Wisconsin’s Safest Cities of 2024

John Carlsen
Mar 18, 2024
Icon Time To Read3 min read
SafeWise is pleased to release the 10th annual Safest Cities report.

Here are the 10 Safest Cities in Wisconsin for 2024

See crime rates for the safest cities.

According to our latest  State of Safety report, Wisconsinites spend a fair amount of time worrying about crime and safety. Almost half of survey respondents (48%) said they're highly concerned on a daily basis, compared to 47% across the US. However, the Badger State boasts lower crime rates than national averages, and its safest cities enjoy some of the lowest reported crime numbers in the country.

In this report

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NOTE: If your city is missing from our full report, it means that it was below the population threshold or didn’t submit a complete crime report to the FBI in 2022.

2024 Wisconsin crime rates

Wisconsin's crime rates are lower than nationwide rates for violent crime and property crime.

Image: SafeWise

Wisconsin's violent crime rate (3.5) saw a slight rise since last year but remained below the nationwide rate of 4.0 incidents per 1,000 people overall. The state's property crime rate went down year over year, from 15.3 incidents per 1,000 people to 14.4.

Wisconsin comes in lower than national crime rates for both violent and property crimes. Among the 44 states that met reporting requirements this year, Wisconsin has the seventeenth-lowest violent crime rate and the eighth-lowest property crime rate.

Property crime in Wisconsin: Fear vs. reality

Property crime in Wisconsin went down this year, after rising the previous two years—dropping 6% from last year. That helps us understand why property crime in general is the least-concerning crime issue in Wisconsin and the second-least concerned state overall. However, package theft is the most-worrisome crime issue, with both worry and experience rising year over year.

  • Wisconsin’s property crime rate (14.4) is 30% below the national rate of 20.7 incidents per 1,000 people.
  • 47% of Wisconsinites reported feeling safe in their home state (US 45%).
  • 2 in 10 survey respondents (20%) said they had a personal experience with property crime in the 12 months prior to the survey, but that's still below the nationwide average of 27%. That makes Wisconsin the state with the second-lowest first-hand experience with property crime.
  • Burglaries are less common in Wisconsin, making up 10% of all property crime compared to 13% nationwide. It's even less prevalent in the safest cities at 9%.
  • 66% of survey respondents use some form of property protection (US 75%) with guard dogs on top, accounting for 36% of all security measures used.
  • 31% of Wisconsinites said they added or increased security measures in the 12 months prior to the survey (US 35%).

What security measures are used most in Wisconsin?

Security measures used most in Wisconsin: guard dogs, security cameras, firearms.

Image: SafeWise

Attitudes about package theft in Wisconsin

  • 28% of survey respondents in Wisconsin reported experiencing package theft in the 12 months prior to the survey (US 35%).
  • 49% of participants expressed a high level of concern about package theft (US 53%).
  • The preferred methods of package protection in Wisconsin are requesting that packages are left in a safe spot (26%) and video doorbells (23%).
  • Nearly 7 in 10 respondents (69%) said they don't do anything to protect their packages from porch pirates.

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What crimes are Wisconsin residents most concerned about?

Bar chart showing percentages of how concerned state residents are about crime compared to the national averages for violent crime, property crime, package theft and gun violence.

Image: SafeWise

Violent crime in Wisconsin: Fear vs. reality

Wisconsin is close to the national average when it comes to daily concern (48% versus 47% nationwide) about crime and safety in general, but when it comes to specifics, Wisconsin is less concerned about every issue including violent crime in general and gun violence, specifically. Only 42% of Wisconsin survey respondents say they’re worried about falling victim to a violent crime (US 50%).

  • Wisconsin's violent crime rate rose from 3.2 incidents per 1,000 to 3.5 year over year.
  • Reported experience with violent crime rose along with the state's crime rate, with 33% more people (16%) telling us they had a run-in with violent crime in the 12 months prior to the survey than the previous year (12%).
  • Statewide, violent crime accounts for 19% of all crimes, which is higher national levels (US 16%). It's less common in the safest cities at 10%.
  • 28% of survey participants use some kind of personal protection like a stun gun or pepper spray, compared to 36% nationally.
  • The most popular type of personal protection used by Wisconsin respondents this survey year was concealed firearms (54%) followed by pepper spray (43%).

Attitudes about gun violence in Wisconsin

  • 47% said gun violence is the safety concern they worry about most on a daily basis (US 51%).
  • The number of respondents with a personal gun violence experience (28%) went up by 67% since the previous survey year (US 12%).
  • Wisconsin saw 9 mass shooting incidents in 2023, a 44% decrease from 16 in 2022.
  • Firearms are the most-used form of personal protection and the third-most used form of property protection, according to Wisconsin survey participants.

A closer look at the safest cities in Wisconsin

For the purposes of this report, the terms “dangerous” and “safest” refer explicitly to crime rates as calculated from FBI crime data—no other characterization of any community is implied or intended.

  • 112 cities met criteria to be considered for ranking.
  • Hobart-Lawrence jumped up 8 spots to land at number 1—it reported only 1 violent crime and 23 property crimes this year.
  • Burlington saw the biggest improvement year over year, climbing 12 spots to land at 15 on this year's list.
  • 3 cities are new to the rankings this year: Mount Horeb, Port Washington, and River Falls.
  • Mukawonago and Plymouth are the only cities to report zero burglaries.
  • The property crime rate in the safest cities is 4.7 incidents per 1,000 people—67% lower than the state rate (14.4).
  • The violent crime rate in the safest cities is 0.5 incidents per 1,000 people—85% lower than the state rate (3.5).

The 20 safest cities in Wisconsin

Silhouette of Wisconsin with pins marking where the safest cities are located.

Image: SafeWise

#1
Hobart-Lawrence
(
+8
Up
)
  • Circle Population
    Population
    16,948
  • Circle Gun
    VC Rate 2024, 2023, 2022
    0.1, 0.1, 0.4
  • Circle Property
    VC Rate 2024, 2023, 2022
    1.4, 7.2, 6.4
  • Info
    VC=Violent crime, PC=Property crime
#2
Mukwonago Town
(
-1
Down
)
  • Circle Population
    Population
    7,792
  • Circle Gun
    VC Rate 2024, 2023, 2022
    0.5, 0.2, 0.5
  • Circle Property
    PC Rate 2024, 2023, 2022
    1.3, 0.7, 1.3
  • Info
    VC=Violent crime, PC=Property crime
#3
Mount Horeb
(
New
)
  • Circle Population
    Population
    7,687
  • Circle Gun
    VC Rate 2024, 2023, 2022
    0.7, N/A, 1.3
  • Circle Property
    PC Rate 2024, 2023, 2022
    1.8, N/A, 4.0
  • Info
    VC=Violent crime, PC=Property crime
Geographic location of Waunakee, Wisconsin
#4
Waunakee
(
+4
Up
)
  • Circle Population
    Population
    14,914
  • Circle Gun
    VC Rate 2024, 2023, 2022
    0.5, 0.6, 0.7
  • Circle Property
    PC Rate 2024, 2023, 2022
    3.0, 5.6, 5.3
  • Info
    VC=Violent crime, PC=Property crime
Oconomowoc, Wisconsin
#5
Oconomowoc
(
+1
Up
)
  • Circle Population
    Population
    18,531
  • Circle Gun
    VC Rate 2024, 2023, 2022
    0.1, 0.6, 0.7
  • Circle Property
    PC Rate 2024, 2023, 2022
    5.1, 4.9, 7.9
  • Info
    VC=Violent crime, PC=Property crime
Geographic location of Kronenwetter, Wisconsin
#6
Kronenwetter
(
-4
Down
)
  • Circle Population
    Population
    8,530
  • Circle Gun
    VC Rate 2024, 2023, 2022
    0.9, 0.5, 0.6
  • Circle Property
    PC Rate 2024, 2023, 2022
    2.7, 2.8, 3.7
  • Info
    VC=Violent crime, PC=Property crime
Caledonia, Wisconsin
#7
Caledonia
(
+11
Up
)
  • Circle Population
    Population
    25,165
  • Circle Gun
    VC Rate 2024, 2023, 2022
    0.4, 1.3, 0.8
  • Circle Property
    PC Rate 2024, 2023, 2022
    4.7, 5.6, 6.6
  • Info
    VC=Violent crime, PC=Property crime
#8
Hartland
(
-3
Down
)
  • Circle Population
    Population
    9,644
  • Circle Gun
    VC Rate 2024, 2023, 2022
    0.9, 1.0, 0.2
  • Circle Property
    PC Rate 2024, 2023, 2022
    2.8, 3.6, 3.7
  • Info
    VC=Violent crime, PC=Property crime
Muskego, Wisconsin
#9
Muskego
(
-6
Down
)
  • Circle Population
    Population
    25,406
  • Circle Gun
    VC Rate 2024, 2023, 2022
    0.5, 0.3, 0.3
  • Circle Property
    PC Rate 2024, 2023, 2022
    4.5, 3.4, 8.3
  • Info
    VC=Violent crime, PC=Property crime
#10
Port Washington
(
New
)
  • Circle Population
    Population
    12,867
  • Circle Gun
    VC Rate 2024, 2023, 2022
    0.4, N/A, 0.8
  • Circle Property
    PC Rate 2024, 2023, 2022
    5.1, N/A, 7.2
  • Info
    VC=Violent crime, PC=Property crime
Holmen, Wisconsin
#11
Holmen
(
+8
Up
)
  • Circle Population
    Population
    11,058
  • Circle Gun
    VC Rate 2024, 2023, 2022
    0.1, 1.0, 0.7
  • Circle Property
    PC Rate 2024, 2023, 2022
    6.2, 6.5, 8.1
  • Info
    VC=Violent crime, PC=Property crime
Sheboygan Falls, Wisconsin
#12
Sheboygan Falls
(
-2
Down
)
  • Circle Population
    Population
    8,140
  • Circle Gun
    VC Rate 2024, 2023, 2022
    0.7, 0.6, 0.4
  • Circle Property
    PC Rate 2024, 2023, 2022
    4.8, 5.9, 4.8
  • Info
    VC=Violent crime, PC=Property crime
Cedarburg, Wisconsin
#13
Cedarburg
(
-6
Down
)
  • Circle Population
    Population
    12,636
  • Circle Gun
    VC Rate 2024, 2023, 2022
    0.3, 0.4, 0.6
  • Circle Property
    PC Rate 2024, 2023, 2022
    6.5, 5.7, 6.8
  • Info
    VC=Violent crime, PC=Property crime
Plymouth, Wisconsin
#14
Plymouth
(
-10
Down
)
  • Circle Population
    Population
    8,885
  • Circle Gun
    VC Rate 2024, 2023, 2022
    0.0, 0.5, 0.5
  • Circle Property
    PC Rate 2024, 2023, 2022
    7.7, 5.2, 8.1
  • Info
    VC=Violent crime, PC=Property crime
#15
Burlington
(
+12
Up
)
  • Circle Population
    Population
    10,991
  • Circle Gun
    VC Rate 2024, 2023, 2022
    0.6, 1.7, 1.5
  • Circle Property
    PC Rate 2024, 2023, 2022
    5.8, 6.8, 11.2
  • Info
    VC=Violent crime, PC=Property crime
#16
River Falls
(
New
)
  • Circle Population
    Population
    17,169
  • Circle Gun
    VC Rate 2024, 2023, 2022
    0.6, N/A, 0.8
  • Circle Property
    PC Rate 2024, 2023, 2022
    6.1, N/A, 14.7
  • Info
    VC=Violent crime, PC=Property crime
Waupun, Wisconsin
#17
Waupun
(
-6
Down
)
  • Circle Population
    Population
    11,530
  • Circle Gun
    VC Rate 2024, 2023, 2022
    1.6, 1.1, 1.2
  • Circle Property
    PC Rate 2024, 2023, 2022
    2.9, 4.5, 3.8
  • Info
    VC=Violent crime, PC=Property crime
De Pere, Wisconsin
#18
De Pere
(
-6
Down
)
  • Circle Population
    Population
    25,382
  • Circle Gun
    VC Rate 2024, 2023, 2022
    0.8, 0.6, 1.1
  • Circle Property
    PC Rate 2024, 2023, 2022
    5.9, 6.4, 6.5
  • Info
    VC=Violent crime, PC=Property crime
#19
Oregon
(
-4
Down
)
  • Circle Population
    Population
    11,538
  • Circle Gun
    VC Rate 2024, 2023, 2022
    0.8, 0.8, 0.7
  • Circle Property
    PC Rate 2024, 2023, 2022
    6.4, 6.8, 4.4
  • Info
    VC=Violent crime, PC=Property crime
#20
Kaukauna
(
+4
Up
)
  • Circle Population
    Population
    17,288
  • Circle Gun
    VC Rate 2024, 2023, 2022
    0.7, 1.0, 1.4
  • Circle Property
    PC Rate 2024, 2023, 2022
    6.8, 8.5, 5.7
  • Info
    VC=Violent crime, PC=Property crime

How we determined the safest cities

Learn how we identified the safest cities on our methodology page.

How to make a safe home anywhere

Over 6 in 10 Americans surveyed don't have a home security system, despite over 50% of all burglaries being residential. Unfortunately, a majority of people who have a security system added it after they had a break-in. One of the best ways to stop a burglary before it happens—and get immediate help if a break-in is detected—is to add a monitored home security system.

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Find the safest cities in each state

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Endnotes and sources

Find all endnotes and sources in our full methodology.

FBI Crime Data Explorer, "Documents & Downloads." Accessed March 18, 2024.

  • 2022 and 2021 Crime in the United States Annual Reports
    • Offenses Known to Law Enforcement
  • 2022 NIBRS Estimation Tables

Bureau of Justice Statistics, "National Incident-Based Reporting System (NIBRS)." Accessed March 18, 2024.

Gun Violence Archive, "Mass Shootings." Accessed March 18, 2023.

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John Carlsen
Written by
John Carlsen
John is a technology journalist specializing in smart home devices, security cameras, and home security systems. He has over a decade of experience researching, testing, and reviewing the latest tech—he was the Smart Home Editor for Top Ten Reviews and wrote for ASecureLife before joining SafeWise as a Staff Writer in 2020. John holds a Bachelor's degree in Communications, Journalism emphasis from Utah Valley University. In his spare time, he enjoys hiking, photography, cooking, and starting countless DIY projects he has yet to complete.

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