suggest a community where families can live comfortably without significant safety concerns. The median rent of $1,251 is reasonable for the region, and the low population density means neighborhoods feel genuinely residential rather than congested. Access to installation resources — schools, medical facilities, recreation — further enhances quality of life. For families weighing a PCS assignment to Fort Leonard Wood, the safety and livability data present a favorable picture.
Surrounding Cities
Fort Leonard Wood Zip Codes
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