Flint, MI Crime Map

Frequently Asked Questions

Frequently Asked Questions: Flint, MI Crime & Safety (2026)

Is Flint, MI safe in 2026?

Flint carries an overall crime grade of D+ city-wide, but that headline number masks a wide range of neighborhood-level conditions. Across the 17 neighborhoods analyzed, 65% earn a combined A or B safety grade, meaning the majority of Flint's residential areas are considered relatively safe. Only 18% of neighborhoods fall into the D or F range, and no neighborhood received an F grade at all. Areas like Potter Longway (A-), Circle Drive (B+), and Ballenger Square (B+) compare favorably to many mid-sized Midwestern cities. By contrast, Northeast Village (D-) and North Flint (C-) see meaningfully elevated incident rates. Safety in Flint is genuinely neighborhood-dependent — consulting the interactive crime map before choosing where to live, work, or visit is strongly recommended.

What is the overall crime grade for Flint, and how does it break down by neighborhood?

Flint's city-wide crime grade is D+, while the city-wide safety rating based on neighborhood analysis averages out to a Moderate (C). Of the 17 neighborhoods studied:

• Grade A: 1 neighborhood (5.9%) — Potter Longway
• Grade B: 10 neighborhoods (58.8%) — including Circle Drive, Ballenger Square, Baker Heights, Southside, Brownell/Holmes, East Village, Civic Park, Sterling & Myrtle St., and Flint Downtown
• Grade C: 3 neighborhoods (17.6%) — including North Flint, South Parks, and Grand Traverse
• Grade D: 3 neighborhoods (17.6%) — including Northeast Village
• Grade F: 0 neighborhoods (0%)

The concentration of B-grade neighborhoods — nearly 59% of all areas analyzed — suggests that while Flint faces real crime challenges, the majority of its populated communities sit in a moderate-to-safe range rather than at the extreme end of the risk spectrum.

What are the safest neighborhoods in Flint in 2026?

Based on 2026 crime data, the ten safest neighborhoods in Flint are:

1. Potter Longway — A-: The city's top-rated neighborhood, with a population of about 5,423 and a median household income of $42,175. It is the only area to achieve an A-range grade.
2. Circle Drive — B+: A smaller community of roughly 1,963 residents with the highest median income among safe neighborhoods at $56,143.
3. Ballenger Square — B+: Home to about 3,606 residents and a median income of $50,665, making it one of Flint's more economically stable and safer areas.
4. Baker Heights — B+: A compact neighborhood of 1,593 residents; notably achieves a B+ grade despite a median income of $27,472, below the city median.
5. Southside — B+: Flint's largest safe neighborhood at 6,711 residents, with a median income of $37,399.
6. Brownell / Holmes — B: The most populous neighborhood analyzed at 9,575 residents, earning a solid B with a median income of $37,691.
7. East Village — B: 5,198 residents and a median income of $55,343 — one of the highest in the city — contributing to its B grade.
8. Civic Park — B: About 2,896 residents with a median income of $43,531.
9. Sterling & Myrtle St. — B: A smaller enclave of 1,489 residents with a median income of $32,677.
10. Flint Downtown — B: Despite being the smallest neighborhood by population (1,205), Downtown Flint earns a B grade, reflecting ongoing revitalization efforts.

Which neighborhoods in Flint have the highest crime rates?

The neighborhoods with the most elevated crime levels in Flint's 2026 data are:

• Northeast Village — D-: The lowest-graded neighborhood in the dataset, indicating significantly higher-than-average incident rates relative to the rest of the city.
• North Flint — C-: Sits in the lower tier of the C range, with crime rates noticeably above the city's safer neighborhoods.
• South Parks — C-: Similar profile to North Flint, earning a C- and warranting additional caution.
• Grand Traverse — C-: Also rated C-, placing it among the areas where residents and visitors should exercise heightened awareness.
• Rollingwood — B-: While technically in the B range, Rollingwood is the weakest B-grade neighborhood and borders the higher-crime tier.

It is worth noting that even the highest-crime neighborhoods in Flint did not receive an F grade, which indicates that conditions — while challenging — are not at the most extreme end of the national scale.

Is Flint a good place to live in 2026?

Flint presents a genuinely mixed picture. On the economic side, the numbers reflect significant hardship: a median household income of $30,383, a poverty rate of 37.3%, and an unemployment rate of 19.5% — all well above national averages. The median home value of $35,078 and median rent of $730 make Flint one of the most affordable housing markets in Michigan, which attracts buyers and renters priced out of larger metros. On the safety side, 65% of analyzed neighborhoods carry A or B grades, and areas like East Village (median income $55,343, Grade B) and Civic Park (median income $43,531, Grade B) offer genuinely livable conditions. For households prioritizing affordability and willing to research neighborhood-level crime data carefully, Flint can be a viable choice — particularly in its northern and western B-grade corridors. Those with flexibility should focus their search on Potter Longway, Circle Drive, Ballenger Square, and Southside for the best combination of safety grades and community stability.

How does income correlate with safety across Flint's neighborhoods?

The data reveals a clear but imperfect relationship between median household income and safety grade in Flint. The safest neighborhood, Potter Longway (A-), has a median income of $42,175 — about 39% above the city median of $30,383. The two highest-income neighborhoods, Circle Drive ($56,143) and East Village ($55,343), both earn B grades. However, income alone does not determine safety: Baker Heights achieves a B+ grade with a median income of just $27,472 — actually below the city-wide median — demonstrating that community factors beyond income influence local crime levels. At the other end, Northeast Village (D-) reflects the compounding effect of lower incomes and higher crime, a pattern consistent with Flint's broader economic challenges including its 37.3% poverty rate and 19.5% unemployment rate. Prospective residents should use both income data and neighborhood crime grades together when evaluating where to live.

How can I use the Flint crime map to make safer decisions?

The interactive Flint crime map on this page lets you filter incidents by type, date range, and neighborhood — giving you a granular view that city-wide grades alone cannot provide. Here are practical ways to use it:

• Compare neighborhoods side by side: Pull up Potter Longway and Northeast Village simultaneously to see how a D- area differs from an A- area in incident density and type.
• Identify time-of-day patterns: Filter incidents by hour to understand whether a neighborhood's crime is concentrated at night or spread throughout the day.
• Track property vs. violent crime ratios: Some B-grade neighborhoods like Brownell/Holmes may have more property crime than violent crime — a distinction that matters for renters vs. homeowners.
• Monitor trend lines: Use the historical view to see whether a C- neighborhood like Grand Traverse is improving or worsening over recent months.
• Cross-reference with the Flint Police Department: Official reports from the Flint Police Department can confirm patterns you spot on the map.