Rochester Hills Ranks Fifth Safest U.S. City
U.S. News and World Report named Rochester Hills Michigan's safest city among municipalities with populations over 70,000 in its 2026-2027 rankings.
Updated on Nov. 3, 2026 in Law Enforcement
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U.S. News and World Report ranked Rochester Hills fifth safest U.S. city for 2026-2027, after evaluating more than 859 cities. The city was also named Michigan's safest city among municipalities with populations over 70,000.
Why it matters
The ranking is based on murder and property crime rates per 100,000 people drawn from FBI crime reports, offering residents of Rochester Hills and across Michigan a standardized view of local public safety. Mayor Bryan Barnett credits citizen partnership, City Council direction, and sheriff's department execution for the results.
Rochester Hills public safety is provided by Oakland County Sheriff's Office deputies under local leadership at the Rochester Hills substation, led by Capt. Paul Workman. The ranking's underlying raw crime counts and per-capita rates for the city are not itemized in the extraction.
The players
U.S. News and World Report
A national magazine and digital publisher that produces annual rankings of cities, schools, and hospitals across the United States.
Bryan Barnett
The mayor of Rochester Hills, Michigan, who credits citizen partnership and City Council direction for the city's safety results.
Paul Workman
The captain leading the Rochester Hills substation of the Oakland County Sheriff's Office.
The details
The ranking uses FBI crime reports to calculate murder and property crime rates per 100,000 people across more than 859 cities. A citizen survey found 99% of Rochester Hills residents feel safe in their homes.
Timeline
2026-2027: Rochester Hills ranked fifth safest U.S. city in the U.S. News and World Report rankings.
2026: U.S. News evaluated more than 859 cities for this year's ranking.
Legal Context
The ranking relies on FBI crime reports, the same national data series used by federal agencies to track murder and property crime across U.S. jurisdictions. Its use of per-100,000 rates allows direct comparison of cities of differing sizes, placing Rochester Hills within the broader national crime-reporting framework.
Residents of Rochester Hills benefit from policing delivered by Oakland County Sheriff's Office deputies at the local substation, with 99% of surveyed residents reporting they feel safe at home. The ranking gives households and prospective movers a standardized public-safety reference when comparing neighborhoods.
The takeaway
A top national safety ranking reflects sustained cooperation between residents, city leaders, and the sheriff's department. Readers comparing communities can use the published FBI-based methodology to weigh safety alongside other local factors.
Further reading
Explore more on Law Enforcement in Rochester Hills to see how local policing shapes community safety.
More information
The complete methodology and full list appear on the U.S. News complete safest cities list.
Source note: This article includes information reported by West Bloomfield Beacon.
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