personally, I don't live in such an area.

My parents house was broken into and lots taken when my dad went out for 15 minutes.

My sister had a would-be intruder ripping out the power lines to her house. The electricity interuption triggered the backup generator, and the noise of that scared off the intruders.

They had just finished trashing her neighbors' house before they tried it on hers. Excrement all over, stuff taken. These were not nice guys.

Ironically both my mom and my sister live in really nice areas. Neither one will consider a gun.
I live more rural, but with neighbors who would shoot first and ask your name later.