The Safest and Most Dangerous Places in Otter Lake, MI: Crime Maps and Statistics

Overall Crime Grade™

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

Which crimes are included?

$985,864

Cost of Crime™ for Otter Lake, MI

In 2025, crime will cost $954 per household.

More cost data

On the map, green marks the parts of Otter Lake 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 Otter Lake, MI Safe?

The B overall grade blends the violent, property, and other grades shown above into one measure, set against the average US city, where Otter Lake's combined rate is slightly lower than the norm. Otter Lake sits in the 65th percentile, ahead of 65% of cities and behind 35%. The grade covers only Otter Lake's official city boundaries. See the table below for nearby cities.

The overall crime rate in Otter Lake is 19.53 per 1,000 residents in a typical year. Residents generally consider the southeast part of the city the safest. Your chance of being a victim ranges from 1 in 44 in the northwest neighborhoods to 1 in 59 in the southeast.

Counting total incidents instead of per-capita rates, the north parts of Otter Lake, MI report the most crime, about 10 cases per year. The northwest part reports the fewest, around 3 per year.

The Cost of Crime™ in Otter Lake, MI

Across all crime types, the projected cost of crime in Otter Lake for 2025 is $985,864, about $378 per resident and $954 per household. That equals 1.1% of the median household income. These figures cover tangible costs, which include:

Criminal justice system costs (law enforcement, courts, and imprisonment): 52.9%
Direct costs to victims (damaged property, medical expenses, and lost wages): 34.2%
Lost economic contribution from offenders (time in prison or repeat offenses): 13.0%

How Much Does Crime Cost in Otter Lake Compared to Other Cities?

Otter Lake, MI:	$378
Highland Park, MI:	$1848
Hudsonville, MI:	$149
Michigan:	$487
USA:	$464

The overall cost of crime per resident in Otter Lake is $378 per year, which is $86 less than the national average and $109 less than Michigan's state average. The comparison below uses cities similar to Otter Lake:

In Highland Park, MI, crime costs $1,848 per person, which is $1,471 more than in Otter Lake.
In Hudsonville, MI, crime costs $149 per person, which is $229 less than in Otter Lake

2025 Projected Cost by Type of Crime

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

Crime	Cost to Otter Lake	Cost per Otter Lake Resident
Murder	$386,881	$148
Rape/Sexual Assault	$176,402	$68
Robbery	$26,830	$10
Assault	$97,737	$37
Kidnapping	$6,549	$3
Vehicle Theft	$18,101	$7
Burglary	$47,523	$18
Theft	$118,630	$45
Arson	$5,767	$2
Vandalism	$63,408	$24
Animal Cruelty	$1,078	$0
Drug Crimes	$24,212	$9
Identity Theft	$12,745	$5
Total Cost of Crime	$985,864	$378

The Intangible Cost of Crime in Otter Lake, 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 Otter Lake totals $3,444,188 ($1,320 per resident), and all of it comes from violent crime rather than property loss. Added to the tangible costs, the full estimate reaches $4,430,052 ($1,697 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 west part of the city 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 do the same, and of Otter Lake's 2,610 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 Otter Lake, MI at ISP Reports.

Otter Lake 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 Otter Lake residents in a standard year.

Violent Crime Rates

Crime Type	Crime Rate
Assault	1.304
Robbery	0.3268
Rape	1.115
Murder	0.0789
Total Violent Crime	2.824 (C+)

Property Crime Rates

Crime Type	Crime Rate
Theft	8.776
Vehicle Theft	0.4479
Burglary	2.007
Arson	0.0915
Total Property Crime	11.32 (B-)

Other Crime Rates

Crime Type	Crime Rate
Kidnapping	0.0414
Drug Crimes	1.254
Vandalism	3.401
Identity Theft	0.6309
Animal Cruelty	0.0558
Total "Other" Rate	5.383 (B+)

Individual Otter Lake Crime Maps & Stats

Crime Maps and Rates for Nearby Cities

Compared to surrounding cities, the rate of crime in Otter Lake is higher. The table below shows Crime Grades for cities close to Otter Lake.

Nearby City	Overall Crime Grade	Violent Crime Grade	Property Crime Grade
Fostoria, MI	B+	C	B+
Columbiaville, MI	A-	C+	A-
Otisville, MI	B-	C-	B-
Barnes Lake-Millers Lake, MI	B	C-	B+
Millington, MI	C+	D+	C+
Mayville, MI	B	B	C+
Richfield Center, MI	A-	C+	B+
Five Lakes, MI	A+	B+	A
Silverwood, MI	A-	B	B+
North Branch, MI	B	B-	B

Crime Maps and Rates for City with Similar Populations

Otter Lake is similar versus other cities of the same size for crime. The table below compares crime in cities with comparable overall population in the city‘s boundaries.

Similar City	Overall Crime Grade	Violent Crime Grade	Property Crime Grade
Britton, MI	A	B-	B-
Brodheadsville, PA	B	B	B
Center Conway, NH	C+	A	A
Claypool, IN	A	A	A
Diamond, IL	A+	A-	A-
Mendon, MI	A	B	B
Keymar, MD	C	C	C
Mesick, MI	B+	B	B
Midland, VA	B+	B	B
Millerton, NY	D+	D	D

Considering only the crime rate, Otter Lake 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 Otter Lake, MI average SchoolGrade of D+, with 28% actual proficiency versus 30% projected; overall, schools don't meet expectations. See Otter Lake 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.