9 Safest Small Communities To Settle In The Rockies
With mountains rising to heights of 4,400 meters above sea level, the Rocky Mountains are a world of altitude and snow, and a place for brave individuals from all walks of life. With ample snow, skiing is a popular pastime. In the summer, the landscape makes for great hiking, fishing, hunting, and other outdoor sports.
However, even in these beautiful environments, it's not always easy to find the perfect place to settle down. Safety, especially safety from crime, is a big part of any final move.
That's why we've researched the rates of violent crime in towns across the Rocky Mountains region, including Montana, Colorado, Idaho, New Mexico, and Wyoming. Through that research, we've found eight towns where folks can settle with a degree of relief knowing they are in a safe place. Not only that, but these towns in the Rockies are also all places where a new resident can usually find something to do, and a community to do it with, all in this mountainous, beautiful part of the world.
Rexburg, Idaho
Rexburg is a larger town with a population of 39,589 residents, so it's surprising that its rate of aggravated assault and homicide is so low. Over five years, 2021-2025, its homicide rate has only exceeded the state and national rate twice, and the aggravated assault rate only rose above the national rate once in 2022, and met the state rate once in 2023. With these stats, a new resident can feel safe when they step out on their doorstep.
For runners, Rexburg is the host of the Teton Dam Marathon & Races each June. It includes a 10K, a 5K, and a kids’ race. Hundreds of runners attend it annually, celebrating the outpouring of support for the victims following the collapse of the Teton River Dam, which killed eleven and made thousands homeless.
And for those who set their sights to the sky, the Legacy Flight Museum in Rexburg is a perfect trip. Visitors can examine aircraft flown by United States military veterans throughout history, Monday through Friday, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Art and theater lovers can also find a place for themselves at the Romance Theater and Tabernacle Civic Center, two restored historic venues of art, music, and theater built in 1917 and 1911, respectively.
Gypsum, Colorado
A town of 8,481 residents, Gypsum’s rate of aggravated assault only exceeded state and national rates three times from 2021 into 2025. Its homicide rate remains zero except for one spike in 2024. A small town, but mostly safe from violence, Gypsum was picked because of these numbers and its own rates' tendency to fall under those of the state and nation.
A piece of Colorado’s resort region, Gypsum is close to the mountain resorts of Vail and Beaver Creek. It is also a short drive to Sylvan Lake State Park, where outdoorsmen and women can fish, observe wildlife, and hike year-round. More outdoor activities can be had at the Walking Mountain Science Center, including guided backcountry hikes by Certified Interpretive Guides and Wilderness First Responders. The center is a short 30-minute drive away from Gypsum.
The town also hosts the Dry Lake Motocross Park, where mountain motor bikers can ply their hobby on the only large, public-use motocross park between Denver and Grand Junction.
Milliken, Colorado
With a homicide and aggravated assault rate well below the nation’s and the state’s, Milliken is a safe town with 8,695 residents. New residents can feel assured they will not be in danger by choosing this little town for their new home.
Surrounded by state parks, like Jackson Lake State Park, which serves visitors with activities like boating, fishing, and camping, as well as the Rocky Mountain National Park for hiking and wildlife that can be accessed through nearby Estes Park, Milliken is a place where nature lives.
But if raw wilderness and trails are not on the menu, fans of golf might take a few swings at the Mad Russian Golf Course, a public, 18-hole Par 71 championship course. Visitors and residents may see herons, bald eagles, and coyotes while hitting the links, and the view of the Rockies is always there to admire on a long drive.
And in the arts realm, it’s not a far drive to Loveland, where the Loveland Museum holds temporary exhibits of Georgia O’Keeffe and Picasso next to local and regional artists. The museum is considered an intimate setting to view world-class art.
Wheatland, Wyoming
After a spike in 2020, the aggravated assault rate for Wheatland, Wyoming, was zero for five years. Its homicide rate was also zero. It's hard to get safer than that, and anyone looking for a peaceful town to settle can see that Wheatland is a phenomenal choice.
Wheatland has a population of 3,570 and is located in the middle of Wyoming. Things to do in the area include hiking Laramie Peak, which is just west of Wheatland. Activities in the Laramie Peak area include hunting, fishing, hiking, and Off-Highway Vehicle driving. If you’re more of a lover of art rather than of the outdoors, the Laramie Peak Museum is also in Wheatland and known to hold exhibits of local artists, including those in the local art guild. The museum is open to visitors.
And for a quiet couple of hours, visitors can catch a movie at Cinema West Theatre. The fee for admission was only $6 for the first films it featured, and it was closed in April of 2021, but then reopened two years later. For a safe evening adventure, feel free to catch a flick!
Moscow, Idaho
The aggravated assault rate in this town of 25,868 residents has only met the state’s rate twice in the past five years. Its highest homicide rate was 15 offenses per 100,000 people in late 2022, but remained close to zero between 2021 and 2025. A little larger than many small towns in the region, Moscow was chosen because it continues to be a safe place for residents with a low rate of violent crime.
The region is known for the Appaloosa horse breed, and the Appaloosa Museum & Heritage Center is located in Moscow. The center features evidence of the spotted horses in art and literature, as well as teaching visitors about the relationship between the breed and the Nez Perce Native Americans from the area. As to flora in this university town, the 63-acre Arboretum and Botanical Garden is a living museum of native and new plant species thriving within the University of Idaho’s campus. Tours, lectures, and field trips can be arranged in the vast garden.
Between May and October, the Moscow Farmers Market is held every Saturday between 8 a.m. and 1 p.m. The weekly event holds local farmers, musicians, and artisans meeting with the residents and visitors, and was started in 1976 through grass-roots organizing.
Windsor, Colorado
In this town of 35,918 residents, the rate for aggravated assault has only once topped the national and state rates in the last five years. Its homicide rate has remained at zero, making it a bona fide safe town in the middle of the Rocky Mountains
So, visitors and residents can rest easy as they check out the different things to do in and around town. For example, residents might like to visit Cache La Poudre River National Heritage Area, which extends for 45 miles and includes trails, visitor centers, and interpretive exhibits. Also within the heritage area is the Windsor History Museum, which features historic buildings built between 1882 and the 1920s with the completion and use of the Great Salt Lake & Pacific Railroad. Visitors can see the original 1882 Train Depot with freight and caboose, the Whitehall Schoolhouse and teacher’s quarters, as well as a German-Russian farmhouse.
New locals might also enjoy driving to nearby Loveland, where access to Boyd Lake State Park can be found for water adventuring like boating, camping, water skiing, swimming, fishing, paddle sports, picnicking, bicycling, walking, hunting, and wildlife viewing. The park is open from 5 a.m. to 10 p.m.
Red River, New Mexico
With a population of 456, this southern Rockies town’s rate of both aggravated assault and homicide has remained at zero for the past five years, numbers which surely will attract those looking for a safe place to live.
And whether winter or summer, the Red River Ski & Summer Area holds fun with skiing in the winter and aerial rope courses, a zip line ride in the summer. It also holds a Mountain Top Disc Golf Course that travelers and residents can peruse. Hiking is also an option with hiking trails for all skill levels. Try the Goose Creek Trail, which climbs five and a half miles to Goose Lake.
And for dear old dad, there’s an annual Art & Wine Festival every Father’s Day weekend in Brandenburg Park called Vino in the Valley. It’s presented by the Red River Chamber of Commerce. Other annual festivals include Enchanted Forest Trails Races, also in July, where racers will run the trails of Carson National Forest and Enchanted Forest before relaxing with local food, music, and microbrews at an afterparty.
Frederick, Colorado
Frederick has had a zero rate of homicides for the past five years and an aggravated assault rate below that of the nation and the state of Colorado also for five years.
While a 15,893 resident population may make this seem almost impossible, Frederick is known for its family-friendly atmosphere with parks, farms, and restaurants. In the Frederick Recreation Area, visitors and residents are offered an on-leash dog park, fishing, golf courses, horseshoe pits, interpretive signs, non-motorized boating, pavilions and picnic shelters, a playground, a sports court, trails, and wildlife habitats.
In June, “Frederick In Flight” takes place, where the entire town celebrates forms of flight with a hot air balloon lift, Balloon Bash party, and more family-friendly treats. By July, any visitor or local will likely be amped up enough to take in “Chainsaws & Chuckwagons,” where a chainsaw carving competition takes place for four days, and the winner is voted on. The carvings become standing pieces of art throughout Frederick after the competition.
Afton, Wyoming
The town of Afton has a population of 14,526 and a non-existent aggravated assault rate for the past five years. Its homicide rate spiked only once in early 2025. It's a good bet that such a town will be a safe place for retirees or families that choose to settle there.
Things to do in this very safe town include playing the 18-hole Valli Vu Golf Course, which is open to the public. The course is open between April and November, and tee times can be scheduled online. New transplants can also take in “Light Up Main Street,” where residents and businesses compete in a contest of decoration between Thanksgiving and Small Business Saturday.
Curious spectators and visitors may also visit Elk Antler Arch, made up of 3,00 antlers and standing at the opening of Afton’s downtown. Other attractions include the Lander Trail Museum and the Daughters of the Utah Pioneers Museum.
Safety in the Mountains and Valleys
So, if a trip to the high country is in the works, consider safe traveling as a byword. Skiing and hiking are good for the heart, but so is knowing that a violent crime isn't in the cards. From Montana and Idaho, all the way to the top of New Mexico, is an enchanted land with a skyline that will beat any city's.
Take heed of this article and plan the journey around staying intact and safe. It's a tough world out there, and it bears noting the lay of the land. These nine towns will be the perfect destination to get back to the office with stories of the trip
So, hunt, fish, hike, ski, visit alpine forests, and highland desert, but be safe while doing it. That's the lesson. Go force and have fun.
