
New York’s Most Violent Counties
Violent crime remains a concern across New York, but while most counties saw crime rates decline in 2023, some areas in Central New York continue to rank among the state’s most impacted regions. New York City boroughs continue to have the highest violent crime rates in the state, but Upstate New York is not without its crime hotspots. In 2023, Onondaga County ranked eighth statewide for violent crime, with a rate of 342.4 violent crimes per 100,000 people.
Violent Crime Rates in Central New York: How the Region Compares to the Rest of the State
Oneida County also made the top 15, placing 15th with a rate of 254.5 per 100,000 people. While some counties saw a decline in violent crime, others—such as Cayuga County—experienced significant increases. Cayuga County’s violent crime rate jumped 44% between 2022 and 2023, marking the largest increase statewide.
Herkimer County and Albany County were the only locations in the top 15 to see an increase in crime, rising by 5.22% and 4.85%, respectively. Meanwhile, Erie and Monroe counties reported slightly lower crime rates than Onondaga County, ranking just behind it in the state’s top crime listings.
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Overall, 39 of New York’s 62 counties saw a decrease in violent crime in 2023, following a statewide trend of declining crime rates. However, some Central New York counties remain among the state’s most impacted areas.
Top 15 NY counties by violent crime rate
County | Violent crime count | Violent crime rate | Violent crime rate change | |
1 | Bronx | 16,549 | 1231.0 | −4.59% |
2 | New York (Manhattan) | 10,721 | 677.2 | −17.75% |
3 | Kings (Brooklyn) | 15,469 | 609.4 | −8.91% |
4 | Queens | 11,526 | 516.4 | −1.88% |
5 | Albany | 1,349 | 423.7 | 4.85% |
6 | Schenectady | 582 | 360.8 | −7.03% |
7 | Richmond (Staten Island) | 1,723 | 354.3 | −1.53% |
8 | Onondaga | 1,601 | 342.4 | −5.78% |
9 | Erie | 3,123 | 327.3 | −3.11% |
10 | Monroe | 2,194 | 291.4 | −2.08% |
11 | Broome | 555 | 280.8 | −13.36% |
12 | Chautauqua | 349 | 277.2 | −0.43% |
13 | Herkimer | 156 | 259.9 | 5.22% |
14 | Rensselaer | 416 | 259.7 | −8.85% |
15 | Oneida | 582 | 254.5 | −12.81% |
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Gallery Credit: Dave Wheeler