The Safest Places to Live in Michigan’s Upper and Lower Peninsulas

Michigan is one in two parts, connected by a mighty Big Mac. There are plenty of great places to live throughout the Mitten State, but which places are the safest?

According to one study, the two safest cities in Michigan are in the Upper and Lower Peninsula, meaning Yoopers and Trolls alike can live in comfort and bliss without having to cross the Mackinac Bridge.

Yep, no favoritism or exclusions here. Safewise looked through the violent and property crime rates of cities all across the state over the past three years, ranking the top 50 states based on how safe they are. The number one safest city landed in the Lower Peninsula while the number two city is perched up in the Upper Peninsula. What a happy little coincidence.

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That said, both of these places are relatively small. In fact, they're townships. Big cities, after all, aren't exactly known for their safety, but rather their convenience. You may want to move to one of these places to get away from the hustle and bustle of Detroit or Grand Rapids, but just keep in mind, space might be limited.

Michigan does have a higher violent crime rate than the national average, 5.0 per 1,000 people to the nation's 4.0. This is due to an increase in experiences of gun violence by its survey responders according to SafeWise.

Coming In At #2

The safest place to live in the Upper Peninsula is the inviting Kinross Township. Kinross is centrally located in Chippewa County on the east side of the U.P., establish in 1899.

Kinross has a population of 7,226 that earns a median income of $49,952. The modest town had the lowest crime rate in the Upper Peninsula according to Safewise, reporting just a .9 (per 1,000) violent crime rate in 2022 and a 2.5 property crime rate.

It's a quaint and quiet place in the U.P. sitting about halfway between the Mackinac Bridge and Sault Ste. Marie off Interstate 75, favoring the historic town to the north geographically. It's home to the Kinross Heritage Park and Military Museum, which features a 1/2 mile nature trail, the Old Wilson School and the Caldwell Cabin.

It wouldn't be Michigan without a lake somewhere nearby. Kinross has two: Dukes Lake and Kinross Lake.

The #1 Safest Place in Michigan

SafeWise's study named Addison Township the safest place to live in all of Michigan. Addison is located on the Northeast corner of Oakland County in Southeast Michigan. It quietly sits near the center of the Detroit-Flint-Port Huron triangle, giving it a rather favorable location for many Michigan activities.

Addison has a population of 6,603 that earns a median income of $95,211. With the lowest crime rate in the state, Addison is the safest place to live not only in the Lower Peninsula but also in the entire state of Michigan. The numbers are impressive, as, according to Safewise, Addison had just a .3 violent crime rate in 2022 and a 2.4 property crime rate.

Leonard, a village in Addison, is the home of the Strawberry Festival. In the southern portion of the township is Addison Oaks County Park, which features two lakes, Buhl and Adams. Lakeville Lake is the largest lake of many that makeup 1.06 square miles of water surface in the Township limits.

There you have it, the two safest places to live in all of Michigan. Keep scrolling to see the 15 safest cities in all of Michigan according to Safewise and check out the full list of 50 safest places in Michigan and other states here.