Ann Arbor, MI vs Sterling Heights, MI: Crime Rate Comparison (2025)
A side-by-side look at reported crime in Ann Arbor and Sterling Heights, on the FBI-based Crime Index (0–100, higher = safer) for 2025.
Sterling Heights is the safer city
Sterling Heights scores 80/100 (grade B) versus 73/100 (grade C) for Ann Arbor — a 7-point gap. Ann Arbor's violent-crime rate is +34% vs Sterling Heights. Across the 8 offense categories, Sterling Heights has the lower rate in 7.
Ann Arbor, MI
Crime Index
- Population
- 122,740
- Violent / 100k
- 294
- Property / 100k
- 1,706
- In Michigan
- #11 of 24
Sterling Heights, MI
SaferCrime Index
- Population
- 134,402
- Violent / 100k
- 220
- Property / 100k
- 1,156
- In Michigan
- #9 of 24
Crime rates head-to-head
| Metric | Ann Arbor | Sterling Heights | US average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Crime Index (higher = safer) | 73C | 80B | 73C |
| Violent crime /100k | 294 | 220 | 315 |
| Property crime /100k | 1,706 | 1,156 | 1,487 |
| Homicide /100k | 1.6 | 0.7 | 4.1 |
| Total reported /100k | 2,000 | 1,377 | 1,802 |
Grade shown per index band (88–100 = A … 0–29 = F). Rates are reported offenses per 100,000 residents.
By offense
Rate per 100,000 residents — the lower (safer) city is highlighted.
| Offense | Ann Arbor | Sterling Heights |
|---|---|---|
| Homicide | 1.6 | 0.7 |
| Rape | 43.2 | 35 |
| Robbery | 31.8 | 8.2 |
| Aggravated assault | 218 | 176 |
| Burglary | 147 | 64.7 |
| Larceny-theft | 1,475 | 930 |
| Motor vehicle theft | 74.1 | 156 |
| Arson | 9.8 | 5.2 |
Crime trends
Ann Arbor
Sterling Heights
Frequently asked questions
Is Ann Arbor or Sterling Heights safer?
Which has more violent crime, Ann Arbor or Sterling Heights?
What are the odds of violent crime in Ann Arbor vs Sterling Heights?
No area has zero risk
A high Crime Index score means lower reported crime relative to other US cities — it is not a guarantee of safety. Reported crime is not the same as actual crime. Research on the gap between crime that occurs and crime that gets reported to police — often called the "dark figure" of crime — estimates that roughly 40% of violent crime and about a third of property crime go unreported each year. Every index built on official statistics, including this one, necessarily undercounts real crime. That gap is exactly why homicide — the offense with the smallest dark figure — anchors the calculation instead of a more commonly reported but less reliable category like theft.
Scores on this page reflect FBI-reported data for 2025. See the full methodology →
Protecting yourself in Ann Arbor & Sterling Heights
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