Most dangerous cities in New York research summary. We analyzed the most recent FBI crime data to determine the most dangerous cities in New York based on violent and property crimes per capita. Here are the results of our analysis:
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The most dangerous city in New York is Oneida based on the most recent FBI crime data.
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The violent crime rate in New York is 617 per 100k people.
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The property crime rate in New York is 4,415 per 100k people.
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The safest city in New York is .
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New York is the most dangerous state in the United States.
Table Of Contents: Top Ten | Methodology | Table | FAQs | References
Not only do you have to worry about getting the measles in this state, you have to worry about where to live that’s safe. Yes, New York has its fair share of dangerous cities.
And lucky for you, we have the top ten most dangerous cities in New York for 2023 broken down below. One might think that most of the problems are centralized around New York’s largest city: New York City. Surprisingly, New York has done a fair job of keeping it’s crazy spread evenly across the state.
Some might wonder why we produced this list. Well, one goal is to definitely help people navigate these dangerous cities when trying to make an informed decision on what city they should call home. Let’s be real, we’re not talking about navigating Times Square during New Year’s Eve kind of danger. The type of danger we’re talking about gets people on NEWS ten at six. To compile our list, we looked at violent crimes and property crimes in cities with a population of 5,000. That left us with 211 cities. Folks, the cities that made our list have robberies happening in broad daylight, car jackings, and daily shootings. There are neighborhoods in these cities that you shouldn’t drive thru, ever, and there are areas that you definitely shouldn’t be in after dark.
We’re not saying that there aren’t little pockets of goodness in these New York cities. There are neighborhoods and shopping centers in these cities that are working hard to make life easier. And it’s not entirely New York’s fault. They have close to 20 million people. As with most situations, there’s bound to be problems with that many people: especially that many New Yorkers in one area.
To see where these New York cities with more issues than the New York Housewives are located, take a look below at our most dangerous cities in The Empire State for 2023.
What are the circumstances that make these New York cities this way? Maybe not enough jobs, low wages, drugs, bad weather; and in New York’s case, their mediocre NFL teams?
We’re not entirely sure. But one thing we are sure about is that the number one most dangerous city in New York for 2023 is Oneida.
So, if you don’t really leave your house, a dangerous city should mean nothing to you. Maybe you should consider holing up in one of our top ten most dangerous cities in New York for 2023.
To make an educated choice, take a look at the list below. If you don’t see a winner, head to the bottom, there’s more.
Learn more about the safest places in New York.
If you’re looking for something more national, check out the most dangerous cities in America or the most dangerous states in America.
For more New York reading, check out:
- Best Places To Live In New York
- Cheapest Places To Live In New York
- Most Dangerous Places In New York
The 10 Most Dangerous Places To Live In New York For 2023
The community of Oneida became famous in the 19th century for a local religious organization. Known as the Oneida Community, this group ultimately morphed into a famous silverware manufacturer. You can still pick up a set of Oneida knives, forks, and spoons at your local Bed, Bath & Beyond.
Let’s focus on those knives for a minute. This city of 10,849 people, located in central New York, also represents one of the most dangerous spots in the state. For a sleepy-seeming town located near the scenic Oneida Lake, this location has surprisingly high rates of larceny and sexual assault.
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Population: 10,849
Rank Last Year: 3 (Up 2)
Violent Crimes Per 100k: 617 (11th most dangerous)
Property Crimes Per 100k: 4,415 (Second most dangerous)
More on Oneida: | Cost Of Living | Crime Report
We continue the Upstate New York trend with Rochester, New York’s 3rd biggest city. With 6,887 property crimes in 2021, residents of Rochester face a whopping 1 in 6,887 chance of having their stuff stolen or damaged.
On top of that, Rochester averages four violent crimes each day. That includes the state’s second highest murder rate.
At least residents can stop and smell the lilacs at Highland Park to, you know, get their minds off all the murder going on.
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Population: 205,199
Rank Last Year: 5 (Up 3)
Violent Crimes Per 100k: 818 (Fifth most dangerous)
Property Crimes Per 100k: 3,356 (11th most dangerous)
More on Rochester: | Cost Of Living | Crime Report
When people think about the mean streets of New York, they’re usually imagining New York City, not Binghamton. But it turns out there’s nowhere in The Empire State with meaner streets than Binghamton, where the overall crime rate is nearly twice as high as the national average.
How bad is it in Binghamton? Well, the city averages one violent crime each day and had the third highest burglary rate in the whole state for 2021. In other words, you can enjoy a day out at
Otsiningo Park, but you’d best be on your way home when the sun starts setting.
Binghamton is located just north of the Pennsylvania border, at the junction of I-81, I-86, and I-88.
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Population: 43,828
Rank Last Year: 1 (Down 2)
Violent Crimes Per 100k: 787 (Eighth most dangerous)
Property Crimes Per 100k: 3,381 (Tenth most dangerous)
More on Binghamton: | Cost Of Living | Crime Report
The Bills may have never won a Super Bowl, but at least Buffalo gets the fourth place medal for…being extremely dangerous. Congratulations?
New York’s second-biggest city is especially bad when it comes to violent crime, with the second highest rate statewide. That translates into about 1 in 106 chance of being the victim of violence over the course of a year — not great.
Besides having the highest murder rate in New York, Buffalo also shines in property crime, with the 17th highest burglary rate. It’s going to take a lot of Buffalo wings to get over these numbers.
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Population: 253,809
Rank Last Year: 4 (No Change)
Violent Crimes Per 100k: 943 (Second most dangerous)
Property Crimes Per 100k: 3,055 (17th most dangerous)
More on Buffalo: | Cost Of Living | Crime Report
5. Malone Village
Malone sits at the far northern edge of New York, about a half hour south of the Canadian border. That might not seem that ominous these days. But during the War of 1812, British troops from Canada sacked the town.
Raiding parties from their neighbors to the North don’t present much of a risk these days. Rather, the citizens of Malone have more to worry about from their fellow residents. Despite existing as a small town in a largely rural part of the state, the community of 5,566 people suffers from an unexpectedly high crime rate. Property crime accounts for most of this, with high rates of burglaries creating much of the danger.
Population: 5,566
Rank Last Year: 7 (Up 2)
Violent Crimes Per 100k: 574 (13th most dangerous)
Property Crimes Per 100k: 3,395 (Ninth most dangerous)
More on Malone Village:
Coming in as the sixth most dangerous place to call home in New York is Utica. In 2021, the data reporting year, there were 317 violent crimes recorded, about one each day on average.
On top of that, residents of Utica had a 1 in 28 chance of having their belongings stolen or damaged. In other words, it’s a good idea to make sure you’ve still got all your valuables on you after passing through Union Station.
Altogether, Utica’s overall crime rate is more than twice as high as your typical town or city in New York.
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Population: 58,965
Rank Last Year: 10 (Up 4)
Violent Crimes Per 100k: 537 (19th most dangerous)
Property Crimes Per 100k: 3,541 (Eighth most dangerous)
More on Utica: | Cost Of Living | Crime Report
Syracuse is home to The Great New York State Fair, but it’s also home to a whole lot of crime. Syracuse had the fourth highest violent crime rate in New York, with 32 murders in 2021.
On top of that, Syracuse experienced the second highest burglary rate in the state, so property crime is quite prevalent as well.
That being said, Syracuse is one of New York’s biggest cities, so if you stick to one of Syracuse’s safest neighborhoods, you should have nothing to worry about.
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Population: 142,011
Rank Last Year: 9 (Up 2)
Violent Crimes Per 100k: 839 (Fourth most dangerous)
Property Crimes Per 100k: 2,823 (24th most dangerous)
More on Syracuse: | Cost Of Living | Crime Report
The capital of New York, Albany, ranks as the state’s eighth most dangerous place to live for 2021. Albany experienced 2,650 property crimes over the year, with more than one burglary every day and a car theft every other day, on average.
Additionally, Albany has the third highest violent crime rate in the state,with residents facing a 1 in 110 chance of being attacked in 2021. So make sure you buddy up if you’re going for a jog at Washington Park.
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Population: 96,318
Rank Last Year: 8 (No Change)
Violent Crimes Per 100k: 902 (Third most dangerous)
Property Crimes Per 100k: 2,751 (26th most dangerous)
More on Albany: | Cost Of Living | Crime Report
9. Johnson City Village
The smallest place to make our list, Johnston City Village didn’t earn its #9 spot with a lot of violent crime. In fact, it’s the least violent place on this list.
However, Johnston City Village has the highest property crime rate in New York, with residents facing a staggering 1 in 20 chance of having their stuff stolen or damaged throughout 2021.
That level of property crime actually means that the overall crime rate in Johnston City Village ranks as the highest statewide.
Johnston City Village is just outside Binghamton, a place you’ll remember from the top of this list.
Population: 13,928
Rank Last Year: 6 (Down 3)
Violent Crimes Per 100k: 387 (29th most dangerous)
Property Crimes Per 100k: 4,810 (Most dangerous)
More on Johnson City Village:
Located just 25 miles south of The Thousand Islands in Upstate New York, Watertown ranks as the tenth most dangerous city the state has to offer.
On the bright side, Watertown experienced zero murders in 2021. On the definitely not-bright side, the city also had the fourth highest rate of rape in New York.
Watertown residents also had a 1 in 27 chance of being the victim of a property crime, so you’ll want to watch out for porch pirates here.
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Population: 24,091
Rank Last Year: 2 (Down 8)
Violent Crimes Per 100k: 452 (23rd most dangerous)
Property Crimes Per 100k: 3,698 (Seventh most dangerous)
More on Watertown: | Cost Of Living | Crime Report
Methodology: How we determined the most dangerous cities in New York for 2023?
Every year the FBI release two crime datasets on cities in New York. First a preliminary dataset limited to the biggest cities in New York, followed by a more detailed release at the end of the year.
For our analysis, we focused on the 2021 data, specifically the 2021 Crime In The United States Report for New York. We will update the results when data becomes available in September 2023.
So what criteria did we use? Have a look:
- Violent Crimes Per Capita
- Property Crimes Per Capita
In order to make the analysis as apples to apples as possible, we only considered New York cities over 5,000 in population. That left us with 211 cities in New York.
We then ranked each city from 1 to 211 for the two criteria with a #1 ranking being the most dangerous for the particular criteria.
Next, we averaged the two rankings into one “Dangerous Index”.
Finally, we ranked every city on the “Dangerous Index” with the lowest index being the most dangerous in New York — Oneida. Any ties went to the smaller city.
Most Dangerous Places To Live In New York FAQs
No, New York is not a dangerous state as it ranks as the #14 safest state in the United States based on our analysis of the latest FBI Crime Data. The violent crime rate in new york ranks 26th highest in the United States — 6.2% better than US average violent crime rate. The property crime rate in the Empire State ranks 4highest in the United States — 27.96% better than US average property crime rate. The latest reporting year from the FBI was 2020.
No, New York is not a dangerous city. New York ranks as the #85 safest out of 320 major cities over 100,000 people in the United States based on our analysis of the latest FBI Crime Data. Keep in mind that are always safe and dangerous parts of any city, so even though New York might be considered safe you still need to be aware of where you are. For example, Ardon Heights is the safest in New York, while Midtown is considered dangerous by many based on recent crime stats.
Compared to other big cities, the violent crime rate in New York ranks 118th highest in America — 5.26% worse than US average violent crime rate. The property crime rate in the ranks 260th highest in the United States — 41.32% better than US average property crime rate. Note the latest reporting year from the FBI was 2020 and that no city in America is ‘dangerous’. Despite the uptick in murders, it’s nothing like you’d see in Tijuana or Caracas where the murder rate is 2x any American city.
No, New York is not a dangerous state as it ranks as the #14 safest state in the United States based on our analysis of the latest FBI Crime Data. The violent crime rate in new york ranks 26th highest in the United States -- 6.2% better than US average violent crime rate. The property crime rate in the Empire State ranks 4highest in the United States -- 27.96% better than US average property crime rate. The latest reporting year from the FBI was 2020.
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No, New York is not a dangerous city. New York ranks as the #85 safest out of 320 major cities over 100,000 people in the United States based on our analysis of the latest FBI Crime Data. Keep in mind that are always safe and dangerous parts of any city, so even though New York might be considered safe you still need to be aware of where you are. For example, Ardon Heights is the safest in New York, while Midtown is considered dangerous by many based on recent crime stats.
Compared to other big cities, the violent crime rate in New York ranks 118th highest in America -- 5.26% worse than US average violent crime rate. The property crime rate in the ranks 260th highest in the United States -- 41.32% better than US average property crime rate. Note the latest reporting year from the FBI was 2020 and that no city in America is 'dangerous'. Despite the uptick in murders, it's nothing like you'd see in Tijuana or Caracas where the murder rate is 2x any American city.
"}}]}
Graphing The Most Dangerous And Safest Places In New York
Summary: Locking It All Up In New York
So what is the most dangerous city in New York? After analyzing 211 cities in New York, Oneida takes the top spot as the most dangerous city in New York based on the most recently reported FBI data — 2021.
The latest FBI crime data shows that Oneida ranks as the most dangerous city in New York for 2023.
We want to point out again that there’s still safes places in Oneida and that this isn’t a comment on the people that live there. So please don’t beat us up.
What are the circumstances that make these New York cities this way? Maybe not enough jobs, low wages, drugs, bad weather; and in New York’s case, their mediocre NFL teams?
We’re not entirely sure. But one thing we are sure about is that the number one most dangerous city in New York for 2023 is Oneida.
So, if you don’t really leave your house, a dangerous city should mean nothing to you. Maybe you should consider holing up in one of our top ten most dangerous cities in New York for 2023.
To make an educated choice, take a look at the list below. If you don’t see a winner, head to the bottom, there’s more.
Learn more about the safest places in New York.
If you’re looking for something more national, check out the most dangerous cities in America or the most dangerous states in America.
Here are the safest cities in New York:
- Whitestown Town (Pop. 8,948)
- Canton Village (Pop. 6,516)
- Malverne Village (Pop. 8,482)
- Rye (Pop. 15,692)
- Chester Town (Pop. 8,095)
- Kirkland Town (Pop. 8,329)
- Northport Village (Pop. 7,258)
- Elmira Town (Pop. 5,529)
- Highlands Town (Pop. 8,329)
- Lewisboro Town (Pop. 12,533)
For more New York reading, check out:
- Best Places To Live In New York
- Cheapest Places To Live In New York
- Most Dangerous Places In New York
- Best Places To Raise A Family In New York
- Safest Places In New York According To Science
- Worst Places To Live In New York State
Crime By City In New York
| Rank | City | Population |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Oneida | 10,849 |
| 2 | Rochester | 205,199 |
| 3 | Binghamton | 43,828 |
| 4 | Buffalo | 253,809 |
| 5 | Malone Village | 5,566 |
| 6 | Utica | 58,965 |
| 7 | Syracuse | 142,011 |
| 8 | Albany | 96,318 |
| 9 | Johnson City Village | 13,928 |
| 10 | Watertown | 24,091 |
| 11 | Niagara Falls | 47,139 |
| 12 | Jamestown | 28,649 |
| 13 | Troy | 49,052 |
| 14 | Newburgh | 28,095 |
| 15 | Ogdensburg | 10,319 |
| 16 | Ithaca | 30,927 |
| 17 | Newark Village | 8,784 |
| 18 | Gloversville | 14,656 |
| 19 | Schenectady | 65,140 |
| 20 | Lockport | 20,212 |
| 21 | Endicott Village | 12,335 |
| 22 | Norwich | 6,474 |
| 23 | Cheektowaga Town | 76,536 |
| 24 | Albion Village | 5,698 |
| 25 | Olean | 13,272 |
| 26 | Batavia | 14,210 |
| 27 | Lackawanna | 17,674 |
| 28 | Poughkeepsie | 30,480 |
| 29 | Oswego City | 17,132 |
| 30 | Corning | 10,469 |
| 31 | Cortland | 18,615 |
| 32 | Watervliet | 9,954 |
| 33 | Canandaigua | 10,112 |
| 34 | Elmira | 26,820 |
| 35 | New York | 8,300,377 |
| 36 | Kingston | 22,682 |
| 37 | Herkimer Village | 7,212 |
| 38 | DeWitt Town | 24,947 |
| 39 | Auburn | 25,746 |
| 40 | Gates Town | 28,222 |
| 41 | Ilion Village | 7,562 |
| 42 | Tonawanda | 14,700 |
| 43 | Poughkeepsie Town | 38,808 |
| 44 | Rome | 31,991 |
| 45 | Mount Vernon | 67,339 |
| 46 | Port Jervis | 8,415 |
| 47 | East Greenbush Town | 16,186 |
| 48 | Fredonia Village | 10,205 |
| 49 | Seneca Falls Town | 8,570 |
| 50 | Kenmore Village | 14,968 |
References
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FBI UCR 2022
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Census – American Cumminity Survey
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