33 Safest and Richest Midwest Cities To Live in 2025

You might be surprised by how many safe and wealthy cities are based in the Midwest. Key findings from a recent in-house study conducted by GOBankingRates indicate 33 Midwestern cities rank among the nation’s safest and richest.

After identifying the 1,000 U.S. cities with the highest household mean incomes, this list was gradually whittled down with key considerations including average home values, the annual cost of living and property and violent crime rates. 

See which 33 Midwest cities made the cut — and learn more about the safest and richest U.S. cities overall.

• Average household income: $294,896
• Average home value: $837,238
• Total cost of living annually: $84,810
• Property crime rate (per 1,000): 2.657
• Violent crime rate (per 1,000): 0.076

• Average household income: $208,063
• Average home value: $646,546
• Total cost of living annually: $69,458
• Property crime rate (per 1,000): 8.396
• Violent crime rate (per 1,000): 0.275

• Average household income: $225,070
• Average home value: $530,900
• Total cost of living annually: $62,174
• Property crime rate (per 1,000): 3.207
• Violent crime rate (per 1,000): 0.321

• Average household income: $259,011
• Average home value: $435,312
• Total cost of living annually: $52,730
• Property crime rate (per 1,000): 6.468
• Violent crime rate (per 1,000): 0.417

• Average household income: $457,404
• Average home value: $1,803,555
• Total cost of living annually: $153,532
• Property crime rate (per 1,000): 6.144
• Violent crime rate (per 1,000): 0.164

• Average household income: $460,411
• Average home value: $1,945,017
• Total cost of living annually: $163,712
• Property crime rate (per 1,000): 4.189
• Violent crime rate (per 1,000): 0.000

• Average household income: $208,451
• Average home value: $687,463
• Total cost of living annually: $71,587
• Property crime rate (per 1,000): 9.203
• Violent crime rate (per 1,000): 0.140

• Average household income: $216,934
• Average home value: $556,085
• Total cost of living annually: $61,805
• Property crime rate (per 1,000): 4.335
• Violent crime rate (per 1,000): 0.525

• Average household income: $246,617
• Average home value: $535,451
• Total cost of living annually: $61,439
• Property crime rate (per 1,000): 4.160
• Violent crime rate (per 1,000): 0.213

• Average household income: $214,676
• Average home value: $647,306
• Total cost of living annually: $69,234
• Property crime rate (per 1,000): 6.397
• Violent crime rate (per 1,000): 0.394

• Average household income: $376,366
• Average home value: $1,259,123
• Total cost of living annually: $114,926
• Property crime rate (per 1,000): 3.554
• Violent crime rate (per 1,000): 0.117

• Average household income: $240,711
• Average home value: $822,581
• Total cost of living annually: $82,101
• Property crime rate (per 1,000): 8.947
• Violent crime rate (per 1,000): 0.369

• Average household income: $203,661
• Average home value: $509,376
• Total cost of living annually: $58,841
• Property crime rate (per 1,000): 9.066
• Violent crime rate (per 1,000): 0.232

• Average household income: $246,543
• Average home value: $712,853
• Total cost of living annually: $74,156
• Property crime rate (per 1,000): 5.040
• Violent crime rate (per 1,000): 0.318

• Average household income: $197,870
• Average home value: $482,215
• Total cost of living annually: $58,386
• Property crime rate (per 1,000): 5.058
• Violent crime rate (per 1,000): 2.335

• Average household income: $187,830
• Average home value: $610,055
• Total cost of living annually: $68,801
• Property crime rate (per 1,000): 8.175
• Violent crime rate (per 1,000): 0.664

• Average household income: $200,730
• Average home value: $631,934
• Total cost of living annually: $70,240
• Property crime rate (per 1,000): 9.168
• Violent crime rate (per 1,000): 0.400

• Average household income: $291,930
• Average home value: $1,005,748
• Total cost of living annually: $96,945
• Property crime rate (per 1,000): 11.651
• Violent crime rate (per 1,000): 0.335

• Average household income: $210,646
• Average home value: $705,658
• Total cost of living annually: $75,553
• Property crime rate (per 1,000): 9.616
• Violent crime rate (per 1,000): 1.603

• Average household income: $190,562
• Average home value: $605,296
• Total cost of living annually: $68,523
• Property crime rate (per 1,000): 6.043
• Violent crime rate (per 1,000): 0.462

• Average household income: $202,450
• Average home value: $563,075
• Total cost of living annually: $64,401
• Property crime rate (per 1,000): 4.918
• Violent crime rate (per 1,000): 0.964

• Average household income: $239,298
• Average home value: $556,377
• Total cost of living annually: $63,474
• Property crime rate (per 1,000): 9.340
• Violent crime rate (per 1,000): 0.306

• Average household income: $192,516
• Average home value: $645,120
• Total cost of living annually: $71,529
• Property crime rate (per 1,000): 8.582
• Violent crime rate (per 1,000): 0.639

• Average household income: $245,054
• Average home value: $862,703
• Total cost of living annually: $86,891
• Property crime rate (per 1,000): 14.343
• Violent crime rate (per 1,000): 0.807

• Average household income: $222,936
• Average home value: $663,931
• Total cost of living annually: $69,633
• Property crime rate (per 1,000): 14.728
• Violent crime rate (per 1,000): 1.052

• Average household income: $222,034
• Average home value: $508,125
• Total cost of living annually: $62,577
• Property crime rate (per 1,000): 13.298
• Violent crime rate (per 1,000): 0.711

• Average household income: $216,884
• Average home value: $1,124,202
• Total cost of living annually: $102,352
• Property crime rate (per 1,000): 10.691
• Violent crime rate (per 1,000): 0.764

• Average household income: $208,199
• Average home value: $688,106
• Total cost of living annually: $72,035
• Property crime rate (per 1,000): 7.265
• Violent crime rate (per 1,000): 0.279

• Average household income: $195,676
• Average home value: $440,364
• Total cost of living annually: $53,268
• Property crime rate (per 1,000): 30.014
• Violent crime rate (per 1,000): 0.000

• Average household income: $223,321
• Average home value: $583,477
• Total cost of living annually: $64,097
• Property crime rate (per 1,000): 28.604
• Violent crime rate (per 1,000): 2.337

• Average household income: $218,418
• Average home value: $789,892
• Total cost of living annually: $81,457
• Property crime rate (per 1,000): 11.387
• Violent crime rate (per 1,000): 0.297

• Average household income: $197,528
• Average home value: $511,293
• Total cost of living annually: $62,624
• Property crime rate (per 1,000): 20.000
• Violent crime rate (per 1,000): 1.636

• Average household income: $227,875
• Average home value: $1,175,698
• Total cost of living annually: $105,781
• Property crime rate (per 1,000): 26.389
• Violent crime rate (per 1,000): 4.167

Check out more original studies and surveys in the GOBankingRates original research center.

Editor’s note: Photos are for representational purposes only and might not reflect the exact locations listed.

Methodology: Using the U.S. Census American Community Survey, the 1,000 cities with the highest average household income were identified. The average single-family home value was sourced from Zillow Home Value Index for May 2025. The cost-of-living indexes were sourced from Sperling’s BestPlaces and the national average expenditure costs for all households were sourced from the Bureau of Labor Statistics Consumer Expenditure Survey; the average expenditure costs then were calculated for each location. Using data from the FBI’s Crime Data Explorer, the property crime rate per 1,000 residents and the violent crime rate per 1,000 residents were both calculated. The livability index was sourced from AreaVibes and any location with a livability index below 80 was removed for this study as it represents a location with a lower quality of life. Using the average mortgage (calculated from Federal Reserve data) and expenditure costs, the cost of living was calculated for each location. The total average cost of living was scored and weighted at 1.00, the property crime rate per 1,000 was scored and weighted at 1.00, the violent crime rate per 1,000 residents was scored and weighted at 1.00, the average household income was scored and weighted at 1.00, and the livability index was scored and weighted at 1.00. All the scores were summed and sorted to show the safest and richest cities. All data was collected on and is up to date as of Aug. 4, 2025.