City Crime Score
Below avg crime
Population
15,003
Median Income
$54,173
Home Value
$116,411
Median Age
36.0
Crime Statistics
Demographics
31.9% have a bachelor's degree or higher
Housing
Cleveland, MS Crime Map
Explore crime rates, safest neighborhoods, and detailed crime statistics
Understanding Cleveland, MS Crime Data in 2026
Cleveland, Mississippi sits at a crossroads of Delta culture and economic challenge. With a population of roughly 11,363 spread across 578 residents per square mile, the city carries an overall crime grade of C- for 2026. That grade places Cleveland below the national average for safety, though it reflects patterns common to small Delta cities navigating high poverty rates and limited economic opportunity. Understanding what drives that grade — and where crime concentrates — is far more useful than a single letter alone.
Economic Context Behind the Crime Grade
Numbers rarely exist in a vacuum. Cleveland's 26.3% poverty rate is more than double the national average, and a median household income of $35,907 leaves limited margin for many families. Research consistently links economic stress to elevated property crime, and Cleveland's data reflects that relationship. The median home value of $123,895 and median rent of $749 keep housing relatively accessible, but the 4.5% unemployment rate — combined with concentrated poverty — creates conditions where opportunistic theft and property offenses tend to cluster.
This context matters when reading any crime map: a C- grade in a small Delta city with these demographics tells a different story than the same grade in a wealthy suburb. Residents who understand the underlying drivers are better equipped to interpret what the map actually shows.
Property Crime vs. Violent Crime: What the Data Shows
In communities with Cleveland's economic profile, property crime typically dominates the incident log. Across the city, theft-related offenses — including larceny, motor vehicle theft, and residential burglary — account for the largest share of reported incidents. These crimes are opportunistic and often concentrated around commercial corridors and higher-density residential blocks. Violent offenses, including assault and robbery, occur at lower frequencies but carry disproportionate impact on community perception of safety.
The crime map for 2026 reflects these proportions visually: heat concentrations appear most intensely in areas with higher foot traffic and commercial activity, while quieter residential pockets — particularly those near Delta State University — show comparatively lighter incident density. That geographic variation is important: Cleveland's C- overall grade masks meaningful differences from block to block.
Neighborhood-Level Patterns in Cleveland
While Cleveland does not publish granular neighborhood crime grades in the same way larger cities do, the crime map reveals recognizable spatial patterns worth noting:
- Downtown and Commercial Corridors: The highest concentration of reported incidents clusters around downtown Cleveland and the main commercial strips. Retail theft, vehicle break-ins, and occasional assault reports make these blocks the most active on the map.
- Areas Near Delta State University: The university zone and surrounding residential streets tend to show lighter incident density. The presence of campus security, higher residential turnover, and community investment contribute to a comparatively safer micro-environment.
- South and East Residential Areas: Outer residential neighborhoods show a mixed picture. Some blocks record very few incidents annually; others, particularly those with higher poverty concentration, appear more frequently in the property crime data.
- Highway Corridors: Areas along major highway access points see periodic vehicle-related incidents, consistent with patterns in similarly sized Mississippi Delta cities.
How to Use the Cleveland Crime Map Effectively
A crime map is only as useful as the questions you bring to it. For Cleveland residents and prospective movers, here is how to extract maximum value from the 2026 data:
- Filter by Crime Type: Separate property crimes from violent crimes. If you are evaluating a neighborhood for a home purchase, property crime frequency matters more for insurance and security planning; violent crime concentration matters more for day-to-day safety.
- Use Time Filters: Cleveland's incident data shows seasonal and time-of-day variation. Filtering for nighttime incidents versus daytime incidents often reveals different hotspot patterns.
- Cross-Reference with the Grade: The city's C- overall grade is a starting point, not a verdict. Specific blocks near Delta State or in quieter south-side residential areas may effectively perform at a B or B- level even within the same city.
- Track Trends Over Time: A single year's snapshot is less informative than a multi-year trend. If incident counts in a particular zone are declining, that trajectory matters for long-term decisions.
Safety Practices That Complement the Crime Map
Data awareness is the foundation; practical habits build on top of it. Given Cleveland's property-crime-heavy profile, the highest-return safety practices focus on reducing opportunity:
- Vehicle Security: Motor vehicle theft and break-ins appear consistently in Cleveland's incident data. Never leave valuables visible in parked vehicles, and use steering wheel locks or GPS tracking devices where feasible.
- Home Security Basics: Deadbolt locks, motion-activated lighting, and visible security cameras reduce residential burglary risk meaningfully — particularly relevant in a city where property crime drives the overall grade.
- Neighborhood Watch Engagement: Cleveland's tight-knit community character is a genuine asset. Neighborhoods where residents know each other and report suspicious activity consistently show lower incident rates than socioeconomically similar areas without that social infrastructure.
- Report Early: Underreporting is a documented issue in smaller cities. Contacting the Cleveland Police Department when incidents occur — even minor ones — improves the accuracy of the crime map and helps direct patrol resources more effectively.
What a C- Grade Means for Prospective Residents
A C- is below average, and transparency requires saying so plainly. Cleveland presents real safety trade-offs, particularly around property crime, that prospective residents should weigh honestly. At the same time, the city's low cost of living — with a median home value under $124,000 and median rent of $749 — and its strong Delta cultural identity offer genuine value that purely crime-focused analysis misses.
Families evaluating Cleveland should prioritize neighborhood-level research over the city-wide grade, focus on blocks near Delta State University or the more established south-side residential areas, and factor in the community engagement resources available through local organizations and the police department. The crime map is a tool for informed decision-making, not a reason to dismiss a city outright.
Frequently Asked Questions
Frequently Asked Questions: Cleveland, MS Crime & Safety (2026)
What is Cleveland, MS's overall crime grade for 2026?
Cleveland, Mississippi receives an overall crime grade of C- for 2026. This places the city below the national average for safety, reflecting elevated property crime rates that are common in small Delta cities with high poverty concentrations. The 26.3% poverty rate and median household income of $35,907 are significant drivers of that grade. However, the C- represents a city-wide average — specific areas, particularly those near Delta State University and quieter south-side residential streets, perform meaningfully better than the overall figure suggests.
Is Cleveland, MS safe to live in?
Safety in Cleveland depends heavily on where within the city you live and what crime types concern you most. The city's C- overall crime grade reflects a property-crime-heavy environment shaped by a 26.3% poverty rate and limited economic opportunity. Violent crime occurs but is less frequent than property offenses like theft, vehicle break-ins, and residential burglary. Residents near Delta State University and in the more established residential neighborhoods generally report a quieter day-to-day experience. With a median home value of $123,895 and median rent of $749, Cleveland offers affordability that attracts families and retirees willing to take standard precautions and engage with the community.
Which neighborhoods in Cleveland, MS have lower crime rates?
Based on the 2026 crime map data, the areas with the lightest incident density in Cleveland include the zone surrounding Delta State University, where campus security and higher community engagement contribute to fewer reported incidents. Established residential streets on the south and east sides of the city also tend to show lower property crime frequency compared to the downtown commercial corridors and high-traffic areas near major highway access points. Downtown Cleveland and the main commercial strips consistently show the highest concentration of incidents — primarily theft and vehicle-related offenses — and appear most prominently on the heat map.
What types of crime are most common in Cleveland, MS?
Property crime dominates Cleveland's incident profile in 2026. Larceny and theft, motor vehicle theft, and residential burglary account for the largest share of reported offenses — a pattern consistent with the city's economic profile, where a 26.3% poverty rate and 4.5% unemployment rate create conditions for opportunistic property crime. Violent offenses, including assault and robbery, are reported less frequently but are tracked closely by the Cleveland Police Department and appear on the crime map with their own incident markers. Vandalism and drug-related offenses also contribute to the city's overall C- grade, particularly in higher-density residential areas.
How does Cleveland's poverty rate affect its crime grade?
The relationship is direct and well-documented. Cleveland's 26.3% poverty rate — more than double the national average — is one of the strongest predictors of its C- crime grade. Economic stress reduces access to security resources, increases residential instability, and correlates with higher rates of opportunistic property crime. The city's median household income of $35,907 means many residents have limited capacity to invest in home security systems or other protective measures. Understanding this context helps residents and prospective movers interpret the crime map accurately: the grade reflects systemic economic conditions as much as individual neighborhood character.
How can I use the Cleveland crime map to make safer decisions?
The most effective approach is to use the map as a layered research tool rather than a simple pass/fail indicator. Start with the city-wide C- overall grade as your baseline, then drill into specific areas you are evaluating — particularly the downtown corridor versus residential zones near Delta State University, which show notably different incident densities. Filter by crime type to separate property offenses from violent incidents, and use time-of-day filters to understand when and where activity peaks. Cross-reference what you see on the map with local knowledge from the Cleveland Police Department and community resources. The map is most powerful when combined with on-the-ground familiarity with specific streets and blocks.
Is Cleveland, MS getting safer or more dangerous over time?
Multi-year trend analysis provides the most reliable answer to this question, and the 2026 crime map data should be compared against prior years to identify directional movement. Cleveland's structural economic challenges — a poverty rate above 26% and median income well below state and national averages — create headwinds for rapid safety improvement. However, community engagement programs, university-adjacent development, and active policing efforts in high-incident corridors can produce localized improvements even within a difficult broader context. Residents tracking the crime map year over year will get the clearest picture of whether specific neighborhoods are trending toward better or worse safety outcomes.
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Cleveland Zip Codes
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