TL;DR: Kinross Township (0.2 violent crimes per 1,000 residents) tops SafeWise’s 2026 ranking of the safest cities in Michigan, holding the #1 spot for the second year in a row. The full top 10 — drawn from the FBI’s latest violent and property crime data — is dominated by small southeastern townships, plus one newcomer: Grosse Ile Township.
Zero reported burglaries. That’s not a rounding error — it’s the 2026 record for Kinross Township, a community in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula where the violent crime rate sits at just 0.2 incidents per 1,000 residents. When SafeWise released its annual ranking of the safest cities in Michigan, built from the FBI’s most recent violent and property crime data, Kinross claimed the #1 position for the second consecutive year. Michigan as a whole sees violent crime levels above the national average, which makes the calm in these ten communities stand out even more.
The list below comes straight from SafeWise’s 2026 “Michigan’s Safest Cities” report, which standardizes FBI crime figures as violent crimes per 1,000 residents so small towns can be compared fairly against larger ones. Every rate here is attributed to that report.
The 10 safest cities in Michigan for 2026
1. Kinross Township — 0.2 violent crimes per 1,000. Back at #1 for the second straight year, this Upper Peninsula community also reported zero burglaries, a remarkable figure in any year.
2. Oakland Township — 0.3 (population 20,306). Home to the Rochester Community School District area, Oakland Township combines suburban affluence with consistently low crime.
3. Argentine Township — 0.6 (population 6,965). Lakefront living around Lobdell and Murray Lakes, with a violent crime rate that barely registers.
4. Grosse Ile Township — 0.0 (population 10,296). The newcomer on the 2026 list. This island township in the Detroit River reported a violent crime rate of 0.0 per 1,000 residents.
5. Hamburg Township — 0.3 (population 21,143). One of several fast-growing Livingston County-area townships where low crime has kept pace with population growth.
6. Brandon Township — 0.7 (population 15,308). A northern Oakland County community offering a rural-suburban mix with a violent crime rate under one per 1,000.
7. Lyon Township — 0.3 (population 26,094). One of the largest communities on the list, proving that population size doesn’t have to mean higher crime.
8. Milford — 0.4 (population 16,974). A village with a walkable downtown and a crime profile far below the state norm.
9. South Lyon — 0.4 (population 12,010). A small city on the western edge of the metro Detroit area that keeps showing up in statewide safety rankings.
10. Berkley — 0.3 (population 14,859). An inner-ring suburb of Detroit with one of the lowest violent crime rates in the metro area.
How SafeWise built the ranking
SafeWise’s annual report uses the FBI’s standardized crime data, converting raw incident counts into violent crimes per 1,000 residents. That per-capita approach is what lets a small place like Kinross Township sit alongside a community of 26,000 like Lyon Township on the same list. Property crime factors into the overall analysis, but the headline metric — the one used to order the top 10 — is violent crime per 1,000.
That matters for anyone comparison-shopping places to live: raw totals always favor small towns, but per-capita rates show where your personal risk is actually lowest. By that measure, every community on this list sits far below Michigan’s statewide violent crime levels.
What this means if you’re moving to Michigan
Safety rankings are one input, not a decision. School quality, commute times, housing costs, and job access all matter just as much. But if low crime tops your checklist, the pattern here is clear: the safest places in Michigan tend to be smaller townships and inner-ring suburbs with engaged local police departments and strong community ties — not the big cities.
If you’re weighing Michigan against neighboring states, our ranking of Ohio’s 10 safest cities for 2026, also backed by FBI data, makes a useful comparison.
Frequently asked questions
What is the safest city in Michigan in 2026?
According to SafeWise’s 2026 annual report, which uses FBI violent and property crime data, Kinross Township is the safest city in Michigan, with 0.2 violent crimes per 1,000 residents. It holds the #1 spot for the second year in a row and reported zero burglaries.
Is Michigan a safe state overall?
Michigan’s violent crime rate runs above the national average at the state level. But the state is large and varied — the ten communities on this list all sit far below that statewide figure, with violent crime rates of 0.7 per 1,000 or lower.
Which Michigan city has the lowest violent crime rate?
Grosse Ile Township, a newcomer to the 2026 SafeWise list, reported a violent crime rate of 0.0 per 1,000 residents — the lowest of any community ranked. Kinross Township follows at 0.2 per 1,000.
Are Detroit suburbs safe?
Several Detroit-area suburbs appear on the 2026 safest list, including Berkley (0.3 per 1,000), Grosse Ile Township (0.0), and Oakland Township (0.3). Safety varies widely across the metro area, so neighborhood-level research matters.
What data is this ranking based on?
SafeWise’s 2026 “Michigan’s Safest Cities” report is based on the FBI’s latest published violent and property crime data, standardized as crimes per 1,000 residents. You can read the full report at safewise.com.
Is Kinross Township a good place to live?
On safety alone, it’s hard to beat: #1 in Michigan two years running with zero reported burglaries. It’s a small Upper Peninsula community, so buyers should also weigh job access, amenities, and winter weather against the safety numbers.
Do small towns always rank safer than big cities?
Not necessarily. The per-1,000 rate levels the playing field, and larger communities like Lyon Township (population 26,094, rate 0.3) still made the top 10. What matters is the per-capita rate, not the raw population.
How often is the SafeWise ranking updated?
SafeWise publishes its state safety rankings annually, each time using the most recently available FBI crime data. The 2026 edition is the current release.
