Considering a new city to move to comes with a lot of planning. Can you move around easily? Is it an eco-city filled with plants? And, more importantly, is it safe? A city’s crime rates are something you’ll want to know before thinking about hiring qualified movers in Grand Rapids, Michigan—after all, there’s nothing worse than feeling unsafe in your own home.
Thankfully, plenty of data is available to help you before embracing a new chapter of your life. To help you sort through it, we’ve made a list explaining how to understand whether or not you’re moving to a safe city, including some places to find relevant data on safety and crime, depending on the neighborhood.
How Do We Measure Crime Rates?
The Department of Justice oversees two statistical programs in the US that are used to gauge the scope, character, and effects of crime in the country:
- The Uniform Crime Reporting (UCR) Program
- The National Crime Victimization Survey (NCVS)
Each of these programs provides valuable information about the nation’s crime problem, but reading them can be hard for a normal citizen—especially if you simply want to assess the security of a certain area.
Instead, if you want to research using user-friendly platforms, here are some we’d recommend:
FBI Crime Data Explorer: Best for State-Wide Research
The Federal Bureau of Investigation Crime Data Explorer compiles crime reports from all over the country. While the tool doesn’t portray crime mapping by address, it allows you to filter by crime, location, and time range.
This website is easy to get lost in if you enjoy data and charts! It provides statistics on a wide range of topics, including property damage and hate crimes, and it includes reporting of their research methodologies.
Crime and Safety Grade: Best for City-Wide Research
The Crime and Safety Grade comprehensively assesses an area’s overall level of safety. In an effort to gauge an area’s safety and security, this grade considers important safety indicators, such as resident reviews and the rates of violent and property crime.
NeighborhoodScout: Best for Neighborhood-Specific Research
With NeighborhoodScout, finding information about any neighborhood in the nation is quick and simple. The website offers a map of the neighborhood with details on real estate trends, distinctive features, neighbors and demographics, school rankings, and transportation information.
Moreover, their crime-specific reporting offers data about:
- How many violent and property crimes there are in the neighborhood each year
- Comparison chart for violent crime rates
- Comparison charts for property crime rates
- Crimes per square mile
Are All of These Tools Reliable?
However, it’s always important to compare this data. For example, Grand Rapids, Michigan, has a B- grade for safety, which means the crime rate is slightly lower than the average US city. However, the 2022 crime rate in Grand Rapids is 1.8 times greater than the US average.
Today, we’re experiencing a phenomenon in which a city’s security can change drastically in a short period, between a year or two, making it harder to decide if it’s the place to settle down.
Reach Your New Home with Movers in Grand Rapids, Michigan
One of the first things you should do before settling on a new house is to investigate the neighborhood’s general safety. Fortunately, access to crime reports and city profiles has never been easier.
Once you’ve decided where to move, Pink Zebra Moving can help you get there. Find a location near you and contact us!