Do you live in one of the murder capitals of Michigan?
We all watch the news with horror when we hear about a homicide that happens not that far away from us. While a murder just blocks or even a couple of towns away from your house would make anyone uneasy, in the long run, most likely, where you live is relatively safe.
So we wanted to get the facts straight and dug into the FBI crime data in order to identify the places with the most murders and the highest murder rates per capita in Michigan.
The result is the Murder Capitals of the Wolverine State for 2023:
What city has the highest murder rate in Michigan? The city with the highest murder rate in Michigan is Highland Park with 84.7 murders per 100,000 people.
What is the city in Michigan with highest number of murders? The city in Michigan with the highest number of murders is Detroit with 303 murders.
Read on below to see how we crunched the numbers and how your town in Michigan ranked. There were ‘only’ 82 cities in Michigan where a city reported a murder to the FBI, meaning 140 places had no murder.
For more reading on the Wolverine State check out:
- Best Places To Live In Michigan
- Cheapest Places To Live In Michigan
- Most Dangerous Places in Michigan
Article Table Of Contents
The 10 Murder Capitals Of Michigan For 2023
/10
Population: 673,708
Rank Last Year: 1
Murders: 303 (Most)
Murders Per 100k: 45.0 (3rd Most)
More on Detroit: Data | Cost Of Living | Crime Report
/10
Population: 94,290
Rank Last Year: 2
Murders: 37 (2nd Most)
Murders Per 100k: 39.2 (4th Most)
More on Flint: Data | Cost Of Living | Crime Report
/10
Population: 10,620
Rank Last Year: 4
Murders: 9 (8th Most)
Murders Per 100k: 84.7 (Most)
More on Highland Park: Data | Cost Of Living | Crime Report
/10
Population: 23,999
Rank Last Year: 5
Murders: 9 (8th Most)
Murders Per 100k: 37.5 (5th Most)
More on Inkster: Data | Cost Of Living | Crime Report
/10
Population: 47,480
Rank Last Year: 3
Murders: 14 (6th Most)
Murders Per 100k: 29.5 (8th Most)
More on Saginaw: Data | Cost Of Living | Crime Report
/10
Population: 9,660
Rank Last Year: 27
Murders: 7 (12th Most)
Murders Per 100k: 72.5 (2nd Most)
More on Benton Harbor: Data | Cost Of Living | Crime Report
/10
Population: 58,834
Rank Last Year: 7
Murders: 15 (5th Most)
Murders Per 100k: 25.5 (10th Most)
More on Pontiac: Data | Cost Of Living | Crime Report
/10
Population: 117,865
Rank Last Year: 15
Murders: 25 (3rd Most)
Murders Per 100k: 21.2 (13th Most)
More on Lansing: Data | Cost Of Living | Crime Report
/10
Population: 23,488
Rank Last Year: 29
Murders: 7 (12th Most)
Murders Per 100k: 29.8 (7th Most)
More on Romulus: Data | Cost Of Living | Crime Report
/10
Population: 32,271
Rank Last Year: 11
Murders: 8 (10th Most)
Murders Per 100k: 24.8 (12th Most)
More on Jackson: Data | Cost Of Living | Crime Report
Methodology: How we calculated the murder capitals of Michigan
While there are surveys and public polls on what cities in a state are the most dangerous, we didn’t want to rely on speculation and opinion. Instead, we looked at the hard numbers from the FBI’s last year of reporting. Specifically, we analyzed the FBI’s Uniform Crime Report which summarizes the number of murders that may happen in each city per year.
We only looked every single city in Michigan for which FBI data was available for the most recent FBI Crime In The United States. That left us with 82 cities to rank.
Finally, we averaged the two scores into an index:
- The raw number of murders in each city
- The murders per person
We felt as if a small place with 2,500 people and two murders makes it a lot more dangerous than a city of 25,000 people with three murders. Any ties went to the larger city.
This article is an opinion based on facts. It is our tenth time ranking the most places with the most murders per capita in Michigan and is updated for 2023.
Summary: The Places With The Most Murders In Michigan For 2023
If you’re looking at the places in Michigan with the most murders, and where residents have the highest chances of being killed themselves, this is an accurate list. Again, these statistics are an indication of where crimes occur, not a statement about the effectiveness of the law enforcement in the areas they serve.
For more Michigan reading, check out:
- Best Places To Raise A Family In Michigan
- Fastest Growing Cities In Michigan
- Safest Places In Michigan
- Best Cities For Singles In Michigan
- Worst Places To Live In Michigan
Detailed List Of The Places With The Most Murder In Michigan For 2023
| Rank | City | Murders |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Detroit, MI | 303 |
| 2 | Flint, MI | 37 |
| 3 | Highland Park, MI | 9 |
| 4 | Inkster, MI | 9 |
| 5 | Saginaw, MI | 14 |
| 6 | Benton Harbor, MI | 7 |
| 7 | Pontiac, MI | 15 |
| 8 | Lansing, MI | 25 |
| 9 | Romulus, MI | 7 |
| 10 | Jackson, MI | 8 |
| 11 | Kalamazoo, MI | 13 |
| 12 | Ecorse, MI | 3 |
| 13 | Oxford Township, MI | 4 |
| 14 | Muskegon Heights, MI | 3 |
| 15 | Ypsilanti, MI | 4 |
| 16 | Flint Township, MI | 5 |
| 17 | Hamtramck, MI | 4 |
| 18 | Benton Township, MI | 3 |
| 19 | Grand Rapids, MI | 17 |
| 20 | Battle Creek, MI | 7 |
| 21 | Kalamazoo Township, MI | 4 |
| 22 | Buena Vista Township, MI | 2 |
| 23 | Clinton Township, MI | 7 |
| 24 | Muskegon, MI | 4 |
| 25 | Bridgeport Township, MI | 2 |
| 26 | Redford Township, MI | 4 |
| 27 | Clawson, MI | 2 |
| 28 | Fruitport Township, MI | 2 |
| 29 | Lincoln Park, MI | 3 |
| 30 | Southfield, MI | 4 |
| 31 | Dearborn, MI | 4 |
| 32 | Portage, MI | 3 |
| 33 | Warren, MI | 5 |
| 34 | Mount Morris Township, MI | 2 |
| 35 | Adrian, MI | 2 |
| 36 | Southgate, MI | 2 |
| 37 | Madison Heights, MI | 2 |
| 38 | Eastpointe, MI | 2 |
| 39 | Dowagiac, MI | 1 |
| 40 | Chocolay Township, MI | 1 |
| 41 | Troy, MI | 3 |
| 42 | Blackman Township, MI | 2 |
| 43 | Saginaw Township, MI | 2 |
| 44 | Oscoda Township, MI | 1 |
| 45 | Chesterfield Township, MI | 2 |
| 46 | Brighton, MI | 1 |
| 47 | Center Line, MI | 1 |
| 48 | Lansing Township, MI | 1 |
| 49 | Albion, MI | 1 |
| 50 | Greenville, MI | 1 |
| 51 | Dearborn Heights, MI | 2 |
| 52 | Flat Rock, MI | 1 |
| 53 | Taylor, MI | 2 |
| 54 | Sault Ste. Marie, MI | 1 |
| 55 | Wyoming, MI | 2 |
| 56 | Huron Township, MI | 1 |
| 57 | Farmington Hills, MI | 2 |
| 58 | Muskegon Township, MI | 1 |
| 59 | Ann Arbor, MI | 2 |
| 60 | Marquette, MI | 1 |
| 61 | Sterling Heights, MI | 2 |
| 62 | Mount Pleasant, MI | 1 |
| 63 | Norton Shores, MI | 1 |
| 64 | Auburn Hills, MI | 1 |
| 65 | Walker, MI | 1 |
| 66 | Garden City, MI | 1 |
| 67 | Burton, MI | 1 |
| 68 | Van Buren Township, MI | 1 |
| 69 | Port Huron, MI | 1 |
| 70 | Oak Park, MI | 1 |
| 71 | Bay City, MI | 1 |
| 72 | Brownstown Township, MI | 1 |
| 73 | Holland, MI | 1 |
| 74 | Pittsfield Township, MI | 1 |
| 75 | Commerce Township, MI | 1 |
| 76 | Roseville, MI | 1 |
| 77 | East Lansing, MI | 1 |
| 78 | Kentwood, MI | 1 |
| 79 | Westland, MI | 1 |
| 80 | Shelby Township, MI | 1 |
| 81 | Livonia, MI | 1 |
| 82 | Canton Township, MI | 1 |
