If you are thinking about visiting Flint and have some qualms about the safety of the city, we got you covered.
We are going to deep dive into the statistics, look at some maps, graphs and talk to the residents of the city to give you a better understanding of how safe Flint really is.
Is Flint, Michigan Safe To Visit?
Statistically speaking, Flint is an unsafe place to visit. In 2020, Flint had a violent crime rate of 1,225.82 per 100,000 people and a murder rate of 68.92 per 100,000 people . It’s violent crime rate is one of the highest in the nation and its murder rate is one of the highest in the nation.
Here’s a scale to give you some perspective on Flint’s violent crime rate:
Flint, MI Crime Stats
Here’s a breakdown of all the crimes in the city for 2020 compared to 2019:
|
2019 |
2020 |
Percent Change |
Homicide |
36 |
56 |
22% |
Rape |
70 |
67 |
-4% |
Robbery |
84 |
83 |
-1% |
Aggravated Assault |
1,141 |
802 |
-30% |
Burglary |
584 |
406 |
-30% |
Larceny/Theft |
1,236 |
1,004 |
-19% |
Motor Vehicle Theft |
212 |
204 |
-4% |
Arson |
28 |
20 |
-29% |
TOTALS |
3,394 |
2,642 |
-22% |
**All data is from the FBI UCR**
Flint, Michigan Crime Rates
Flint’s Violent Crime Rate
In 2020 Flint reported 996 violent crimes and had a violent crime rate of 1,225.82 per 100,000 people.
- Flint’s violent crime rate is similar to cities like Oakland, Stockton and Indianapolis.
- Flint’s violent crime rate is 2.6x greater than the state average
- Year over year violent crime has increased by 25%.
Here’s a map showing you how violent crime has trended in Flint over a 30 year period.
- Violent crime is at its lowest level in the last 30 years
*Violent crimes include; homicides, rape, robbery and aggravated assaults and the violent crime rate is calculated by dividing the number of reported crimes by the total population; the result is multiplied by 100,000.
Flint’s Murder Rate
In 2020, Flint reported 56 homicides and had a homicide rate of 68.92 per 100,000 people.
- Flint’s homicide rate is more than 8x greater than the national average and more than 7x greater than the state average.
- Flint has a similar homicide rate to cities like Baltimore, Memphis and Detroit.
- In 2021, Flint reported 67 homicides, its highest number since 2012.
Here’s a map showing you the locations of all the homicides in Flint from Aug 19, 2021 – Feb 15, 2022
Flint’s Property Crime Rate
In 2020 Flint reported 1,634 property crimes and had a property crime rate of 2,011.03 per 100,000 people.
- Flint’s property crime rate is 3% greater than the national average and 1.5x greater than the state average.
- Year over year property crime in Flint has decreased by 25%.
- Flint property crime rate is similar to Boston, Santa Ana and Fremont.
Here’s a map showing you how property crime has trended in Flint over a 30 year period.
*Property crimes include; burglary, larceny-theft, motor vehicle theft, and arson and property crime rate is calculated by dividing the number of reported crimes by the total population; the result is multiplied by 100,000.
Flint vs Other Cities In Michigan
Here’s a graph showing you the violent crime rates of the 10 most populous cities in Michigan. Flint’s violent crime rate ranked 3rd highest among all cities
|
Population |
Violent Crime Rate |
639,111 |
2,248.44 |
|
Lansing |
112,644 |
1,508.29 |
Grand Rapids |
198,917 |
725.43 |
Warren city |
139,387 |
482.11 |
Clinton |
100,513 |
392.98 |
Dearborn |
109,976 |
251.87 |
Ann Arbor |
123,851 |
237.38 |
Livonia |
95,535 |
218.77 |
Sterling Heights |
134,346 |
173.43 |
Canton |
98,659 |
135.82 |
Flint, Michigan vs The Most Dangerous Cities in the United States
Here’s a list of the top 19 most dangerous cities in the United States ranked by violent crime rates. Flint’s violent crime rate is roughly 2x less than Memphis, the most dangerous city on the list.
City |
Number of violent crimes in 2020 |
Violent Crime Rate 2020 |
15,310 |
2,418.24 |
|
14,370 |
2,248.44 |
|
6,017 |
1,995.17 |
|
3,657 |
1,805.11 |
|
South Bend |
1,765 |
1,706.09 |
6,294 |
1,689.10 |
|
Camden | 1,172 | 1,632.52 |
9,407 |
1,629.70 |
|
3,166 |
1,577.22 |
|
7,919 |
1,558.58 |
|
Lansing |
1,699 |
1,508.29 |
Springfield |
2,545 |
1,504.35 |
8,552 |
1,404.20 |
|
3,033 |
1,365.59 |
|
5,215 |
1,358.08 |
|
7,552 |
1,337.68 |
|
5,653 |
1,282.89 |
|
4,023 |
1,254.04 |
Is Dowtown Flint safe?
Downtown Flint is generally safe to visit during the day time. It has a great cultural center, and a bunch of neighborhoods are in relatively good shape.
At night we recommend that you take a few extra precautions by staying in well populated places, not straying off the beaten path and not walking by yourself.
Is the public transportation in Flint safe?
The public transportation system in Flint is handled by MTA and it offers 14 routes that interweave throughout the entire city. The MTA is generally safe to use during the commuting hours (7am – 5pm), however we do not recommend that you take the MTA at night.
Many residences of Flint complain that the bus system is inefficient and it takes at least an hour to get anywhere.
Is the water in Flint safe to drink?
As of Feb 21, 2020, 25,042 water service lines have been excavated, which resulted in the replacement of 9,516 lead pipes and the verification of 15,526 existing copper pipes.
In the vast majority of homes, lead levels were 5 parts per billion or better, which is far below strictest regulations in the country.
The water has met federal safety standards for over 2 years, however nobody believes it, because trust was broken when the government lied about the safety of the water.
If you have any concerns about the tap water in Flint, we suggest that you use bottle water for your drinking needs.
What do residents of Flint say about it’s safety?
- "Flint is not a war zone like people make it out to be. Its a city with city problems."
- "Stay south of the Flint River. North of the river is considered a high crime area."
- "Flint is rough and there are definitely lots of areas you need to avoid, but also there are lots of good and honest people living here too."
- "My motto for Flint: You can go out alone, or you can go out at night, but not both."
- "Living in the east and north sides of Flint is for people with nothing to lose."
- "The north end of the city is a war-zone and where the bulk of violent crimes and gang related activity happens. Also, the closer you are to the east side, the worse it gets."
- "I have lived in Flint and the surrounding area for more than 30 years, and I can’t stress enough about living outside of the city. There is a night and day difference in terms of safety and well being."
- "Watch the Netflix documentary about Flint. The police are practically non-existent and you will have to defend yourself if trouble brews."
- "The north side and east side of town are problematic."
- "If you are thinking about moving to Flint, here are some good options: Flint Township, Burton, Mt Morris, Swartz Creek, Clio, Mundy Township. Anything but Flint proper."
Is Flint safe at night?
Flint is not a safe place to wander around at night. You should always know where your destination is, how to get there and how to get back.
In addition, you should avoid public transportation. Drive, get a taxi or use a ride sharing service instead.
Tips to stay safe while visiting Flint, Michigan
- Thoroughly research the area before you arrive. Figure out what parts of the city are good and which are bad. Avoid going to the bad areas at night.
- Save the sight seeing for the day time. Wandering around Flint at night is a terrible idea.
- Travel in groups. There are power in numbers.
- Don’t walk by yourself at night. Walking by yourself makes your more likely of a target by criminals.
- Don’t walk down alleys and desolate areas, especially at night.
- Walk with confidence and purpose. Walking timidly and with your head down can make you look like an easy target.
- Don’t leave anything of value in your car or in plain sight in your car.
Quick Facts About Flint, Michigan
Fact |
Flint, Michigan |
United States |
Population, Census, April 1, 2020 |
81,252 |
331,449,281 |
Population, Census, April 1, 2010 |
102,434 |
308,745,538 |
Persons under 5 years, percent |
7.5% |
6.0% |
Persons under 18 years, percent |
24.9% |
22.3% |
Persons 65 years and over, percent |
13.5% |
16.5% |
Black or African American alone, percent |
54.1% |
13.4% |
American Indian and Alaska Native alone, percent |
0.3% |
1.3% |
Asian alone, percent |
0.5% |
5.9% |
Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander alone, percent |
0.0% |
0.2% |
Two or More Races, percent |
5.1% |
2.8% |
Hispanic or Latino, percent |
4.5% |
18.5% |
White alone, not Hispanic or Latino, percent |
36.9% |
60.1% |
Median value of owner-occupied housing units, 2015-2019 |
$29,500.00 |
$217,500.00 |
Median selected monthly owner costs -with a mortgage, 2015-2019 |
$880.00 |
$1,595.00 |
Median gross rent, 2015-2019 |
$716.00 |
$1,062.00 |
Households with a broadband Internet subscription, percent, 2015-2019 |
61.2% |
82.7% |
High school graduate or higher, percent of persons age 25 years+, 2015-2019 |
85.3% |
88.0% |
Bachelor’s degree or higher, percent of persons age 25 years+, 2015-2019 |
12.2% |
32.1% |
Persons without health insurance, under age 65 years, percent |
8.8% |
10.2% |
In civilian labor force, total, percent of population age 16 years+, 2015-2019 |
53.4% |
63.0% |
Median household income (in 2019 dollars), 2015-2019 |
$28,834.00 |
$62,843.00 |
Per capita income in past 12 months (in 2019 dollars), 2015-2019 |
$17,086.00 |
$34,103.00 |
Persons in poverty, percent |
38.8% |
11.4% |