The Safest and Most Dangerous Places in Bay County, MI: Crime Maps and Statistics

B-

Overall Crime Grade™

Violent Crime Grade	D
Property Crime Grade	B-
Other Crime Grade	B+

Which crimes are included?

$47.7 million

Cost of Crime™ for Bay County, MI

In 2025, crime will cost $1,053 per household.

More cost data

On the map, green marks the parts of Bay County with the least crime overall and red marks the most. Each area is weighted by the type and severity of every offense, so a place with rare but serious violent crime can grade differently from one with frequent petty theft. The Interpreting the Crime Maps section below explains how to read the colors.

Is Bay County, MI Safe?

The B- overall grade blends the violent, property, and other grades shown above into one measure, set against the average US county, where Bay County's combined rate is slightly lower than the norm. Bay County sits in the 60th percentile, ahead of 60% of counties and behind 40%. The grade covers only Bay County's official city boundaries. See the table below for nearby counties.

The overall crime rate in Bay County is 27.10 per 1,000 residents in a typical year. Residents generally consider the west part of the county the safest. Your chance of being a victim ranges from 1 in 24 in the central areas to 1 in 54 in the west.

Counting total incidents instead of per-capita rates, the east parts of Bay County, MI report the most crime, about 565 cases per year. The southwest part reports the fewest, around 119 per year.

The Cost of Crime™ in Bay County, MI

Across all crime types, the projected cost of crime in Bay County for 2025 is $47,668,761, about $454 per resident and $1,053 per household. That equals 1.3% of the median household income. These figures cover tangible costs, which include:

Criminal justice system costs (law enforcement, courts, and imprisonment): 54.5%
Direct costs to victims (damaged property, medical expenses, and lost wages): 33.1%
Lost economic contribution from offenders (time in prison or repeat offenses): 12.3%

How Much Does Crime Cost in Bay County Compared to Other Counties?

Bay County, MI:	$454
Wayne County, MI:	$853
Ottawa County, MI:	$197
Michigan:	$487
USA:	$464

The overall cost of crime per resident in Bay County is $454 per year, which is $10 less than the national average and $33 less than Michigan's state average. The comparison below uses counties similar to Bay County:

In Wayne County, MI, crime costs $853 per person, which is $400 more than in Bay County.
In Ottawa County, MI, crime costs $197 per person, which is $256 less than in Bay County

2025 Projected Cost by Type of Crime

The table below shows the total cost of crime to the residents of Bay County for the year 2025 along with the projected cost per resident.

Crime	Cost to Bay County	Cost per Bay County Resident
Murder	$10.3 million	$98
Rape/Sexual Assault	$6.73 million	$64
Robbery	$1.12 million	$11
Assault	$12.9 million	$122
Kidnapping	$544,287	$5
Vehicle Theft	$2.68 million	$26
Burglary	$2.26 million	$21
Theft	$5.38 million	$51
Arson	$251,495	$2
Vandalism	$3.33 million	$32
Animal Cruelty	$70,024	$1
Drug Crimes	$1.50 million	$14
Identity Theft	$676,373	$6
Total Cost of Crime	$47,668,761	$454

The Intangible Cost of Crime in Bay County, MI

The totals above count tangible costs only. Violent crime also carries a human cost, the pain and trauma borne by victims and their families, which research-based methods estimate so it can be compared across places. That intangible cost in Bay County totals $104,139,045 ($992 per resident), and all of it comes from violent crime rather than property loss. Added to the tangible costs, the full estimate reaches $151,807,807 ($1,445 per resident). All Cost of Crime figures come from scholarly research on the cost of crime. Read more about our methodology here.

Interpreting the Crime Maps

Crime rates on the map are measured per resident, so areas with heavy visitor traffic can read high because crime follows crowds, even where few people live. The central part of the county holds more retail establishments, which lifts recorded crime around those blocks. A red area does not always mean the neighborhood is unsafe for residents.

Airports, parks, and transit hubs create the same effect. Major airports draw large crowds with few residents nearby, so they read as high-crime spots. Parks and recreational areas, of which Bay County has 20, do the same, and of Bay County's 105,021 residents few live beside them. Before assuming an area is unsafe, weigh both the per-capita rate and the total number of incidents, and note what sits nearby.

The interactive maps load faster on a strong connection. Compare high speed internet in Bay County, MI at ISP Reports.

Bay County Crime Breakdown

The tables below show which crimes are used to calculate the Crime Grades above. All crime rates are shown as the number of crimes per 1,000 Bay County residents in a standard year.

Violent Crime Rates

Crime Type	Crime Rate
Assault	4.262
Robbery	0.3387
Rape	1.056
Murder	0.0520
Total Violent Crime	5.709 (D)

Property Crime Rates

Crime Type	Crime Rate
Theft	9.892
Vehicle Theft	1.647
Burglary	2.370
Arson	0.0992
Total Property Crime	14.01 (B-)

Other Crime Rates

Crime Type	Crime Rate
Kidnapping	0.0855
Drug Crimes	1.936
Vandalism	4.443
Identity Theft	0.8321
Animal Cruelty	0.0901
Total "Other" Rate	7.386 (B+)

Individual Bay County Crime Maps & Stats

Crime Maps and Rates for Nearby Counties

Compared to surrounding counties, the rate of crime in Bay County is higher. The table below shows Crime Grades for counties close to Bay County.

Nearby County	Overall Crime Grade	Violent Crime Grade	Property Crime Grade
Saginaw County, MI	C+	D-	C+
Midland County, MI	A+	A	A+
Tuscola County, MI	A	C	A
Arenac County, MI	B+	C	B+
Gladwin County, MI	A-	B-	A-
Gratiot County, MI	A-	C	A
Isabella County, MI	B+	C	A-
Huron County, MI	A-	C	A-
Clare County, MI	B-	D	C+
Sanilac County, MI	A-	B	A-

Crime Maps and Rates for County with Similar Populations

Bay County is lower versus other counties of the same size for crime. The table below compares crime in counties with comparable overall population in the county‘s boundaries.

Similar County	Overall Crime Grade	Violent Crime Grade	Property Crime Grade
Douglas County, OR	C+	B	B
Lancaster County, SC	C	C-	C-
Delaware County, IN	B-	C-	C-
Pennington County, SD	C+	C+	C+
Craven County, NC	C	C	C
Craighead County, AR	D	D-	D-
Cowlitz County, WA	D	C	C
Roanoke County, VA	B	A	A
Cecil County, MD	B-	C+	C+
St. Lawrence County, NY	A-	C	C

Considering only the crime rate, Bay County is as safe as the Michigan state average and safer than the national average.

Safety and school performance are separate topics, but both shape moving decisions. Using SchoolGrade data, schools in Bay County, MI average SchoolGrade of C-, with 32% actual proficiency versus 35% projected; overall, schools don't meet expectations. See Bay County schools on SchoolGrade

About the Data

CrimeGrade.org provides highly detailed and accurate crime data, used by insurance companies, home security firms, and other industries. Our data is available for licensing—learn more about our USA crime data and licensing.

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All maps and statistics above are projections, not certainties, and provided without guarantee free of charge. Verify all info before making any decisions based on the data.