Crime & Safety in Wisconsin
This record does not assert a single, uniform statewide Wisconsin crime narrative -- this pass's own research finds a genuinely two-sided picture: Wisconsin's statewide crime rate ranks among the nation's safer states, while Milwaukee's own violent-crime rate runs roughly five times the statewide average even as Milwaukee's own trend has turned genuinely, substantially positive in 2026.
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Learn moreWisconsin's statewide crime rate ranks among the safer states nationally
This pass's own research found Wisconsin's total crime rate at roughly 2,078 per 100,000 residents -- about 25% below the national average, ranking Wisconsin roughly 9th-safest of 50 states. Wisconsin's violent-crime rate specifically runs about 22% below the national average (ranking 30th among states, lower is safer), and its property-crime rate runs about 34% below the national average (ranking 45th). Wisconsin's crime rate fell a further 3.7% year-over-year in the most recent comparison this pass reviewed, with violent crime down 3.2%.
Milwaukee carries a real, disproportionate share of Wisconsin's overall crime
Wisconsin's genuinely low statewide crime profile is not evenly distributed: Milwaukee's violent-crime rate runs roughly five times the statewide average per this pass's sources -- meaning Milwaukee carries a real, disproportionate share of Wisconsin's overall crime even as the statewide figure overall is genuinely favorable.
Milwaukee's own trend is genuinely two-sided, and 2026 brought real, substantial improvement
Milwaukee's overall 2025 crime rate fell a real 18% versus 2024, even as Milwaukee's 2025 homicide count ticked up slightly to 142 (from 137 in 2024) -- a real, disclosed nuance this record does not smooth over. 2026 brought a real, substantial, broad-based improvement: Milwaukee homicides fell 30% in the first half of 2026 versus the same 2025 period (49 versus 70), with carjackings, robberies, auto thefts, and non-fatal shootings all down more than 20% in Q2 2026 alone.
Research current, specific data for your target city or neighborhood
Wisconsin is genuinely too regionally diverse -- spanning Milwaukee's many distinct neighborhoods, Madison, Green Bay, the Fox Valley, the Kenosha/Racine corridor, western Wisconsin, and the state's many smaller cities and rural areas -- for one statewide or even one Milwaukee-wide crime claim to be meaningful. Confirm current crime statistics for your specific target city or neighborhood directly.
Key takeaways
- Wisconsin's statewide crime rate runs roughly 25% below the national average, ranking roughly 9th-safest of 50 states, per this pass's own research.
- Milwaukee's violent-crime rate runs roughly five times the statewide average -- Wisconsin's genuinely low overall crime profile is not evenly distributed.
- Milwaukee's 2025 picture was two-sided (crime down 18% overall, but homicides up slightly to 142); 2026 brought broad-based improvement (homicides down 30% in the first half of the year).
- Crime and safety vary meaningfully by specific neighborhood across Wisconsin's regions -- research your exact target destination directly.
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Get local guidanceRead the full Wisconsin overview for the complete picture, or explore individual cities and towns we've researched.
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