Harlem is a vibrant neighborhood and the cultural mecca of African-American history and culture. It’s a neighborhood where you can see historic sites, taste amazing food, hear amazing jazz music and feel the electric energy of its residents.
Lets deep dive into the statistics and talk to the residents of the city to give you a better understanding of how safe the city really is.
Is Harlem Safe?
Looking only at the crime statistics, Harlem is a slightly unsafe safe place to visit. In 2020, Harlem had a violent crime rate of 802.81 incidents per 100,000 residents. Out of the 100 most populous cities in the United States, Harlem’s violent crime rate is the 29th highest in the nation. Los Angeles, Oklahoma City and Tuscon all have similar violent crime rates as Harlem.
Harlem’s Crime Rate Map
Harlem is part of Manhattan Community District 10 and it is patrolled by the 23rd, 25th, 28th, 30th and 32nd Precincts of the New York City Police Department.
Here’s a map showing you the crime rate for the different precincts of Harlem. The darker areas have higher rates of crime:
23rd Precinct: 14.7457 Crimes per 1000 residents
25th Precinct: 25.2505 Crimes per 1000 residents
28th Precinct: 19.7182 Crimes per 1000 residents
30th Precinct: 12.7709 Crimes per 1000 residents
32nd Precinct: 15.5056 Crimes per 1000 residents
Harlem’s Population
We couldn’t get an official count of the population of Harlem through census data or through a governement agency. However, were able to get a rough estimate of the population of by cross-refrencing the zip codes of Harlem with their corresponding population count:
*If you see an error in our methodology to estimate the population of Harlem, please let us know and we will correct it.
Harlem Zip Codes:
Population
10026
38,585
10027
64,988
10030
31,060
10037
20,462
10039
27,854
10029
76,713
10035
36,048
Totals:
295,710
We also cross-referenced the NYPD crime map, which showed the population of each precinct and tallied those numbers up.
Harlem Zip Codes:
Population
Precinct-23
73,106
Precinct-25
47,405
Precinct-28
44,781
Precinct-30
60,685
Precinct-32
70,942
Totals:
296,919
We averaged the zip code counts and the precinct counts and our estimate for the population for Harlem is 296,314 residents.
Now that we have a rough estimate of the population of Harlem, we are able to calculate crime rates and are able to give you a fuller picture of the safety of Harlem.
Harlem Crime Stats
Here’s a breakdown of all the crimes in Harlem for 2020:
In 2020 Harlem had a violent crime rate of 801.17 per 100,000 people.
The national average for violent crime is 366.7 per 100,000 residents and the national average for property crime is 2,109.9 per 100,000 residents. Harlem’s violent crime rate is 2.18 times more than the national average.
**Violent crimes include; homicides, rape, robbery and aggravated assaults and the violent crime rate is calculated by dividing the number of reported crimes by the total population; the result is multiplied by 100,000.
Harlem Murder Stats
In 2020 Harlem reported 41 homicides, which gives it a murder rate of 13.86 per 100,000 residents. The national murder rate is 5 per 100,000 people. Harlem’s murder rate is about 2.77 times than the national average.
Harlem vs The Most Dangerous Cities In The United States
Here’s a list of the top 10 most dangerous cities in the United States ranked by violent crime rate. It can give you some perspective on Harlem’s violent crime rate, which is 802.81 per 100,000 people.
Harlem’s violent crime rate is 3 times LESS than Memphis, the most dangerous city on the list.
"West and Central Harlem have a very different feel from East Harlem at night."
"The further east you go the sketchier it gets."
"East Harlem is not great, there are worse areas of the city but it’s definitely not somewhere I’d want to live."
"East Harlem overall that is not the best part of town, but it really depends drastically on the exact cross streets."
"Basically with west Harlem, the further west you go, the better.’"
"Generally you want to stay west of Broadway when you are in West Harlem."
"The east side of Harlem can be a bit of a toss up in terms of safety at times depending on location."
"I was born and raised in NYC and have spent a good amount of time in Harlem. You’re fine as long as you’re minding your ownbusiness. Most crimes are not random and are between two people who are beefing."
"I live in Harlem. It’s fine. You won’t get mugged. If you’re near a park, there might be loud parties on random nights, but that’s more an inconvenience than a safety issue."
"Harlem is safe. Seriously. It’s flooded with cops. We have so many police precincts up here. The only neighborhoods I think you should avoid are East New York and Brownsville."
"If you don’t feel comfortable around minorities and with people who are both culturally and socioeconomically different than you, you probably won’t like Harlem."
"West Harlem is far better than East. I live in East Harlem and it’s dodgy at times."
"I am not a fan of East Harlem. It is poorly lighted and there are many drug addicts. I definitely prefer West Harlem."
"Harlem has calmed down a lot but certain parts are still active in East Harlem. "
Is East Harlem safe?
While East Harlem is statistically the unsafest part of Harlem, it is by no means a war zone, where shootings, robberies and murder are constant. Be careful walking around at night, don’t get involved in illicit activities and don’t wander around the housing projects and you should be fine.
Is Harlem safe at night?
Harlem is safe at night, but If you are visiting New York and don’t know the layout of Harlem, we suggest you stick to the west side of Harlem, as certain parts of East Harlem can get sketchy at night.
Is it safe to visit alone?
Harlem is a safe place to visit alone. However you should take special precautions at night as you will be more vulnerable to becoming a victim of crime.
Tips To Stay Safe In Harlem
Avoid strolling too long through most “housing” projects. They usually have a sign posted outside" … housing” or “… houses.”
Walk with confidence, like you know where exactly you are going.
Don’t engage with strangers if they come up to you. If someone stops you on the street and wants to ask you a question, look busy, ignore them and keep walking. Dont entertain or talk to them.
Don’t make eye contact with people that try and stop you on the street. For the most part they are rarely dangerous but they will try to scam you in one way or another.
Ignore crazy people on the subway or the streets, even if they talk to you.
Always stay aware of your surroundings.
Don’t take anything from anyone trying to give you something on the streets – just walk past them and ignore.
Don’t leave your phone, purse or any belongings at the bar or restaurant or anywhere, really. Take them with you. Losing your seat is < losing your phone
Avoid dark empty streets. Keep to well populated areas. If you look down the street and see lots of other pedestrians and outdoor dining, it’s fine. If it’s completely deserted and looks desolate, go up the next block instead.
If you ever feel threatened or uncomfortable, always head into a store. Do NOT go into an alley, off the main streets or into the subway.
Avoid all parks after dark.
If anyone tries to give you anything or asks you for money for something, it’s almost 100% a scam.
Don’t take the subway late at night. Yellow cabs and Uber are a better option if you’re out past 10pm.
Try not to look like a tourist.
Final Thoughts
After analyzing the crime statistics and talking to the residents of the city, we have come to the conclusion that Harlem is a slightly unsafe place to visit. It’s crime stats are not alarming and many residents agree that Harlem is a fairly safe place to visit. The only problem area is East Harlem. You should be able to mitigate your chances of being a crime while visiting Harlem, if you follow the safety tips above and avoid going into East Harlem at night.
Mariska is a recovering attorney who gave up her professional job to discover new perspectives of life while traveling in a 2009 Ford Transit.
She has been living the van life for 3 years and has not looked back since.
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