A lot of people think that some places in Michigan are very dangerous, no matter how you look at it. People pay the most attention to Detroit, Flint, and Muskegon. However, one of those towns made it off this list. Now, make your best guess.
Even so, Michigan is really the same as any other state because of its bad image. There are good and bad parts of it. Road Snacks says this is the reason why Michigan is the 25th most dangerous state in the country. You might want to be near the 10 safest places instead, but that just shows how silly opinions can be.
Just think, I’ve only lived in Michigan for a year. Everyone I knew told me to be careful in Detroit, Flint, and Chicago when I was moving from Alabama. There’s some truth to what they say, but Alabama is the 12th most dangerous state in the country, which is higher than any Midwest state.
If rumors can change how people think, then facts should work better, right?
When you look at the whole country, Michigan’s crime rate is about the same as the rest. Michigan has about 1,360 property crimes and 478 serious crimes per person.
The top 10 are all in the Lower Peninsula, which shouldn’t be a surprise. Ironwood, which is in the Upper Peninsula and borders Wisconsin, is the safest place in Michigan, which is strange.
Road Snacks, which has helped us figure out which Michigan places are the trashiest and most snobbish in the past, looked at 205 cities with at least 5,000 people. To find the most dangerous towns in the state, we look at the violent and property crime rates per 100,000 people.
THE TEN MOST DANGEROUS CITIES IN MICHIGAN
No. 10 Harper Woods
Population: 15,100
Violent Crimes Per 100k: 635 (29th most dangerous)
Property Crimes Per 100k: 4,741 (Third most dangerous)
Harper Woods is only six miles north of downtown Detroit, thus it could benefit from neighborhood improvements or continue to struggle with high crime rates. The only way to know is to wait and see.
No. 9 Lansing
Population: 112,567
Violent Crimes Per 100k: 1,279 (Eighth most dangerous)
Property Crimes Per 100k: 2,690 (21st most dangerous)
There is a lot of violent crime in the state capital, maybe even more than people thought.
No. 8 Jackson
Population: 31,206
Violent Crimes Per 100k: 1,076 (15th most dangerous)
Property Crimes Per 100k: 3,557 (12th most dangerous)
Jackson is one of those towns that, despite its size, doesn’t get a lot of attention. However, people who live close to or pass through the city often know what it’s like. It’s not in the top 10 for property or serious crimes, but it’s pretty close.
No. 7 Albion
Population: 7,940
Violent Crimes Per 100k: 1,095 (14th most dangerous)
Property Crimes Per 100k: 3,664 (Ninth most dangerous)
Albion is one of the smaller towns on the list, so it could use some peace and quiet. And if home crime rates were lower, they probably would be.
No. 6 Muskegon Heights
Population: 9,944
Violent Crimes Per 100k: 1,709 (Fifth most dangerous)
Property Crimes Per 100k: 3,278 (14th most dangerous)
Murder and the Muskegon area go together like peanut butter and jelly. The city has almost four times as much crime as the rest of the state as a whole.
No. 5 Kalamazoo
Population: 72,810
Violent Crimes Per 100k: 1,516 (Seventh most dangerous)
Property Crimes Per 100k: 4,502 (Fourth most dangerous)
Battle Creek, don’t laugh too much. You came in eleventh. You were either 13th or Grand Rapids.
No. 4 Highland Park
Population: 8,802
Violent Crimes Per 100k: 2,033 (Third most dangerous)
Property Crimes Per 100k: 3,726 (Seventh most dangerous)
The park is in the north side of Detroit. Right now, the area is having a hard time with crime, hunger, and everything else. Maybe Highland Park will get better as Detroit does.
No. 3 Detroit
Population: 626,757
Violent Crimes Per 100k: 2,027 (Fourth most dangerous)
Property Crimes Per 100k: 4,478 (Fifth most dangerous)
There is no doubt that the state’s largest city will be on the list; the only question is how high it will be. Putting some of its crimes on nearby metros like Highland Park and Harper Woods does seem to throw things off, though.
No. 2 Benton Harbor
Population: 8,896
Violent Crimes Per 100k: 2,641 (Most dangerous)
Property Crimes Per 100k: 3,709 (Eighth most dangerous)
People who want to go to a great beach on Lake Michigan can go to Benton Harbor. Unfortunately, it’s the most dangerous place to be in terms of the chance of serious crime. Be careful when you visit next summer.
No. 1 Benton
Population: 14,081
Violent Crimes Per 100k: 1,683 (Sixth most dangerous)
Property Crimes Per 100k: 5,823 (Most dangerous)
While serious crime is most likely to happen in Benton Harbor, your home is even more at risk in the township next to the more well-known city. Since the city is where most of the people in the Benton area live, it’s probably not a good idea to leave your things there all the time.