9 Most Dangerous Cities in New York (2024)

Note: This article’s statistics come from third-party sources and do not represent the opinions of this website.

Nobody wants to live in a dangerous city. But in order to avoid them, you need to know where they are. Here, we highlighted the nine most dangerous cities in New York—and the results just might surprise you.

For our results, we primarily focused on both the murder and violent crime rates, but we tried to use historical data and tie it in with trends. If crime is increasing year by year in an area, it got a boost up on the list, but if it’s on a downward spiral, it fell down it a bit.

So, here are the nine most dangerous cities in New York.

The 9 Most Dangerous Cities in New York

1. Buffalo, NY

While there’s plenty to love about the city of Buffalo, unfortunately, crime in this city is something to be wary of.

The violent crime rate is lower than many of the other cities on this list, but the 1,018 per 100,000 rate is almost three times the national average. While that number is astounding in its own right, it’s the murder rate that skyrockets Buffalo to the top of this list.

It’s one of the highest in the state—something to be mindful and cautious of anytime you leave your home. Like many cities in the United States, Buffalo has seen a drastic rise in violent crime in 2021.

Like many areas, crime is a result of poverty in Buffalo. Almost one in three people in the city live in poverty, leading to a low average household income of $37,354—making it difficult to meet standards of living in a large city.

2. Niagara Falls, NY

Niagara Falls might be known for its beautiful waterfall. Unfortunately, an epidemic of crime has swept through the city over the years. While the murder rate is low at 2.0 per 100,000, when it comes to violent crime, it has a rate that’s nearly 11 times the national average—something to be aware and mindful of if you live in Niagara Falls, NY.

Tourism doesn’t lead to much income for the people living in the city, with the average household income sitting below $37,000. Over one in four people live in poverty in the city.

3. Rochester, NY

Rochester, New York holds one of the highest murder rates of the state. In 2021, it hit 79 murders by the beginning of December, marking its deadliest year on record. However, while the violent crime rate is twice the national average, it’s much lower than most other cities on this list.

Violent crime in this city most often leads to murder, earning its place on the list of the most dangerous cities in New York.

4. Albany, NY

While Albany, NY, might not get the same headlines as some of the more dangerous cities in the country, its murder rate high at 16 per 100,000. Likewise, the violent crime rate is also notably high, at more than 22 times the national average, making it one of the most dangerous cities in the country.

That said, with so much violent crime, both the poverty rate and median household income are surprisingly high. The poverty rate is still about 10 percentage points higher than the national average, but that puts it on the lower end of this list. This reflects in the median household income, as it is more than $10,000 higher than many other cities. Though in many ways, Albany is a tale of two cities. There are the high-income areas that are relatively safe, and then there are the poverty-stricken areas where crime soars.

5. Syracuse, NY

Syracuse is a large city in New York with an astoundingly high murder rate, at 22.14 per 100,000 people.

But while the murder rate is sky high, the violent crime rate is comparatively low. It’s still two times the national average, but that’s low for this list. However, chances of violent crime in this city being murder is higher than in other cities.

Another issue afflicting the city is the poverty levels. With 31% of the population living under the poverty line, crime in this city is reflectively high. Like most cities in 2021, the violent crime rate is on the rise.

6. Binghamton, NY

Binghamton has the highest average household income of any city on this list, but while the average income is high, so is the violent crime rate.

It’s four and a half times the national average, which likely stems from severe income inequality in the city. Even though the average income is just over $53,000, just under one in three people in the city live in poverty.

That rate is almost 20 percentage points higher than the national average, which shows up in the crime statistics. While that hasn’t translated to higher murder rates yet, it is a reasonable prediction that number could rise over the next few years.

7. Watertown, NY

Watertown, NY is a bit too small to characterize it as a “city,” but the crime statistics warrant it a spot on this list. The violent crime rate is almost twice the national average, and that’s despite a median household income of over $53,000.

The murder rate is a bit high too, but not as high as some major cities further up this list. Watertown, NY, is a classic city setup when it comes to crime. There are high-income areas with extremely low crime rates, and there are lower-income areas where crime soars—which is notable for such a small city.

8. Johnson City, NY

Johnson City, NY is by far the smallest “city” to make this list, but the violent crime rate is almost three times the national average. Compounding the issue is that the city doesn’t have the lowest poverty rate out there. It’s higher than the national average, but it is over 10 percentage points lower than the top cities on this list.

This reflects in the average household income of just over $42,000, which means solving Johnson City’s crime issues is about more than bringing more money into town. And like most cities, the 2021 crime rate of Johnson City is on the rise.

9. Utica, NY

The last city to make the list of most dangerous cities in New York is Utica, NY. The violent crime rate is the lowest on this list, but it’s still 1.5 times the national average.

Fortunately, Utica may have some hope of making its way off this list with just a few changes, as i is a small enough city that the problems aren’t completely insurmountable. The poverty rate is too high, at just under 30%, and a few more companies or decent-paying jobs moving into the area may potentially help turn this city around.

Why is Crime Worse in 2021?

Violent crime is on the rise in the United States. Twelve different significant cities have all topped their annual homicide records by December 2021, and there’s a good chance that number will increase by the end of the year.

But while there’s no doubt that violent crime is on the rise in 2021, the reason behind this surge is ripe for debate. Since there are so many factors behind violent crime, it’s impossible to prove that it’s tied to a single issue and give any definitive causes for the rise in crime.

How to Stay Safe in New York

While it can seem like crime is increasing everywhere, there are surely things you can do to lessen your own risks of falling victim to it. Here are five different tips that you can follow to reduce the chances that you’ll fall victim to a violent crime:

Not included on this list is doing a ton of research before moving anywhere. Even if you’re moving to a city with a high crime rate, you can look up where most of that crime is happening and avoid moving to those areas.

Conclusion: Dangerous Cities in NY

With so many cities in New York experiencing rising crime rates in 2021, it can be hard to keep track of where the problem areas truly are. You may be surprised that New York City, the flagship city of New York, didn’t make our list. Surprisingly, it’s one of the safest cities in the country, so if you’re looking to visit or move to the Big Apple, it’s not a bad decision when it comes to crime!

See Also:

• 25 Safest Cities in the U.S. What You Need To Know!
• 10 Most Dangerous Cities in Nevada
• 10 Most Dangerous Cities in Delaware

Featured Image Credit: awsloley, Pixabay