The 10 Safest Cities In Michigan For 2024
The safest cities in Michigan are Iron Mountain and Thetford for 2024 using Saturday Night Science.
Michigan is always looking out for the safety of its residents. Michiganders created "yooper scoopers" to help people safely shovel snow from their roofs. They've trained their deer to fall down in front of their hunters so they don't have to take the safety off their guns, and they've removed the fish with teeth from Lake Michigan so you can swim safely.
If that doesn't say safe, we're not sure what does.
We wanted to know where, exactly, are the safest cities in Michigan. So, we consulted the numbers and analyzed 210 cities with over 5,000 residents. We looked at property and violent crimes per capita for every place from Detroit to Allegan.
We recommend that before you start a citywide "safety first" campaign, stop, drop, roll, and safely scroll down to see where the Michigan city you call home is placed on our list.
Table Of Contents: Top Ten | Methodology | Table
Here are the 10 safest cities to live in Michigan for 2024:
- Iron Mountain
- Thetford
- Kinross
- Oakland
- Grosse Ile
- Gaines
- Addison
- River Rouge
- Green Oak
- New Baltimore
What city is the safest place to live in Michigan for 2024? According to the FBI data, Iron Mountain is Michigan's safest place to live.
While not everyone can afford to pick up and move up North to our safest Michigan city, Iron Mountain, many other cities in the Great Lakes State are just as secure and comfortable.
So if you're 'smitten with the mitten' and are looking to relocate to Michigan, read on to see how we calculated the safest cities in Michigan for 2024:
For more reading on safe places to live in and around Michigan, check out:
- Safest States In America
- Safest Cities In America
- Best Places To Live In Michigan
- Cheapest Places To Live In Michigan
The 10 Safest Cities In Michigan For 2024
Population: 7,274
Violent Crimes Per 100k: 0 (safest)
Property Crimes Per 100k: 0 (safest)
Murders: 0
Murders Per 100k: 0
More on Iron Mountain: Data | Crime | Real Estate
/10
Located in Michigan's Upper Peninsula, Iron Mountain is the Great Lakes State's safest city.
This little city in Dickinson County may be way, way up there, almost to Canada up there, but it is super safe.
Named for its booming iron ore economy, Iron Mountain's gold star qualities like strong work ethic and sense of community are the reason this city scored off the safety charts with its close to non-existent number of crimes per residents.
When Amazon can find this city on the map, and when there isn't 2 feet of snow on the ground, Iron Mountain is the kind of place where you don't have to worry about your packages getting stolen from your front porch.
Population: 6,605
Violent Crimes Per 100k: 0 (safest)
Property Crimes Per 100k: 0 (safest)
Murders: 0
Murders Per 100k: 0
More on Thetford: Real Estate
Thetford, positioned in Lenawee County, boasts a commendable safety record for 2024. Thiere were 0 violent crimes helping to cement its place as the second safest location statewide. The city also prides itself on having only 0 cases of property crime leading to #1 standing across Michigan.
Population: 5,986
Violent Crimes Per 100k: 16 (fifth safest)
Property Crimes Per 100k: 150 (tenth safest)
Murders: 0
Murders Per 100k: 0
More on Kinross: Real Estate
In Chippewa County, Kinross stands as Michigan's third safest city, boasting only 1 violent crimes and a mere 9 property offenses. The township's legacy of safety is upheld by its historic institutions like the township hall and school, contributing to a low violent crimeper capita rate. The community's overall 167/100k people crimes per capita is significantly below national averages, securing its #5 and #10 rankings in violent and property crime rates statewide.
Population: 20,234
Violent Crimes Per 100k: 39 (13th safest)
Property Crimes Per 100k: 69 (third safest)
Murders: 0
Murders Per 100k: 0
More on Oakland: Real Estate
Located in Oakland County, known for its prosperous development and affluent communities, Oakland ranks as the fourth safest city in Michigan for 2024. With a 39/100k people rate for violent crime, it sits at 13th safest statewide, and its property crime rate of 69/100k people earns it the third safest spot. The city's impressive safety record persists despite its sizeable population of 20,234 and dates back to its establishment in 1819. Remarkably, Oakland reported 0 murder cases this year.
Population: 10,550
Violent Crimes Per 100k: 37 (12th safest)
Property Crimes Per 100k: 246 (12th safest)
Murders: 0
Murders Per 100k: 0
More on Grosse Ile: Real Estate
Grosse Ile stands out for its safety, securing the fifth spot on the state's safest places list. This Wayne County civil township, with a history dating back to French explorers in 1679, boasts basically no cases of murder, rape, or robbery.
With only 4 viilent and 26 property crimes amidst a population of 10,550, Grosse Ile has some of the lowest rates of crime in the state.
Population: 6,103
Violent Crimes Per 100k: 49 (20th safest)
Property Crimes Per 100k: 98 (fifth safest)
Murders: 0
Murders Per 100k: 0
More on Gaines: Real Estate
Gaines made gains in safety for 2024 as it is the sixth safest city in Michigan, boasting low violent and property crime per capita rates.
Gaines Township's law enforcement has kept the total crime rate at 147/100k people -per capita and 98/100k people property crime per capita, ranking fifth safest in the state for property crimes. This community with only 3 instances of violent crime reflects a longstanding commitment to resident safety.
Population: 6,223
Violent Crimes Per 100k: 48 (19th safest)
Property Crimes Per 100k: 144 (ninth safest)
Murders: 0
Murders Per 100k: 0
More on Addison: Real Estate
Addison, founded in 1834 and located on Bean Creek in Lenawee County, combines historic growth from the railroad era with a community-focused identity to rank as the seventh safest village in the state.
With a population exceeding 6000, the village boasts very low crime rates, including a 48/100k people for violent crime and an equally impressive 144/100k people for property crimes. Its negligible 3 violent crime and 9 property crime incidents, coupled with no occurrences of murder, further cement Addison's status as secure for its citizens.
Population: 7,319
Violent Crimes Per 100k: 68 (27th safest)
Property Crimes Per 100k: 95 (fourth safest)
Murders: 0
Murders Per 100k: 0
More on River Rouge: Data | Crime | Real Estate
/10
River Rouge is a town of 7,319 with some awe-inspiring crime statistics. Like having the fourth safest lowest property crime in Michigan.
You know a place is extra safe when, on average, fewer than one crime is committed each week. We wonder if the local police are bored with such meager criminal activity. You can stay out as late as you want at the family-friendly River Rouge without fear of an attack or theft. That's because there were only 5 violent crimes committed here over the past year.
River Rouge is located in Wayne County.
Population: 19,764
Violent Crimes Per 100k: 20 (seventh safest)
Property Crimes Per 100k: 409 (25th safest)
Murders: 0
Murders Per 100k: 0
More on Green Oak: Real Estate
Out in the middle of nowhere Michigan, kind of near Brighton, you'll find Green Oak, the ninth safest place in Michigan for 2024.
It's hard to find a place less violent or more different than Detroit, considering Green Oak recorded 4 violent crimes in the last reporting year -- basically, the way life should be.
On top of that, Green Oak had the 25th safest lowest property crime rate in Michigan. In other words, there's a better chance of a stray snowball breaking your window than a burglar.
Population: 11,995
Violent Crimes Per 100k: 41 (15th safest)
Property Crimes Per 100k: 316 (17th safest)
Murders: 0
Murders Per 100k: 0
More on New Baltimore: Data | Crime | Real Estate
/10
One thing is certain -- New Baltimore is much, much safer than Baltimore. In fact, according to the data, it's more than 30 times safer in terms of violent crime and 10 times safer in terms of property crime. That's good enough to land New Baltimore the title of sixth safest city in Michigan.
That's not the only thing New Baltimore has going for it either; the city got an overall 9.5/10 on our snackability score, indicating that it's an all-around great place to live. And when you can spend a day at Downtown Waterfront Park overlooking gorgeous Anchor Bay, you know that life's pretty good.
New Baltimore is one of only three cities on this list to NOT be in Oakland County.
Methodology: How we calculated the safest cities in Michigan for 2024
While there are surveys and public polls on what cities in Michigan are the safest, we wanted to rely on something other than speculation and opinion. Instead, we looked at the hard numbers from the FBI's most recent crime report in Michigan.
Specifically, we used Saturday Night Science to analyze the FBI's Uniform Crime Report, which summarizes the number of property and violent crimes in each city annually. We used two criteria:
- Violent crimes per capita (murders, assaults, rapes, armed robberies)
- Property crimes per capita (thefts, burglaries, motor vehicle thefts)
For example, there were 0 crimes committed in Iron Mountain, with a reported population of 7,274. That means the number of crimes per capita is 0.0, which translates into a 1 in 12000 chance of being the victim of a crime.
We only looked at Michigan cities that have populations of more than 5,000. This filter left us with 210 of the biggest cities in Michigan to rank.
We ranked each city for each criterion from 1 to 210 where 1 in any particular category is the safest.
Next, we averaged each place's two criteria to create a Safety Index. We crowned the place with the lowest overall Safety Score, "The Safest Place In Michigan," with any ties going to the bigger city.
The safest city in Michigan, based on our criteria, is Iron Mountain. The most dangerous city in Michigan? Benton, where residents had a 1 in 13 chance of being the victim of a crime.
This article has been update for 2024. This report marks our tenth time ranking the safest places to live in Michigan. All the data comes from the FBI's Crime In The USA 2022 report.
Summary: The Safest Cities In The Wolverine State
Looking at the data, you can tell that Iron Mountain is as safe as they come in Michigan, according to science and data.
But as most Michigan residents would agree, almost every place here has its safe and not safe parts. So just make sure you're informed ahead of time.
The safest places in Michigan are .
Here's a look at the most dangerous cities in Michigan according to the data:
- Benton
- Benton Harbor
- Detroit
- Best Places To Raise A Family In Michigan
- Best Places To Buy A House In Michigan
- Best Places To Retire In Michigan
Where Are The 10 Safest Cities In Michigan For 2024?
| Rank | City | Population | Violent Crimes Per 100k | Property Crimes Per 100k | Murders Per 100k | Murders |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Iron Mountain, MI | 7,274 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2 | Thetford, MI | 6,605 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 3 | Kinross, MI | 5,986 | 16 | 150 | 0 | 0 |
| 4 | Oakland, MI | 20,234 | 39 | 69 | 0 | 0 |
| 5 | Grosse Ile, MI | 10,550 | 37 | 246 | 0 | 0 |
| 6 | Gaines, MI | 6,103 | 49 | 98 | 0 | 0 |
| 7 | Addison, MI | 6,223 | 48 | 144 | 0 | 0 |
| 8 | River Rouge, MI | 7,319 | 68 | 95 | 0 | 0 |
| 9 | Green Oak, MI | 19,764 | 20 | 409 | 0 | 0 |
| 10 | New Baltimore, MI | 11,995 | 41 | 316 | 0 | 0 |
| 11 | Oxford, MI | 18,870 | 47 | 328 | 5 | 1 |
| 12 | Milford, MI | 16,972 | 41 | 371 | 0 | 0 |
| 13 | Rochester, MI | 12,868 | 31 | 442 | 0 | 0 |
| 14 | Spring Arbor, MI | 8,426 | 11 | 474 | 0 | 0 |
| 15 | Hamburg, MI | 21,515 | 74 | 144 | 0 | 0 |
| 16 | Lyon, MI | 24,010 | 58 | 408 | 0 | 0 |
| 17 | Tittabawassee, MI | 10,855 | 73 | 267 | 0 | 0 |
| 18 | Huntington Woods, MI | 6,286 | 15 | 556 | 0 | 0 |
| 19 | Berkley, MI | 15,006 | 26 | 533 | 0 | 0 |
| 20 | Clayton, MI | 7,274 | 82 | 261 | 0 | 0 |
| 21 | Orion, MI | 35,516 | 50 | 473 | 2 | 1 |
| 22 | Argentine, MI | 7,002 | 99 | 128 | 0 | 0 |
| 23 | Napoleon, MI | 6,807 | 58 | 470 | 0 | 0 |
| 24 | Commerce, MI | 38,873 | 59 | 473 | 0 | 0 |
| 25 | Highland, MI | 19,087 | 94 | 303 | 0 | 0 |
| 26 | Springfield, MI | 14,663 | 54 | 552 | 0 | 0 |
| 27 | South Lyon, MI | 11,866 | 75 | 455 | 0 | 0 |
| 28 | Holly, MI | 5,931 | 101 | 303 | 0 | 0 |
| 29 | Flushing, MI | 8,290 | 72 | 530 | 0 | 0 |
| 30 | Tecumseh, MI | 8,638 | 92 | 428 | 0 | 0 |
| 31 | White Lake, MI | 31,001 | 70 | 561 | 6 | 2 |
| 32 | Bloomfield, MI | 43,805 | 47 | 655 | 0 | 0 |
| 33 | Big Rapids, MI | 10,406 | 134 | 144 | 0 | 0 |
| 34 | Denton, MI | 5,378 | 74 | 557 | 0 | 0 |
| 35 | Farmington, MI | 11,406 | 43 | 683 | 0 | 0 |
| 36 | Richmond, MI | 5,784 | 121 | 345 | 0 | 0 |
| 37 | Chocolay, MI | 5,976 | 117 | 384 | 0 | 0 |
| 38 | Cambridge, MI | 5,681 | 123 | 369 | 0 | 0 |
| 39 | Brandon, MI | 15,284 | 150 | 163 | 0 | 0 |
| 40 | Northville, MI | 6,041 | 82 | 562 | 0 | 0 |
| 41 | Rochester Hills, MI | 75,921 | 71 | 671 | 1 | 1 |
| 42 | Grand Ledge, MI | 7,778 | 77 | 617 | 0 | 0 |
| 43 | St. Clair, MI | 5,450 | 73 | 660 | 0 | 0 |
| 44 | West Bloomfield, MI | 65,271 | 102 | 497 | 0 | 0 |
| 45 | Birmingham, MI | 21,721 | 32 | 893 | 0 | 0 |
| 46 | Trenton, MI | 18,108 | 99 | 590 | 0 | 0 |
| 47 | Raisin, MI | 7,953 | 150 | 364 | 12 | 1 |
| 48 | Rockford, MI | 6,204 | 80 | 676 | 0 | 0 |
| 49 | Petoskey, MI | 5,922 | 135 | 455 | 0 | 0 |
| 50 | Independence, MI | 36,584 | 101 | 606 | 5 | 2 |
| 51 | Houghton, MI | 7,644 | 78 | 706 | 13 | 1 |
| 52 | Northfield, MI | 8,438 | 82 | 699 | 0 | 0 |
| 53 | Novi, MI | 66,936 | 73 | 838 | 0 | 0 |
| 54 | East Grand Rapids, MI | 11,372 | 17 | 1,107 | 0 | 0 |
| 55 | Montrose, MI | 7,662 | 104 | 665 | 13 | 1 |
| 56 | Clawson, MI | 11,204 | 196 | 410 | 0 | 0 |
| 57 | Beverly Hills, MI | 10,467 | 85 | 812 | 0 | 0 |
| 58 | Grosse Pointe Farms, MI | 9,890 | 60 | 1,001 | 0 | 0 |
| 59 | Shelby, MI | 79,391 | 144 | 599 | 1 | 1 |
| 60 | Sumpter, MI | 9,535 | 136 | 629 | 0 | 0 |
| 61 | Columbia, MI | 7,470 | 120 | 696 | 0 | 0 |
| 62 | St. Louis, MI | 6,842 | 146 | 643 | 0 | 0 |
| 63 | Midland, MI | 42,426 | 115 | 789 | 4 | 2 |
| 64 | Forsyth, MI | 6,260 | 223 | 431 | 0 | 0 |
| 65 | Gladstone, MI | 5,246 | 209 | 438 | 0 | 0 |
| 66 | Hampton, MI | 9,564 | 115 | 836 | 0 | 0 |
| 67 | Marysville, MI | 9,897 | 121 | 767 | 0 | 0 |
| 68 | Chelsea, MI | 5,322 | 150 | 676 | 0 | 0 |
| 69 | Grosse Pointe Woods, MI | 16,079 | 80 | 1,001 | 0 | 0 |
| 70 | Royal Oak, MI | 57,808 | 128 | 797 | 0 | 0 |
| 71 | Lincoln, MI | 14,825 | 101 | 903 | 0 | 0 |
| 72 | Grosse Pointe Park, MI | 11,287 | 35 | 1,452 | 0 | 0 |
| 73 | Berrien Springs-Oronoko, MI | 9,422 | 201 | 562 | 0 | 0 |
| 74 | Walled Lake, MI | 7,251 | 137 | 772 | 0 | 0 |
| 75 | Garden City, MI | 26,696 | 142 | 869 | 0 | 0 |
| 76 | Saline, MI | 8,930 | 156 | 739 | 0 | 0 |
| 77 | St. Johns, MI | 7,640 | 209 | 615 | 0 | 0 |
| 78 | Marquette, MI | 20,428 | 195 | 680 | 0 | 0 |
| 79 | Thomas, MI | 11,903 | 260 | 512 | 0 | 0 |
| 80 | Ionia, MI | 11,730 | 187 | 733 | 0 | 0 |
| 81 | Howell, MI | 10,104 | 128 | 989 | 0 | 0 |
| 82 | Clay, MI | 8,430 | 308 | 438 | 0 | 0 |
| 83 | Grand Blanc, MI | 7,970 | 188 | 803 | 0 | 0 |
| 84 | St. Clair Shores, MI | 57,654 | 176 | 875 | 0 | 0 |
| 85 | Sault Ste. Marie, MI | 13,412 | 171 | 887 | 0 | 0 |
| 86 | Ironwood, MI | 5,021 | 99 | 1,314 | 0 | 0 |
| 87 | Plymouth, MI | 9,270 | 151 | 960 | 0 | 0 |
| 88 | Zeeland, MI | 5,670 | 246 | 634 | 0 | 0 |
| 89 | Wixom, MI | 17,186 | 116 | 1,198 | 5 | 1 |
| 90 | Fenton, MI | 11,947 | 100 | 1,322 | 0 | 0 |
| 91 | Brighton, MI | 7,483 | 93 | 1,389 | 0 | 0 |
| 92 | Wyandotte, MI | 24,414 | 184 | 937 | 0 | 0 |
| 93 | Farmington Hills, MI | 82,806 | 143 | 1,161 | 0 | 0 |
| 94 | Allegan, MI | 5,155 | 232 | 737 | 0 | 0 |
| 95 | Ishpeming, MI | 6,174 | 242 | 728 | 0 | 0 |
| 96 | Bath, MI | 13,456 | 193 | 928 | 0 | 0 |
| 97 | Mason, MI | 8,195 | 329 | 585 | 0 | 0 |
| 98 | Dewitt, MI | 15,557 | 199 | 906 | 0 | 0 |
| 99 | Waterford, MI | 69,851 | 231 | 871 | 1 | 1 |
| 100 | Chesterfield, MI | 45,519 | 202 | 960 | 0 | 0 |
Breaking Down Crime In The Safest And Most Dangerous Cities In Michigan
Chris Kolmar has been in the real estate business for almost ten years now. He originally worked for Movoto Real Estate as the director of marketing before founding HomeSnacks.
He believes the key to finding the right place to live comes down to looking at the data, reading about things to do, and, most importantly, checking it out yourself before you move.
If you've been looking for a place to live in the past several years, you've probably stumbled upon his writing already.
You can find out more about him on LinkedIn.
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