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:

  1. Iron Mountain (Homes For Sale)
  2. Thetford (Homes For Sale)
  3. Kinross (Homes For Sale)
  4. Oakland (Homes For Sale)
  5. Grosse Ile (Homes For Sale)
  6. Gaines (Homes For Sale)
  7. Addison (Homes For Sale)
  8. River Rouge (Homes For Sale)
  9. Green Oak (Homes For Sale)
  10. New Baltimore (Homes For Sale)
Safest Cities In Michigan Map

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:

The 10 Safest Cities In Michigan For 2024

Iron Mountain, MI
Source: Wikipedia User Bobak Ha'Eri | CC BY 3.0

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

Overall SnackAbility
8
/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.

2. Thetford
Source: Public Domain

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.

3. Kinross
Source: Public Domain

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.

4. Oakland
Source: Public Domain

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.

5. Grosse Ile
Source: Public Domain

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.

6. Gaines

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.

7. Addison

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.

River Rouge, MI
Source: Public domain

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

Overall SnackAbility
3
/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.

9. Green Oak
Source: Public Domain

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.

New Baltimore, MI
Source: Public domain

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

Overall SnackAbility
9
/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

Safest Cities in Michigan Graph

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.

Worst Places To Live In Michigan

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:

  1. Benton
  2. Benton Harbor
  3. Detroit
For more reading, check out:

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

Safest Cities in Michigan Breakdown

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.

Safest Cities By State

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We use data, analytics, and a sense of humor to determine quality of life for places across the nation.

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