New York has its fair share of dangerous cities.
You might think that most of the problems occur around New York City, but the most dangerous places in New York are spread evenly across the state.
This research aims to help you navigate these dangerous cities when deciding what city to call home. To determine the most dangerous places in New York, we used Saturday Night Science to review the FBI’s latest crime report for violent crime and property crime statistics for the 188 cities with over 5,000 residents.
So grab a bagel, pizza, and a garbage plate, and learn more.
1,191 violent crimes /100k · 8,451 property crimes /100k · #1 most violent in New York
Located in
Herkimer County, New YorkIn the heart of New York, within Herkimer County, sits the small town of Herkimer. Despite its modest 7,218, this village ranks as the most dangerous place to live in the state for the year 2026. It holds the highest position in violent crimes with a staggering 1,191/100k violent crime rate.
With a property crime rate of 8,451/100k, Herkimer tops the charts in New York State.
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
765 violent crimes /100k · 4,234 property crimes /100k · #5 most violent in New York
Located in
Onondaga County, New YorkSyracuse is home to The Great New York State Fair, but it’s also home to a whole lot of crime. Syracuse had the fifth highest violent crime rate in New York, with 22 murders in 2024.
On top of that, Syracuse experienced the third 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.
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
706 violent crimes /100k · 3,810 property crimes /100k · #6 most violent in New York
Located in
Erie County, New YorkThe Bills may have never won a Super Bowl, but at least Buffalo gets the third place medal for…being extremely dangerous. Congratulations?
New York’s second-biggest city is especially bad when it comes to violent crime, with the sixth highest rate statewide. That translates into about 1 in 141 chance of being the victim of violence over the course of a year — not great.
Besides having the sixth highest murder rate in New York, Buffalo also shines in property crime, with the ninth highest burglary rate. It’s going to take a lot of Buffalo wings to get over these numbers.
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
599 violent crimes /100k · 3,929 property crimes /100k · #11 most violent in New York
Located in
Jefferson County, New YorkLocated just 25 miles south of The Thousand Islands in Upstate New York, Watertown ranks as the fourth most dangerous city the state has to offer.
On the bright side, Watertown experienced zero murders in 2024. On the definitely not-bright side, the city also had the highest rate of rape in New York.
Watertown residents also had a 1 in 25 chance of being the victim of a property crime, so you’ll want to watch out for porch pirates here.
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
547 violent crimes /100k · 4,137 property crimes /100k · #13 most violent in New York
Located in
Chemung County, New YorkElmira is a city in Chemung County, New York, United States. It is the principal city of the Elmira, New York Metropolitan Statistical Area, which encompasses Chemung County, New York. The population was 29,200 at the 2010 census. It is the county seat of Chemung County.
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
438 violent crimes /100k · 4,537 property crimes /100k · #20 most violent in New York
Located in
St. Lawrence County, New YorkOgdensburg is a city in St. Lawrence County, New York, United States. The population was 11,128 at the 2010 census. In the late 18th century, European-American settlers named the community after American land owner and developer Samuel Ogden.
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
646 violent crimes /100k · 3,129 property crimes /100k · #8 most violent in New York
Located in
Schenectady County, New YorkLocated in eastern New York, near the Mohawk and Hudson rivers, is the city of Schenectady. Founded by Dutch colonists in the 17th century, it has a population of 68,610. It is currently ranked as the seventh most dangerous place to live in New York for 2026.
The city reported 443 violent crimes, including 7 murders and 69 robberies. Furthermore, there were 2,147 cases of property crime, including 275 burglaries. The high incidence of these crimes makes Schenectady one of the most dangerous places to live in New York.
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
582 violent crimes /100k · 3,289 property crimes /100k · #12 most violent in New York
Located in
Monroe County, New YorkWe continue the Upstate New York trend with Rochester, New York’s 4th biggest city. With 6,779 property crimes in 2024, residents of Rochester face a whopping 1 in 6,779 chance of having their stuff stolen or damaged.
On top of that, Rochester averages four violent crimes each day. That includes the state’s fifth 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.
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
533 violent crimes /100k · 3,413 property crimes /100k · #15 most violent in New York
Located in
Broome County, New YorkWhen 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 11th highest burglary rate in the whole state for 2024. 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.
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
817 violent crimes /100k · 2,848 property crimes /100k · #3 most violent in New York
Located in
Albany County, New YorkThe capital of New York, Albany, ranks as the state’s tenth most dangerous place to live for 2024. Albany experienced 2,908 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 122 chance of being attacked in 2024. So make sure you buddy up if you’re going for a jog at Washington Park.
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
The receipts
Compare the top ten
Pick a metric. The bars rescale. The red line is New York’s statewide median.
On the map
Where crime hits hardest in New York
Saturday Night Science
How we determined the most dangerous cities in New York for 2026?
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 2024 data, specifically the 2024 Crime In The United States Report for New York.
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 188 cities in New York.
We then ranked each city from 1 to 188 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 — Herkimer. Any ties went to the smaller city.
This article is an opinion based on facts and is meant as infotainment. It is our eleventh time ranking the most dangerous places to live in New York and is updated for 2026.
The full plate
Crime By City In New York
Click any column to sort. Search by city name.
| Rank | City | Dangerous Index | Population | Total Crimes Per 100K | Violent Crimes Per 100K | Property Crimes Per 100K | Murders |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Herkimer | 1.00 | 7,218 | 9,643 | 1,191 | 8,451 | 1 |
| 2 | Syracuse | 4.00 | 145,175 | 4,999 | 765 | 4,234 | 22 |
| 3 | Buffalo | 6.50 | 273,728 | 4,516 | 706 | 3,810 | 34 |
| 4 | Watertown | 8.50 | 24,029 | 4,528 | 599 | 3,929 | 0 |
| 5 | Elmira | 8.50 | 26,130 | 4,684 | 547 | 4,137 | 1 |
| 6 | Ogdensburg | 11.00 | 9,125 | 4,975 | 438 | 4,537 | 0 |
| 7 | Schenectady | 14.50 | 68,610 | 3,775 | 646 | 3,129 | 7 |
| 8 | Rochester | 14.50 | 206,093 | 3,872 | 582 | 3,289 | 27 |
| 9 | Binghamton | 15.00 | 46,378 | 3,946 | 533 | 3,413 | 3 |
| 10 | Albany | 15.00 | 102,095 | 3,665 | 817 | 2,848 | 9 |
| 11 | Oneida | 17.50 | 10,021 | 3,872 | 399 | 3,473 | 0 |
| 12 | Olean | 19.00 | 13,564 | 4,136 | 347 | 3,789 | 0 |
| 13 | Johnson City | 19.00 | 14,748 | 4,319 | 325 | 3,994 | 0 |
| 14 | Utica | 20.00 | 63,098 | 3,477 | 528 | 2,949 | 5 |
| 15 | Oswego City | 21.00 | 17,058 | 3,893 | 340 | 3,553 | 1 |
| 16 | New York | 21.50 | 8,299,271 | 3,039 | 671 | 2,368 | 325 |
| 17 | Niagara Falls | 23.00 | 47,296 | 3,309 | 501 | 2,808 | 3 |
| 18 | Jamestown | 23.50 | 27,735 | 2,935 | 620 | 2,315 | 5 |
| 19 | Troy | 24.50 | 50,372 | 3,244 | 470 | 2,773 | 1 |
| 20 | Newburgh | 26.00 | 28,061 | 2,901 | 984 | 1,917 | 3 |
| 21 | Liberty | 27.50 | 5,167 | 2,710 | 793 | 1,916 | 0 |
| 22 | Newark | 29.50 | 8,931 | 2,911 | 369 | 2,542 | 1 |
| 23 | DeWitt | 30.50 | 25,054 | 3,760 | 212 | 3,548 | 0 |
| 24 | Spring Valley | 32.50 | 32,973 | 2,532 | 361 | 2,171 | 1 |
| 25 | Endicott | 33.50 | 13,072 | 3,182 | 291 | 2,892 | 0 |
| 26 | Watervliet | 34.00 | 10,108 | 2,483 | 356 | 2,127 | 1 |
| 27 | Geneva | 34.50 | 12,289 | 3,108 | 301 | 2,807 | 0 |
| 28 | Cheektowaga | 34.50 | 78,864 | 3,425 | 205 | 3,219 | 2 |
| 29 | Cortland | 35.50 | 17,197 | 3,181 | 227 | 2,954 | 0 |
| 30 | Poughkeepsie | 36.00 | 31,843 | 2,280 | 644 | 1,636 | 2 |
| 31 | Ithaca | 36.00 | 33,646 | 3,412 | 196 | 3,216 | 1 |
| 32 | Niagara | 36.50 | 7,671 | 3,780 | 156 | 3,624 | 0 |
| 33 | Pelham Manor | 38.00 | 5,482 | 3,904 | 146 | 3,758 | 0 |
| 34 | Batavia | 40.00 | 15,400 | 2,182 | 377 | 1,805 | 0 |
| 35 | Malone | 40.50 | 5,370 | 2,309 | 317 | 1,993 | 0 |
| 36 | Ilion | 41.50 | 7,533 | 2,403 | 292 | 2,111 | 0 |
| 37 | Gates | 42.00 | 28,603 | 3,122 | 157 | 2,965 | 0 |
| 38 | Mount Vernon | 43.50 | 70,390 | 2,003 | 544 | 1,459 | 2 |
| 39 | Port Jervis | 44.50 | 8,508 | 1,951 | 411 | 1,540 | 0 |
| 40 | Lackawanna | 44.50 | 19,484 | 1,955 | 395 | 1,560 | 1 |
| 41 | Kingston | 45.50 | 23,704 | 1,995 | 350 | 1,645 | 1 |
| 42 | Dunkirk | 46.00 | 12,348 | 2,195 | 275 | 1,919 | 0 |
| 43 | Rome | 46.00 | 31,577 | 2,293 | 238 | 2,055 | 0 |
| 44 | Corning | 47.00 | 10,621 | 2,542 | 160 | 2,382 | 0 |
| 45 | Colonie | 48.00 | 81,226 | 3,558 | 113 | 3,445 | 0 |
| 46 | Hudson | 48.50 | 5,750 | 1,896 | 330 | 1,565 | 0 |
| 47 | Salamanca | 50.50 | 5,735 | 1,779 | 384 | 1,395 | 0 |
| 48 | Seneca Falls | 52.00 | 8,788 | 2,959 | 125 | 2,833 | 0 |
| 49 | Massena | 52.00 | 10,028 | 2,304 | 150 | 2,154 | 1 |
| 50 | New Hartford and | 53.00 | 20,546 | 3,514 | 102 | 3,412 | 0 |
| 51 | Hempstead | 55.50 | 58,013 | 1,557 | 459 | 1,098 | 3 |
| 52 | Saratoga Springs | 57.00 | 28,546 | 1,902 | 186 | 1,717 | 1 |
| 53 | Canandaigua | 58.00 | 10,461 | 1,740 | 249 | 1,491 | 0 |
| 54 | Dobbs Ferry | 58.50 | 11,254 | 1,697 | 284 | 1,413 | 0 |
| 55 | Middletown | 60.50 | 30,110 | 1,514 | 309 | 1,206 | 2 |
| 56 | Greece | 61.00 | 93,943 | 2,035 | 142 | 1,894 | 0 |
| 57 | Bath | 61.50 | 5,521 | 1,485 | 308 | 1,177 | 0 |
| 58 | Gloversville | 61.50 | 14,767 | 1,598 | 251 | 1,348 | 0 |
| 59 | Plattsburgh City | 63.00 | 19,883 | 1,977 | 131 | 1,846 | 0 |
| 60 | Auburn | 63.00 | 25,699 | 1,588 | 245 | 1,342 | 0 |
| 61 | Riverhead | 63.00 | 35,693 | 2,625 | 101 | 2,524 | 1 |
| 62 | Irondequoit | 64.50 | 49,336 | 1,869 | 132 | 1,737 | 5 |
| 63 | Yonkers | 66.00 | 206,557 | 1,327 | 312 | 1,015 | 4 |
| 64 | Amherst | 66.50 | 126,184 | 2,162 | 104 | 2,058 | 0 |
| 65 | Depew | 67.50 | 14,805 | 1,689 | 142 | 1,547 | 0 |
| 66 | West Seneca | 68.50 | 44,982 | 1,834 | 124 | 1,710 | 1 |
| 67 | Ellicott | 69.00 | 5,270 | 3,017 | 76 | 2,941 | 0 |
| 68 | Kenmore | 69.00 | 14,830 | 1,672 | 142 | 1,531 | 0 |
| 69 | Geddes | 70.50 | 10,158 | 2,018 | 98 | 1,920 | 0 |
| 70 | White Plains | 70.50 | 61,923 | 1,872 | 111 | 1,760 | 1 |
| 71 | Medina | 71.00 | 5,872 | 1,226 | 324 | 903 | 0 |
| 72 | Niskayuna | 71.00 | 23,797 | 2,198 | 84 | 2,114 | 0 |
| 73 | Fulton City | 72.50 | 11,207 | 1,285 | 196 | 1,089 | 0 |
| 74 | Tonawanda | 72.50 | 14,825 | 1,302 | 169 | 1,133 | 2 |
| 75 | Cohoes | 73.00 | 18,240 | 1,288 | 186 | 1,102 | 0 |
| 76 | Scotia | 73.50 | 7,207 | 1,651 | 125 | 1,526 | 0 |
| 77 | East Rochester | 74.00 | 6,104 | 1,376 | 147 | 1,229 | 0 |
| 78 | Guilderland | 74.00 | 35,409 | 1,765 | 110 | 1,655 | 0 |
| 79 | Clarkstown | 74.50 | 80,087 | 1,923 | 95 | 1,828 | 0 |
| 80 | Peekskill | 75.00 | 25,484 | 1,181 | 208 | 973 | 1 |
| 81 | Monticello | 75.50 | 7,216 | 1,732 | 111 | 1,621 | 0 |
| 82 | Brighton | 75.50 | 35,835 | 2,205 | 78 | 2,126 | 0 |
| 83 | Ulster | 77.50 | 12,590 | 2,017 | 79 | 1,938 | 0 |
| 84 | North Tonawanda | 79.00 | 29,898 | 1,241 | 154 | 1,087 | 0 |
| 85 | East Greenbush | 79.50 | 16,371 | 1,466 | 116 | 1,350 | 0 |
| 86 | New Rochelle | 80.50 | 84,960 | 1,239 | 134 | 1,105 | 0 |
| 87 | Lakewood-Busti | 81.00 | 7,370 | 3,243 | 41 | 3,202 | 0 |
| 88 | Freeport | 82.00 | 43,583 | 1,078 | 163 | 915 | 1 |
| 89 | Vestal | 84.00 | 32,289 | 2,663 | 46 | 2,617 | 0 |
| 90 | Haverstraw | 85.50 | 38,750 | 1,043 | 157 | 885 | 0 |
| 91 | Glens Falls | 92.50 | 14,416 | 819 | 160 | 659 | 0 |
| 92 | Port Washington | 94.00 | 19,888 | 935 | 126 | 810 | 0 |
| 93 | Evans | 95.50 | 15,049 | 1,163 | 93 | 1,070 | 0 |
| 94 | Geneseo | 97.00 | 7,776 | 1,517 | 64 | 1,453 | 0 |
| 95 | North Greenbush | 97.00 | 13,240 | 1,473 | 68 | 1,405 | 0 |
| 96 | Suffern | 98.00 | 11,317 | 875 | 124 | 751 | 0 |
| 97 | Hamburg | 100.50 | 47,687 | 1,543 | 52 | 1,491 | 1 |
| 98 | Glenville | 101.50 | 22,040 | 1,216 | 73 | 1,143 | 1 |
| 99 | Rotterdam | 102.50 | 30,518 | 1,688 | 39 | 1,648 | 0 |
| 100 | New Windsor | 103.00 | 27,811 | 938 | 97 | 841 | 0 |
Source: FBI UCR 2024. 188 cities with more than 5,000 residents.
Summary
Summary: Locking It All Up In New York
So what is the most dangerous city in New York? After analyzing 188 cities in New York, Herkimer takes the top spot as the most dangerous city in New York based on the most recently reported FBI data — 2024.
The latest FBI crime data shows that Herkimer ranks as the most dangerous city in New York for 2026.
The most dangerous cities in New York are Herkimer, Syracuse, Buffalo, Watertown, Elmira, Ogdensburg, Schenectady, Rochester, Binghamton, and Albany.
We want to point out again that there’s still safes places in Herkimer and that this isn’t a comment on the people that live there. So please don’t beat us up. Not sold on New York? Take the two-minute Find Your Place quiz and see which state actually fits you.
Questions and answers
Most Dangerous Places To Live In New York FAQs
Is New York a dangerous state?
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 most dangerous in the United States — 1.63% better than US average violent crime rate. The property crime rate in the Empire State ranks 4most dangerous in the United States — 27.82% better than US average property crime rate. The latest reporting year from the FBI was 2022.
Is New York, NY a dangerous city?
No, New York is not a dangerous city. New York ranks as the #154 safest out of 328 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 82nd highest in America — 34.44% worse than US average violent crime rate. The property crime rate in the ranks 204th highest in the United States — 21.53% better than US average property crime rate. Note the latest reporting year from the FBI was 2022 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.
