When most people think of New York City, they picture sparkling skyscrapers, flashy flatscreens and streets crowded with yellow taxis. While this represents some of the city's busiest areas, it doesn’t reflect the whole thing, especially considering that the city consists of five boroughs: Manhattan, Brooklyn, Staten Island, Queens and the Bronx. Then, of course, there’s the perception that New York may have high crime rates. In 2022, the NYPD reported receiving 537,000 incidents of crime. While this number may seem staggering, it’s important to remember that more than 8.3 million people live in the city, which brings us to a rate of 28.5 crimes per 1,000 residents. With so many places to choose between and factors to consider, it’s no surprise that moving here can get overwhelming, so let’s check safety off the list. Here is our comprehensive list of the safest neighborhoods in NYC.
The 15 Safest New York City Neighborhoods
Carnegie Hill, Manhattan
Median One-Bedroom Price: $670,000 | Crime Score: 1/10 | Walk Score: 100/100 [caption id="attachment_334730" align="alignnone" width="1160"]
Anna Morgowicz/CoStar[/caption]Carnegie Hill is a relatively quiet Upper East Side neighborhood where historic brownstones sit along tree-lined streets. This affluent community is known for its luxury housing and proximity to major city amenities, such as Central Park. The neighborhood is also known as the home of several museums, including the Cooper-Hewitt Smithsonian Design Museum, formerly Andrew Carnegie’s residence.
Metropolitan Hill, Manhattan
Median One-Bedroom Price: $795,000 | Crime Score: 1/10 | Walk Score: 99/100 [caption id="attachment_334731" align="alignnone" width="1160"]
Daniel Byrne/CoStar[/caption]Metropolitan Hill is next to Carnegie Hill and features streetscapes with condos and brownstones along quiet tree-lined streets. It also borders Central Park, where a large lawn welcomes picnickers and street artists, paved paths make way for joggers, and sports fields serve as venues for pick-up games among friends. What sets this neighborhood apart is its unparalleled access to famous art and cultural institutions, like the Metropolitan Museum of Art and the Neue Galerie New York.
Bay Ridge, Brooklyn
Median One-Bedroom Price: $317,000 | Crime Score: 2/10 | Walk Score: 95/100[caption id="attachment_334732" align="alignnone" width="1160"]
Daniel Byrne/CoStar[/caption]As its name suggests, Bay Ridge sits along the coast of New York Bay. This waterfront community is defined by its vast green spaces. One is Shore Road Park, a 4.5-mile pathway that follows the Belt Parkway and overlooks the bay, the lower Manhattan skyline and the Verrazano Bridge. It’s about a 50-minute train ride or 14-mile drive from Midtown.
Carroll Gardens, Brooklyn
Median One-Bedroom Price: $937,750 | Crime Score: 2/10 | Walk Score: 93/100 [caption id="attachment_334733" align="alignnone" width="1160"] Niv Rozenberg/CoStar[/caption]Carroll Gardens was once predominantly populated by Irish immigrants, so it’s no surprise its name is derived, at least in part, from Charles Carroll, an Irish expat and the sole Roman Catholic signer of the Declaration of Independence. But in the late 19th century, Italian immigrants started moving into the community, and today, it’s considered an Italian-American neighborhood. The community is also home to Carroll Park, one of Brooklyn's oldest parks.
Columbia Street Waterfront, Brooklyn
Median One-Bedroom Price: $760,000 | Crime Score: 2/10 | Walk Score: 94/100[caption id="attachment_334734" align="alignnone" width="1160"]
Amanda Kirkpatrick/CoStar[/caption]Columbia Street Waterfront District is among Brooklyn’s smallest neighborhoods, spanning just 22 blocks. It was created in 1957 when the Brooklyn-Queens Expressway was built, separating it from the neighboring communities of Carroll Gardens and Cobble Hill. It hugs the shores of Upper New York Bay near the Brooklyn Bridge Park Pier 6 on Atlantic Avenue, where commuter ferries dock daily.
Homecrest, Brooklyn
Median One-Bedroom Price: $431,500 | Crime Score: 2/10 | Walk Score: 96/100[caption id="attachment_334735" align="alignnone" width="1160"]
Ali Rehan/CoStar[/caption]Homecrest is a small neighborhood on the south side of Brooklyn near Sheepshead Bay and Midwood. It’s primarily residential, at least by New York City standards, with the exception of Avenue U and Kings Highway, where dozens of shops and eateries can be found. The neighborhood also has three subway stations, making it ideal for commuters. Neighborhood parks include small spaces like Mellett Playground and larger areas like Kelly Park.
Park Slope, Brooklyn
Median One-Bedroom Price: $740,000 | Crime Score: 2/10 | Walk Score: 96/100[caption id="attachment_334736" align="alignnone" width="1160"]
Andrew Ruth/CoStar[/caption]Park Slope is a quintessential Brooklyn neighborhood, with historic brownstones featuring steep stoops and gated courtyards along narrow tree-lined streets. One thing that sets this community apart is that it brushes up against Prospect Park, a 526-acre recreational behemoth featuring everything from a zoo to an ice and roller-skating rink to dozens of sports fields and courts.
Windsor Terrace, Brooklyn
Median One-Bedroom Price: $595,000 | Crime Score: 2/10 | Walk Score: 91/100 [caption id="attachment_334737" align="alignnone" width="1160"]
Amanda Kirkpatrick/CoStar[/caption]Windsor Terrace is a small suburban enclave tucked between two of Brooklyn’s largest green spaces: Prospect Park and The Catacombs of Green-Wood Cemetery. Its proximity to major outdoor amenities is undoubtedly a draw, but so is its unique selection of housing options, which range from Italianate rowhouses to cozy brick bungalows to Victorian-inspired clapboard houses. Many homes here have backyards and welcoming porches, making the neighborhood popular among growing families.
Lenox Hill, Manhattan
Median One-Bedroom Price: $754,000 | Crime Score: 2/10 | Walk Score: 100/100[caption id="attachment_334738" align="alignnone" width="1160"]
Joseph DiBlasi/CoStar[/caption]Tucked between Central Park and the East River on the Upper East Side is Lenox Hill. It’s one of three neighborhoods on this list with a perfect walk score, which can be attributed to the dozens of stores and restaurants dotted throughout the neighborhood, including the iconic luxury shops on Madison Avenue. The neighborhood is also home to several famous art museums, such as the Asia Society and Museum and The Frick Collection.
Lincoln Square, Manhattan
Median One-Bedroom Price: $975,000 | Crime Score: 2/10 | Walk Score: 97/100 [caption id="attachment_334739" align="alignnone" width="2560"]
Amanda Kirkpatrick/CoStar[/caption]Directly across from Lenox Hill on the west side of Manhattan is Lincoln Square. Aside from the Theater District, no other NYC neighborhood celebrates performing arts like Lincoln Square. The community is centered around the Lincoln Center for Performing Arts, a state-of-the-art venue with three massive theaters where operas, ballets, and symphonies are performed. Just next door sits The Juilliard School, one of the world’s premiere art colleges.
Sutton Place, Manhattan
Median One-Bedroom Price: $723,750 | Crime Score: 2/10 | Walk Score: 99/100 [caption id="attachment_334740" align="alignnone" width="1160"]
Anna Morgowicz/CoStar[/caption]Sutton Place is a quiet enclave in Midtown known for its historic co-ops and upscale condos and townhomes. The neighborhood features wide city streets and primarily residential high-rises, which has helped create a secluded feeling. That sense of privacy is likely why celebrities like Marylin Monroe, Freddie Mercury and Sigourney Weaver once called this place home. It’s also home to popular amenities like the new East River Esplanade, a manicured promenade overlooking the Queensboro Bridge and East River.
Upper East Side, Manhattan
Median One-Bedroom Price: $1,200,000 | Crime Score: 2/10 | Walk Score: 87/100[caption id="attachment_334741" align="alignnone" width="1160"]
Anna Morgowicz/CoStar[/caption]If you weren’t familiar with any of the other neighborhoods on this list, you are at least probably aware of the Upper East Side, which has served as the backdrop for iconic TV shows like “The Jeffersons” and “Gossip Girl.” This affluent neighborhood has long been associated with socialites and wealthy businesspeople, a demographic reflected in the luxury stores that line the neighborhood’s segment of Madison Avenue. There’s also easy access to Central Park and world-renowned museums like The Met and the Frick Collection.
Yorkville, Manhattan
Median One-Bedroom Price: $660,000 | Crime Score: 2/10 | Walk Score: 100/100[caption id="attachment_334742" align="alignnone" width="1160"]
Joseph DiBlasi/CoStar[/caption]Yorkville is a bustling Upper East Side neighborhood filled with high-rises featuring ground-level storefronts typical of New York City. Second Avenue is the anchor of this community, serving as the home to many of the neighborhood's stores and eateries and the Second Avenue Subway Station, all of which are within walking distance for most residents. The neighborhood is home to popular parks, including the 15.2-acre Carl Schurz Park, which overlooks the East River and Roosevelt Island.
Kissena Park, Queens
Median Single-Family Home Price: $468,000 | Crime Score: 2/10 | Walk Score: 88/100[caption id="attachment_334743" align="alignnone" width="1160"]
Franklin Abreu/CoStar[/caption]On the southern end of Flushing is Kissena Park, a quiet community primarily known for its namesake park, a 235-acre recreational behemoth featuring more than 8 acres of lakes, cycling pathways, greenways, and dozens of sports fields and courts. Popular home types include brick rowhouses, detached Colonial Revival-style homes and condo buildings.
Rego Park, Queens
Median One-Bedroom Price: $310,000 | Crime Score: 2/10 | Walk Score: 98/100[caption id="attachment_334744" align="alignnone" width="1160"]
Leon Cato/CoStar[/caption]Rego Park is a bit different from the other neighborhoods we’ve looked at since it is dominated by co-ops and single-family Tudor Revival and colonial-inspired custom homes. The residential areas are set apart for the bustling commercial sections, creating a bon-a-fide suburban feel. However, in true New York City fashion, the shopping and dining sections are all within walking distance of residents.
How We Determined the Safest Neighborhoods in New York City
We analyzed the Crime Score provided by the CAP Index to arrive at our list of the safest neighborhoods in New York. The Crime Score is a 10-point scale, with a 1 representing low crime and a 10 indicating high crime. The national average Crime Score is 4/10. Walkability and access to public transportation are also important in an urban setting, so we narrowed the list to include only neighborhoods that offered an above-average Walk Score, Bike Score and Transit Score for New York City.We provide this data and much more for every neighborhood on Homes.com. You can see the Crime Score in your area (as well as information on home values, demographics and other area factors) when you use our neighborhood search.