Milwaukee, WI Crime Map

Frequently Asked Questions

Frequently Asked Questions: Milwaukee Crime Statistics

Is Milwaukee safe?

Based on an analysis of 191 Milwaukee neighborhoods, the city earns a city-wide safety rating of B (Safe), even though its overall crime grade is C- when weighted against national benchmarks. A full 82% of neighborhoods fall into the safe category (grades A or B), while only 8% of neighborhoods — including Hillside and Haymarket, both graded F+, and Concordia, graded D- — account for the city's most elevated crime concentrations. That means roughly 156 out of 191 neighborhoods are considered safe places to live or visit. Neighborhoods like Maitland Park (A+), College Heights (A+), and the University of Wisconsin at Milwaukee area (A+) consistently rank among the safest. As with any major metro area, safety varies significantly by location, so using the Milwaukee crime map to check specific neighborhoods before committing to an address is strongly recommended.

What is the crime rate in Milwaukee?

Milwaukee's crime picture is more nuanced than a single headline number suggests. Across all 191 analyzed neighborhoods, the city earns an overall crime grade of C-, placing it below the national average. However, the grade distribution tells a more detailed story: 44% of neighborhoods (84 out of 191) earn an A grade, and another 37.7% (72 neighborhoods) earn a B grade. At the other end of the spectrum, 6.3% of neighborhoods (12) are graded D, and 1.6% (3 neighborhoods) are graded F. Higher-crime areas like Hillside (F+), Haymarket (F+), Halyard Park (D), and King Park (D) pull the city's composite score downward despite the strong performance of the majority of neighborhoods. In practical terms, the majority of Milwaukee residents live in areas where crime rates are comparable to or better than the national average.

What are the safest neighborhoods in Milwaukee?

Ten Milwaukee neighborhoods currently hold the highest possible safety designation of Grade A+. Here is how they compare by population and median household income:

• Golden Gate — A+, median income $109,825 (population: 434)
• Mack Acres — A+, median income $109,773 (population: 213)
• Copernicus Park — A+, median income $89,799 (population: 1,301)
• College Heights — A+, median income $86,019 (population: 914)
• Morgan Heights — A+, median income $84,730 (population: 1,692)
• Green Moor — A+, median income $80,670 (population: 506)
• Maitland Park — A+, median income $74,326 (population: 876)
• University of Wisconsin at Milwaukee — A+, median income $60,656 (population: 2,785)
• Mitchell Field — A+, median income $54,281 (population: 1,559)
• New Coeln — A+, median income $39,597 (population: 82)

Notably, eight of these ten A+ neighborhoods have median household incomes above Milwaukee's city-wide median of $43,125, reflecting the well-documented relationship between economic stability and lower crime rates. The University of Wisconsin at Milwaukee neighborhood stands out as the largest of the A+ areas by population (2,785 residents), making it a particularly significant data point for prospective renters and homebuyers.

Which neighborhoods in Milwaukee have the highest crime?

The five neighborhoods with the most elevated crime grades in Milwaukee are Hillside (F+), Haymarket (F+), Concordia (D-), Halyard Park (D), and King Park (D). Together, these five neighborhoods represent a portion of the 8% of Milwaukee neighborhoods graded D or F. Hillside and Haymarket are the only two neighborhoods in the city to receive an F+ designation, placing them among the highest-crime areas relative to both city and national comparisons. Concordia's D- grade puts it just above F territory. Residents and visitors are advised to consult the Milwaukee crime map for current incident data in these areas and to take standard urban precautions such as staying aware of surroundings, securing vehicles, and reporting suspicious activity to Milwaukee Police.

Is Milwaukee a good place to live?

Milwaukee offers a compelling combination of affordability and livability for many households. With a median home value of $127,622 and a median rent of $866 per month, housing costs sit well below the national median, making homeownership accessible for a broader range of incomes. The city's median household income of $43,125 stretches further here than in many comparable metros. On the challenges side, Milwaukee's unemployment rate of 6.3% and poverty rate of 24.6% are higher than national averages, and these economic pressures correlate with the crime concentrations seen in neighborhoods like Halyard Park and King Park. That said, 82% of Milwaukee's 191 analyzed neighborhoods earn safe grades of A or B, and areas like Maitland Park, Golden Gate, Morgan Heights, and the University of Wisconsin at Milwaukee neighborhood offer strong safety records alongside community amenities. For families and individuals who research neighborhood-level data before choosing where to live, Milwaukee has a substantial number of genuinely safe, affordable communities to consider.

How does Milwaukee's neighborhood safety break down by grade?

Of the 191 Milwaukee neighborhoods analyzed, the grade distribution is as follows:

• Grade A — 84 neighborhoods (44%): The largest single category, indicating low crime relative to national benchmarks.
• Grade B — 72 neighborhoods (37.7%): Above-average safety; combined with Grade A, these represent 82% of all Milwaukee neighborhoods.
• Grade C — 20 neighborhoods (10.5%): Near the national average for crime; neither notably safe nor notably dangerous.
• Grade D — 12 neighborhoods (6.3%): Below-average safety; includes areas like Halyard Park and King Park where elevated crime warrants extra awareness.
• Grade F — 3 neighborhoods (1.6%): The highest-crime tier, including Hillside and Haymarket, which both carry F+ designations.

The sharp concentration of crime in a small number of neighborhoods — with less than 8% of neighborhoods accounting for the D and F grades — underscores why city-wide averages alone can be misleading. Drilling into neighborhood-level grades on the Milwaukee crime map gives a far more accurate picture of day-to-day safety for any given address.