Best Neighborhoods in Saginaw, MI
25 neighborhoods ranked by safety, walkability, affordability, and quality of life — powered by real data from the US Census, FBI, EPA, and Walk Score.
Best Neighborhoods in Saginaw, MI — Key Takeaways
The best neighborhood in Saginaw is Houghton Lake CDP with a Kurby Score of 85/100. Saginaw has 25 neighborhoods ranked by quality of life data. The safest neighborhood is Forest Hills CDP with a violent crime rate of 0.5 per 1,000 residents, 86% below the national average of 3.6. The most affordable is Beecher CDP with a median home value of $37,500.
Saginaw has a population of 44,316, a median household income of $35,521, an unemployment rate of 11.7%, and a poverty rate of 34.5%. The median home value citywide is $51,700, which is 82% below the national average of $281,900.
Data sourced from the US Census Bureau, FBI Crime Data Explorer, EPA AirNow, Walk Score, and FEMA. Last updated: March 2026.
Top 3 Neighborhoods
| # | Neighborhood | Kurby Score | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Forest Hills CDP | 69 | ||
| Allendale CDP | 56 | ||
| Holt CDP | 61 | ||
4 | Waverly CDP | 61 | |
5 | Okemos CDP | 61 | |
6 | Cutlerville CDP | 63 | |
7 | Haslett CDP | 62 | |
8 | Jenison CDP | 63 | |
9 | Northview CDP | 61 | |
10 | Comstock Park CDP | 68 | |
11 | Lambertville CDP | 68 | |
12 | Temperance CDP | 69 | |
13 | Beecher CDP | 67 | |
14 | Westwood CDP | 60 | |
15 | Whitmore Lake CDP | 65 | |
16 | Freeland CDP | 68 | |
17 | Shields CDP | 66 | |
18 | Byron Center CDP | 68 | |
19 | Fair Plain CDP | 58 | |
20 | Bridgeport CDP | 61 | |
21 | Eastwood CDP | 60 | |
22 | South Monroe CDP | 60 | |
23 | Lake Fenton CDP | 66 | |
24 | Buena Vista CDP | 77 | |
25 | Houghton Lake CDP | 85 |
Rankings by Category
Top 5 neighborhoods in Saginaw for each quality-of-life metric.
Lowest violent crime rate
- 0.5 per 1K
- 0.6 per 1K
- 0.6 per 1K
- 0.6 per 1K
- 0.6 per 1K
Lowest median home value
- $37,500
- $46,600
- $80,900
- $116,400
- $117,100
Lowest poverty rate
- 1.9%
- 2.1%
- 5.0%
- 5.1%
- 5.7%
Lowest unemployment rate
- 2.0%
- 2.1%
- 2.2%
- 2.3%
- 2.6%
Highest median household income
- $150,153
- $108,887
- $102,376
- $100,461
- $95,478
Lowest Air Quality Index
- AQI 41
- AQI 41
- AQI 41
- AQI 41
- AQI 41
Most nearby schools
- 3 schools
- 3 schools
- 3 schools
- 3 schools
- 3 schools
Neighborhoods are ranked using the Kurby Score, a composite quality-of-life index that evaluates six weighted categories based on publicly available data:
- Affordability
- 25% weight
- Walkability & Transit
- 15% weight
- Safety
- 17% weight
- Environment
- 17% weight
- Education
- 13% weight
- Economy
- 13% weight
Each category incorporates multiple data points. For example, Safety uses both violent and property crime rates; Environment considers air quality (AQI), noise levels, climate risk, and flood zone status; Affordability factors in home price-to-income ratio, rent, and electricity costs.
Data Sources: US Census Bureau American Community Survey (ACS) 5-Year Estimates, FBI Uniform Crime Reporting (UCR), EPA AirNow, Walk Score, DOT National Transportation Noise Map, FEMA National Flood Hazard Layer, Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), and EIA Electricity Data. All data is updated on a rolling basis as new government releases become available.
Based on nearby amenities, noise levels, and quality of life factors