Most Dangerous & Safest Counties in Michigan

Michigan has 31 counties with crime data. The county with the highest homicide rate is Wayne County at 18.9 per 100K , while the safest is Livingston County at 1.0 per 100K .

4 of 31 counties (13%) have a homicide rate above the national average of 8 per 100K. All rates are per 100,000 residents and come from County Health Rankings, which compiles data from the CDC, FBI, and other federal sources.

Metric

Most Dangerous Counties in Michigan

Top 10 counties ranked by homicide rate.

# County Homicides
1 Wayne County 18.9 per 100K +136.4%
2 Genesee County 14.1 per 100K +76.1%
3 Saginaw County 11.9 per 100K +49.0%
4 Muskegon County 8.3 per 100K +3.4%
5 Berrien County 7.3 per 100K -9.3%
6 Calhoun County 7.3 per 100K -9.4%
7 Ingham County 6.7 per 100K -15.9%
8 Jackson County 6.5 per 100K -19.0%
9 Kalamazoo County 6.3 per 100K -21.4%
10 Macomb County 5.2 per 100K -35.5%

Safest Counties in Michigan

Bottom 10 counties ranked by homicide rate.

# County Homicides
31 Livingston County 1.0 per 100K -87.0%
30 Ottawa County 1.3 per 100K -83.5%
29 Allegan County 1.3 per 100K -83.3%
28 Grand Traverse County 1.5 per 100K -80.9%
27 St. Clair County 1.6 per 100K -79.9%
26 Monroe County 2.0 per 100K -75.3%
25 Bay County 2.1 per 100K -74.1%
24 Marquette County 2.1 per 100K -73.8%
23 Montcalm County 2.2 per 100K -72.1%
22 Ionia County 2.2 per 100K -72.1%

All 31 Counties Ranked

Every county in Michigan ranked by homicide rate. Click any county for its full profile.

# County Homicides
1 Wayne County 18.9 per 100K +136.4%
2 Genesee County 14.1 per 100K +76.1%
3 Saginaw County 11.9 per 100K +49.0%
4 Muskegon County 8.3 per 100K +3.4%
5 Berrien County 7.3 per 100K -9.3%
6 Calhoun County 7.3 per 100K -9.4%
7 Ingham County 6.7 per 100K -15.9%
8 Jackson County 6.5 per 100K -19.0%
9 Kalamazoo County 6.3 per 100K -21.4%
10 Macomb County 5.2 per 100K -35.5%
11 Clare County 4.6 per 100K -42.1%
12 Kent County 4.5 per 100K -43.3%
13 Oakland County 3.7 per 100K -53.3%
14 Cass County 3.6 per 100K -55.0%
15 Washtenaw County 3.5 per 100K -55.8%
16 St. Joseph County 3.0 per 100K -61.9%
17 Van Buren County 3.0 per 100K -62.1%
18 Newaygo County 2.9 per 100K -63.7%
19 Barry County 2.8 per 100K -65.3%
20 Eaton County 2.4 per 100K -70.6%
21 Lenawee County 2.3 per 100K -71.0%
22 Ionia County 2.2 per 100K -72.1%
23 Montcalm County 2.2 per 100K -72.1%
24 Marquette County 2.1 per 100K -73.8%
25 Bay County 2.1 per 100K -74.1%
26 Monroe County 2.0 per 100K -75.3%
27 St. Clair County 1.6 per 100K -79.9%
28 Grand Traverse County 1.5 per 100K -80.9%
29 Allegan County 1.3 per 100K -83.3%
30 Ottawa County 1.3 per 100K -83.5%
31 Livingston County 1.0 per 100K -87.0%

About This Data

All figures are estimates from the County Health Rankings & Roadmaps (CDC, FBI, NCHS), published by the U.S. Census Bureau. Values are subject to sampling variability and margin of error.

Rankings are within Michigan only and may differ from national rankings. For more information, see our methodology.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the most dangerous county in Michigan?
The county with the highest homicide rate in Michigan is Wayne County, at 18.9 per 100,000 residents. This is 136% above the national rate of 8 per 100K.
What is the safest county in Michigan?
The county with the lowest homicide rate in Michigan is Livingston County, at 1.0 per 100,000 residents.
How does Michigan's crime rate compare to the national average?
4 of 31 counties in Michigan (13%) have a homicide rate above the national average of 8 per 100,000 residents.
Which county in Michigan has the most firearm fatalities?
Montmorency County has the highest firearm fatality rate in Michigan at 28.1 per 100,000 residents.
Which county in Michigan has the most drug overdose deaths?
Genesee County has the highest drug overdose death rate in Michigan at 51.9 per 100,000 residents.