[Analysis] Motor Vehicle Collisions by Neighborhood: Milwaukee

At Mingo & Yankala S.C., we work with victims and families that have been impacted by motor vehicle collisions.  For this reason, we have worked on creating several road safety resources to help motorists in Wisconsin understand the dangers on the road.  This includes identifying the deadliest roads in Wisconsin, high collision intersections in Milwaukee, and providing resources on handling car accident insurance claims.

Today, we examine the collision risk in Milwaukee by neighborhood.  Milwaukee is the largest city in Wisconsin and the 32nd most populous city in the United States (according to the 2020 U.S. Census).  As with any major city, Milwaukee is made up of many unique neighborhoods and regions – a total of 189 of them according to data from the City of Milwaukee.

We worked with data visualization firm, 1Point21 Interactive, to identify which neighborhoods saw the most collisions, injuries, deaths, and alcohol-related crashes from 2018 – 2022.

Interactive Map: Which Milwaukee Neighborhood Has the Most Motor Vehicle Collisions?

Below is a list of the 20 Milwaukee neighborhoods with the most collisions from 2018 – 2022. Harambee is the neighborhood with the highest number of collisions, totaling 2,866. Old North Milwaukee and Menomonee River Valley follow closely with 2,630 and 2,459 collisions respectively. Amani and Walker’s Point round out the top five with 2,335 and 2,305 collisions each. Other neighborhoods that made the list include Kilbourn Town with 2,219 collisions, Sherman Park with 2,142 collisions, and Historic Mitchell Street with 1,995 collisions.

It’s interesting to note that many of the neighborhoods with the highest collision rates are also some of the most densely populated areas in the city, such as Lower East Side and Bay View. Juneau Town, Lincoln Village, and Capitol Heights are also in the top 20, showing that collisions are not just happening on busy streets and highways but also in residential neighborhoods.

The 20 Milwaukee Neighborhoods with the Most Collisions

1. Harambee – 2,866
2. Old North Milwaukee – 2,630
3. Menomonee River Valley – 2,459
4. Amani – 2,335
5. Walker’s Point – 2,305
6. Kilbourn Town – 2,219
7. Sherman Park – 2,142
8. Historic Mitchell Street – 1,995
9. Lincoln Creek – 1,812
10. Capitol Heights – 1,735
11. Bay View – 1,630
12. Lower East Side – 1,622
13. Lincoln Village – 1,602
14. Juneau Town – 1,595
15. Franklin Heights – 1,515
16. Silver Spring – 1,501
17. Muskego Way – 1,488
18. Roosevelt Grove – 1,454
19. North Division – 1,441
20. Avenues West – 1,421

Neighborhoods with the Most Fatal Collisions

Fatal crashes, of course, are the most serious type of traffic collision.  Fortunately, they are also the rarest type.  During the study period, there were a total of 324 fatal crashes in the observed neighborhoods.

1. Old North Milwaukee – 12
2. Amani – 12
3. Capitol Heights – 11
4. Menomonee River Valley – 10
5. Roosevelt Grove – 10
6. Lincoln Creek – 9
7. Franklin Heights – 8
8. Kilbourn Town – 8
9. Silver Spring – 7
10. Sherman Park – 7

Injuries and Fatalities

For Milwaukee overall, one in four crashes involved either an injury or death.  However, 84 neighborhoods had rates above that.  Of those that saw at least 50 total crashes, Havenwoods and Whispering Hills had the highest rate with 37 percent of all crashes involving a casualty.  Of the

Alcohol-Related Crashes in Milwaukee

Just over 3,000 observed collisions were definitively identified as ‘alcohol-related’. The map below shows the data for all 189 neighborhoods.

The Ten Neighborhoods with the Most Alcohol-Related Crashes

1. Menomonee River Valley – 108
2. Walker’s Point – 102
3. Bay View – 87
4. Historic Mitchell Street – 80
5. Juneau Town – 74
6. Kilbourn Town –  69
7. Lower East Side – 68
8. Muskego Way – 67
9. Lincoln Village – 64
10. Old North Milwaukee – 63

When viewed as a percentage of all crashes, however, the list changes.  Citywide, three percent of all crashes were considered to be alcohol-related.

Table: Data For All Milwaukee Neighborhoods

“Kia Boys” Cause a Recent Spike in Milwaukee Car Thefts & Crashes

Over the last two years, the “Kia Boys” have been particularly prominent in the Milwaukee automotive crime scene. In late 2021, a TikTok challenge started in Milwaukee that involved stealing Kias or Hyundais by using a USB charging cable, a security weakness that manufacturers have since begun addressing.

This trend led to a roughly 200% increase in Milwaukee car thefts over two years, and a roughly 3,000% increase in Kia and Hyundai thefts specifically:

• 2019: around 3,500 stolen vehicles, 6% Kias and Hyundais
• 2021: around 10,500 stolen vehicles, 67% Kias and Hyundais

Unfortunately, these thefts almost always end in a motor vehicle crash. Thieves are stealing Kias simply for the joyride and then crashing the cars. Milwaukee Kia dealerships report being flooded with totaled cars being brought in, after owners find them abandoned by the thieves. 

Where in Milwaukee are these incidents happening? According to MPD data, car thefts are most likely to occur in the Kilbourn Town/Westown neighborhood, with roughly 1,000 car thefts occurring there in the last year alone. This high concentration of vehicle thefts is happening right around the UW-Milwaukee Panther Arena.

This phenomenon is likely increasing the risk of a motor vehicle accident in Kilbourn Town and the surrounding neighborhoods. Considering Kilbourn Town already has the 6th most crashes of any neighborhood in Milwaukee, the situation is worth monitoring.

Methodology and Fair Use

This analysis is based on collision data from the Wisconsin Department of Transportation for the years 2018 through 2022.  Neighborhood data was sourced from the City of Milwaukee Open Data portal.

If you would like to share, republish, or report on these findings, please link to this post to provide attribution to our analysis.