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

B+

Overall Crime Grade™

Violent Crime Grade	C+
Property Crime Grade	B
Other Crime Grade	A

Which crimes are included?

$9.80 million

Cost of Crime™ for Otsego County, MI

In 2025, crime will cost $869 per household.

More cost data

On the map, green marks the parts of Otsego 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 Otsego 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 Otsego County's combined rate is lower than the norm. Otsego County sits in the 75th percentile, ahead of 75% of counties and behind 25%. The grade covers only Otsego County's official city boundaries. See the table below for nearby counties.

The overall crime rate in Otsego County is 22.50 per 1,000 residents in a typical year. Residents generally consider the northeast part of the county the safest. Your chance of being a victim ranges from 1 in 39 in the central areas to 1 in 59 in the northeast.

Counting total incidents instead of per-capita rates, the central parts of Otsego County, MI report the most crime, about 191 cases per year. The northeast part reports the fewest, around 19 per year.

The Cost of Crime™ in Otsego County, MI

Across all crime types, the projected cost of crime in Otsego County for 2025 is $9,798,033, about $379 per resident and $869 per household. That equals 1.0% 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): 32.9%
Lost economic contribution from offenders (time in prison or repeat offenses): 12.5%

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

Otsego County, MI:	$379
Wayne County, MI:	$853
Ottawa County, MI:	$197
Michigan:	$487
USA:	$464

The overall cost of crime per resident in Otsego County is $379 per year, which is $86 less than the national average and $108 less than Michigan's state average. The comparison below uses counties similar to Otsego County:

In Wayne County, MI, crime costs $853 per person, which is $475 more than in Otsego County.
In Ottawa County, MI, crime costs $197 per person, which is $181 less than in Otsego County

2025 Projected Cost by Type of Crime

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

Crime	Cost to Otsego County	Cost per Otsego County Resident
Murder	$2.90 million	$112
Rape/Sexual Assault	$1.56 million	$60
Robbery	$359,296	$14
Assault	$1.47 million	$57
Kidnapping	$109,070	$4
Vehicle Theft	$484,797	$19
Burglary	$432,234	$17
Theft	$1.40 million	$54
Arson	$76,621	$3
Vandalism	$552,937	$21
Animal Cruelty	$13,204	$1
Drug Crimes	$315,673	$12
Identity Theft	$133,544	$5
Total Cost of Crime	$9,798,033	$379

The Intangible Cost of Crime in Otsego 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 Otsego County totals $27,234,690 ($1,053 per resident), and all of it comes from violent crime rather than property loss. Added to the tangible costs, the full estimate reaches $37,032,722 ($1,431 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 Otsego County has 9, do the same, and of Otsego County's 25,875 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 Otsego County, MI at ISP Reports.

Otsego 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 Otsego County residents in a standard year.

Violent Crime Rates

Crime Type	Crime Rate
Assault	1.976
Robbery	0.4415
Rape	0.9913
Murder	0.0597
Total Violent Crime	3.468 (C+)

Property Crime Rates

Crime Type	Crime Rate
Theft	10.41
Vehicle Theft	1.210
Burglary	1.842
Arson	0.1226
Total Property Crime	13.59 (B)

Other Crime Rates

Crime Type	Crime Rate
Kidnapping	0.0695
Drug Crimes	1.649
Vandalism	2.991
Identity Theft	0.6668
Animal Cruelty	0.0690
Total "Other" Rate	5.446 (A)

Individual Otsego County Crime Maps & Stats

Crime Maps and Rates for Nearby Counties

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

Nearby County	Overall Crime Grade	Violent Crime Grade	Property Crime Grade
Crawford County, MI	A	B-	A
Antrim County, MI	A+	B-	A+
Montmorency County, MI	B+	C+	B
Charlevoix County, MI	A-	C+	A-
Kalkaska County, MI	A	B-	A+
Emmet County, MI	A-	C+	A-
Oscoda County, MI	B	D	B+
Cheboygan County, MI	B+	C+	B+
Presque Isle County, MI	A-	C+	A-
Grand Traverse County, MI	A-	B	B+

Crime Maps and Rates for County with Similar Populations

Otsego 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
Alcorn County, MS	A-	A+	A+
Adams County, MS	B	A	A
Adams County, NE	C	A-	A-
Adams County, OH	A-	B+	B+
New Kent County, VA	A+	A+	A+
Nottoway County, VA	D+	C-	C-
Nodaway County, MO	C	C-	C-
Nobles County, MN	B	B-	B-
Nicollet County, MN	B+	A	A
Nicholas County, WV	A	B	B

Considering only the crime rate, Otsego County is safer than 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 Otsego County, MI average SchoolGrade of C-, with 34% actual proficiency versus 32% projected; overall, schools meet expectations. See Otsego 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.