Brown Deer, WI Crime Map

Frequently Asked Questions

Frequently Asked Questions About Crime in Brown Deer, WI

What is Brown Deer's overall crime grade?

Brown Deer earns an overall crime grade of B- for 2026, meaning it performs better than a significant share of U.S. communities of comparable size. For context, a B- grade places Brown Deer in a favorable tier for a suburban village of roughly 12,000 residents — well above the threshold where safety concerns would dominate daily life. Property crime, which nationally accounts for the vast majority of all reported offenses, is the primary driver of the grade, while violent crime rates remain relatively contained. Residents can use this grade as a quick benchmark when comparing Brown Deer to neighboring Milwaukee-area communities.

How does Brown Deer's poverty rate affect its crime profile?

Brown Deer's poverty rate sits at 10.3%, which is moderate by national standards. Research consistently shows a correlation between economic hardship and certain property crimes. However, Brown Deer offsets this risk factor with a median household income of $68,821 and an impressively low unemployment rate of just 2.6% — well below the national average. This combination of low joblessness and middle-income stability helps explain why the village holds a B- crime grade rather than a lower one. Communities where most working-age adults are employed tend to see fewer opportunistic thefts and disturbances, a pattern that broadly holds in Brown Deer.

What types of crime are most common in Brown Deer?

Like most suburban communities, Brown Deer's reported incidents skew heavily toward property crime rather than violent offenses. The most frequently reported categories include vehicle theft, burglary, and theft from vehicles — crimes of opportunity that tend to cluster near commercial corridors and parking areas. Violent crime, including assault, represents a smaller share of total incidents and is not concentrated in any single part of the village. Substance-related offenses appear periodically but do not dominate the incident log. Understanding this breakdown matters: a B- grade driven primarily by property crime carries a very different day-to-day safety implication than the same grade driven by violent offenses.

Is Brown Deer safe compared to the rest of the Milwaukee metro area?

Brown Deer compares favorably to many of its Milwaukee-area neighbors. The City of Milwaukee itself carries significantly higher crime rates across both violent and property categories, while Brown Deer's suburban density of 1,052 residents per square mile keeps it in a lower-risk tier. The village's median home value of $170,371 and relatively stable rental market (median rent: $952/month) reflect a community that has maintained economic footing, which correlates with sustained safety outcomes. For families relocating from denser urban environments, Brown Deer's B- grade and low unemployment rate make it a statistically safer choice within the broader metro region.

What are the safest areas within Brown Deer?

Brown Deer is a compact village, so dramatic neighborhood-to-neighborhood variation is less pronounced than in larger cities. That said, residential areas near Brown Deer Park and the established single-family home districts along the village's interior streets tend to report fewer incidents than zones adjacent to major commercial thoroughfares like Brown Deer Road. Areas near the Milwaukee County Forest boundary benefit from lower foot traffic and a stable, owner-occupied housing base — factors associated with reduced property crime. Consulting the interactive crime map on this page lets you filter incidents by type and time period to identify the quietest blocks in real time.

Does Brown Deer's population density influence crime?

At 1,052 people per square mile, Brown Deer occupies a middle ground — denser than rural Wisconsin towns but far less packed than urban Milwaukee neighborhoods that can exceed 10,000 residents per square mile. This moderate density generally supports community cohesion: neighbors are close enough to notice unusual activity but not so crowded that anonymity enables crime to go unreported. Studies suggest that mid-density suburban communities in this range tend to maintain crime grades in the B to C band, making Brown Deer's B- overall grade consistent with what its demographic and geographic profile would predict.

Is Brown Deer a good place to buy a home from a safety standpoint?

From a safety-adjusted value perspective, Brown Deer presents a compelling case. A median home value of $170,371 combined with a B- crime grade means buyers are getting suburban safety at a price point well below the national median home value. The 2.6% unemployment rate signals a stable local economy, which supports both property values and long-term neighborhood safety. The 10.3% poverty rate is worth monitoring as a leading indicator, but it is offset by strong employment figures. For buyers weighing safety, affordability, and proximity to Milwaukee, Brown Deer's data profile is one of the stronger combinations available in the northern suburbs.