Muskegon, MI Crime Map

Frequently Asked Questions

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

Is Muskegon, MI safe to live in?

Muskegon earns an overall crime grade of C- at the city level, but the neighborhood-by-neighborhood picture is considerably more encouraging. Of the 15 neighborhoods analyzed, 73% — 11 out of 15 — received a safe rating of A or B. Specifically, 7 neighborhoods (46.7%) earned an A grade and 4 (26.7%) earned a B grade, meaning nearly three-quarters of Muskegon's analyzed communities qualify as safe or very safe. No neighborhood in the dataset received a D or F. Areas like Beachwood / Bluffton (Grade A, median income $68,620) and Lakeside (Grade A, median income $53,449) rank among the safest, while even the lower-graded neighborhoods — Angell (C-) and Jackson Hill (C+) — do not fall into the most dangerous tier. The city-wide safety rating is officially classified as Safe (B), making Muskegon a viable option for residents who research neighborhoods before choosing where to live.

What is the crime rate in Muskegon, MI?

Muskegon's overall crime performance earns a C- grade when measured city-wide, reflecting a mixed landscape shaped by socioeconomic factors including a 25% poverty rate, a 10.2% unemployment rate, and a median household income of $35,323 — all of which correlate with elevated crime risk in urban research. That said, the neighborhood distribution tells a more nuanced story: 46.7% of neighborhoods scored an A, 26.7% scored a B, and the remaining 26.7% scored a C (ranging from C- to C+). Importantly, zero neighborhoods received a D or F. Higher-crime pockets include Angell (C-), Jackson Hill (C+), McLaughlin (C+), Nelson (C+), and Marquette (B-). Residents and prospective movers are encouraged to use the interactive Muskegon crime map to compare specific blocks within these neighborhoods rather than relying on city-wide averages alone.

What are the safest neighborhoods in Muskegon?

Based on 2026 neighborhood crime data, the ten safest areas in Muskegon are:

1. Beachwood / Bluffton — Grade A | Median income: $68,620 | Population: 224
2. Lakeside — Grade A | Median income: $53,449 | Population: 2,600
3. Glenside — Grade A | Median income: $48,615 | Population: 893
4. East Muskegon — Grade A | Median income: $21,880 | Population: 3,552
5. Campbell Field — Grade A- | Median income: $42,963 | Population: 2,199
6. Nims — Grade A- | Median income: $45,861 | Population: 2,727
7. Oakview — Grade A- | Median income: $35,538 | Population: 2,131
8. Sheldon Park — Grade B+ | Median income: $43,008 | Population: 1,882
9. Steele — Grade B | Median income: $52,438 | Population: 852
10. Marsh Field — Grade B | Median income: $37,995 | Population: 3,357

Notably, East Muskegon achieves a Grade A despite a median income of just $21,880 — well below the city median — demonstrating that low income alone does not determine neighborhood safety. Beachwood / Bluffton and Lakeside combine high safety grades with the two highest neighborhood incomes in the dataset ($68,620 and $53,449 respectively), reinforcing the general income-safety correlation seen in most urban markets.

Which neighborhoods in Muskegon have higher crime?

Five neighborhoods in Muskegon received grades in the C range, which indicates above-average crime risk relative to the city's safest areas. Angell is the lowest-rated at C-, followed by Jackson Hill, McLaughlin, and Nelson, all graded C+. Marquette earned a B-, placing it just below the safe threshold. Crucially, none of these neighborhoods received a D or F grade, suggesting that Muskegon's higher-crime areas are elevated in risk but not in the most severe category. If you are evaluating these neighborhoods, cross-referencing the crime map with specific streets and time-of-day incident data can provide a more precise picture than neighborhood-level grades alone.

Is Muskegon a good place to live in 2026?

Muskegon presents a genuinely mixed value proposition in 2026. On the affordability side, the numbers are compelling: a median home value of just $77,378 and a median rent of $741 make it one of the more affordable mid-size Michigan cities for housing. The city's population of 164,136 across a density of roughly 1,018 residents per square mile gives it an urban feel without the congestion of larger metros. The challenges are real — a 25% poverty rate and 10.2% unemployment are significantly above national averages and directly influence the city's overall C- crime grade. However, for buyers or renters willing to choose strategically, the fact that 73% of analyzed neighborhoods earn a safe A or B rating means livable, low-crime options exist at price points far below comparable Midwest cities. Neighborhoods like Lakeside, Nims, and Sheldon Park offer a combination of safety grades and median incomes that suggest stable, community-oriented environments. Muskegon rewards residents who use data — including the crime map — to make informed location decisions.

How does Muskegon's neighborhood safety compare across income levels?

The Muskegon neighborhood data reveals an interesting relationship between income and safety, though it is not absolute. The highest-income neighborhood, Beachwood / Bluffton ($68,620 median income), earns a Grade A — the top safety tier. Similarly, Lakeside ($53,449) and Steele ($52,438) both earn A and B grades respectively. However, East Muskegon stands out as a statistical outlier: it achieves a Grade A with a median income of only $21,880 — the lowest among the safest neighborhoods — suggesting that community factors beyond income influence safety outcomes there. On the other end, the C-graded neighborhoods tend to cluster around or below the city's median household income of $35,323. The city-wide poverty rate of 25% and the concentration of lower-income areas likely contribute to the overall C- city grade, even as individual neighborhoods outperform that average significantly. This data underscores why evaluating Muskegon at the neighborhood level — rather than the city level — produces the most actionable safety insights.