Queens is the largest borough in New York City. It is approximately 109 square miles with a population of over 2.4 million residents. If Queens were its own city, it would be the 4th most populous city in the United States.
Although it doesn’t get as much attention as Brooklyn or Manhattan, there is a seemingly endless amount of wonderful things to experience here.
If you are thinking about visiting Queens and have some qualms about the safety of the area, we got you covered!
We are going to deep dive into the statistics, look at some maps and talk to the residents of the city to give you a better understanding of how safe the city really is.
Is Queens Safe?
Looking at the crime statistics, Queens is a very safe place to visit. It is one of the safest cities in the United States. In 2020, Queens had a violent crime rate of 298.07 per 100,000 people. Out of the 100 most populous cities in the United States, Queens’s violent crime rate ranked 84th. Chula Vista, Laredo and Boise all have similar crime rates as Queens.
Queens’s Crime Rate Map
Queens is patrolled by 15 precincts of the New York City Police Department. Here’s a table showing you the precincts and their crime rates.
Precinct | Area | Crime Rate Per 1000 residents |
100th Precinct | Arverne, Belle Harbor, Breezy Point, Broad Channel, Neponsit, Rockaway Park, Rockaway Beach, and Roxbury | 9.7051 |
101st Precinct | Far Rockaway and Bayswater | 10.6613 |
102nd Precinct | Kew Gardens, Richmond Hill East, Richmond Hill, Woodhaven, and the northern part of Ozone Park | 6.8439 |
103rd Precinct | Jamaica Business District, Hollis Park Gardens, Hollis, Lakewood, and Jamaica. | 15.6801 |
104th Precinct | Ridgewood, Glendale, Middle Village, and Maspeth. | 9.3307 |
105th Precinct | Queens Village, Cambria Heights, Laurelton, Rosedale, Springfield Gardens, Bellerose, Glen Oaks, New Hyde Park, and Floral Park | 9.1922 |
106th Precinct | Ozone Park, South Ozone Park, Lindenwood, Howard Beach, and Old Howard Beach. | 11.0421 |
107th Precinct | Fresh Meadows, Cunningham Heights, and Hilltop Village. | 7.9877 |
108th Precinct | Long Island City, Sunnyside, and Woodside. | 9.4163 |
109th Precinct | Downtown Flushing, East Flushing, Queensboro Hill, College Point, Malba, Whitestone, Beechhurst, and Bay Terrace. | 7.9522 |
110th Precinct | Roosevelt Avenue, Broadway, and Queens Blvd. | 8.5788 |
111th Precinct | Bayside, Douglaston, Little Neck, Auburndale, Hollis Hills, and Fresh Meadows. | 6.7164 |
112th Precinct | Forest Hills and Rego Park | 5.3895 |
113th Precinct | St. Albans, Hollis, Springfield Gardens, South Ozone Park, South Jamaica, Addisleigh Park, and Locust Manor. | 11.2043 |
114th Precinct | Astoria, Long Island City, Woodside, and Jackson Heights. | 8.8578 |
115th Precinct | Jackson Heights, East Elmhurst, and North Corona. The precinct patrol responsibilities also include LaGuardia Airport. | 8.5502 |
The Most Dangerous Neighborhoods In Queens
South Jamaica – is one of the roughest overall neighborhoods in Queens.
Rochdale – located in the southeastern part of Queens. Rochdale is a small area comprised of apartments and projects.
South Ozone Park – is a neighborhood in the southwestern section of Queens.
Far Rockaway – is a neighborhood on the eastern part of Queens.
St. Albans – is a neighborhood in the southeastern portion of Queens.
Hollis – is a neighborhood located in the southeastern section of Queens.
Queensbridge – is a public housing project in the Long Island City neighborhood of Queens.
Corona – is a neighborhood in the northwestern part of Queens.
Queens’s Population
The population for the Queens in 2020 is 2,405,464.
(Check out our full write up about the safety of New York City)
Queens Crime Stats
Here’s a breakdown of all the crimes in Queens for 2020. We also included the crimes stats 1990 and 2001 to give you some perspective on how crime has evolved in Queens over the years:
|
1990 |
2001 |
2020 |
1990 vs 2020 |
Murder |
312 |
88 |
78 |
-75.00% |
Rape |
559 |
353 |
309 |
-44.72% |
Robbery |
18,135 |
5,830 |
2,539 |
-86.00% |
Felony Assault |
6,933 |
4,136 |
4,244 |
-38.79% |
Burglary |
29,430 |
8,401 |
3,225 |
-89.04% |
Grand Larceny |
19,470 |
9,025 |
7,312 |
-62.44% |
Grand Larceny Auto |
50,267 |
10,422 |
2,484 |
-95.06% |
TOTAL |
125,106 |
38,255 |
20,191 |
-83.86% |
Looking at the chart, you can see that crime in Queens has significantly decreased over a 30 year time period. Total crime has decreased 83.86% from 1990!
*All data is from the NYPD CompStat
Queens Crime Rate
In 2020 Queens reported 7170 violent crimes and had a violent crime rate of 298.07 per 100,000 people. The national average for violent crime is 366.7 per 100,000 residents. Queens’s violent crime rate is 18% lower than the national average.
In 1990 queens reported 25,939 violent crimes and had a violent crime rate of 1,329.11 per 100,000 people.
Queens’ violent crime rate has decreased 77.5% in the 30 year time frame.
**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.
Queens Murder Stats
In 2020 Queens reported 78 homicides, which gives it a murder rate of 3.24 per 100,000 residents. The national murder rate is 5 per 100,000 people. Queens’s murder rate is 35% less than the national average.
Queens vs The Other New York Boroughs
Of all the 5 boroughs, Queens had the second lowest violent crime rate.
City |
Population |
Number of violent crimes in 2020 |
Rate per 100,000 people |
1,472,654 |
9,766 |
663.15 |
|
1,694,251 |
7,081 |
417.94 |
|
2,736,074 |
10,619 |
388.11 |
|
Queens |
2,405,464 |
7,170 |
298.07 |
495,747 |
913 |
184.16 |
Queens 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 Queens’s violent crime rate, which is 298.07 per 100,000 people.
Queens’s violent crime rate is 8.1 times LESS than Memphis, the most dangerous city on the list.
City | Population | Number of violent crimes in 2020 | Rate per 100,000 people |
Memphis | 633,104 | 15,310 | 2,418.24 |
Detroit | 639,111 | 14,370 | 2,248.44 |
Baltimore | 2,707,064 | 9,273 | 2,027.01 |
St. Louis | 301,578 | 6,017 | 1,995.17 |
Little Rock | 202,591 | 3,657 | 1,805.11 |
South Bend | 103,453 | 1,765 | 1,706.09 |
Cleveland | 372,624 | 6,281 | 1,685.61 |
Milwaukee | 577,222 | 9,407 | 1,629.70 |
Kansas City | 508,090 | 7,919 | 1,558.58 |
Lansing | 112,644 | 1,699 | 1,508.29 |
Springfield | 169,176 | 2,545 | 1,504.35 |
*All data is from the 2019 FBI Crime Stats Report**
What do residents of Queens say about its safety
- "Queens overall is pretty safe, but the worst areas are in Jamaica though."
- "Jamaica is not a safe are. Maybe there are pockets of good areas, but the majority is dicey. The area is full of scammers and thieves."
- "Queens covers a huge area, its about double the size of San Francisco, so there will be good and bad parts, but Queens is generally safe."
- "I’ve lived in Queens for the most of my life and I can confidently say that most of it is safe."
Is Queens safe at night?
Queens is safe at night if you avoid going into the neighborhoods mentioned above.
Is it safe to visit alone?
Queens is a safe place to visit alone. You can mitigate your chances of becoming a victim if you learn the layout of the city, avoid the sketchy areas and follow the safety tips posted below.
Tips To Stay Safe In Queens
- Learn the layout of the city. Learn which areas are safe and which are dangerous.
- Avoid walking through desolate or deserted blocks in unfamiliar neighborhoods.
- If you suspect that you are being followed, stay away from deserted blocks and head for a populated area or go into the nearest store.
- Never carry your wallet in your back pocket. It is the easiest place for pick pockets to access.
- Don’t leave valuables in plain sight in your car.
- Don’t wear flashy jewelry, even if it’s fake.
- Ignore panhandlers or anyone trying to stop you on the street.
- Don’t engage with or make eye contact with mentally ill homeless people. Just keep walking.
Final Thoughts
Queens is a very safe place to visit. It’s crime stats are low and many residents agree that Queens is a very safe place to visit.
There are only a few problems areas that you should avoid going at night: South Jamaica, Far Rockaway, St. Albans, Queensbridge, Hollis, Rochdale, South Ozone Park and Corona.
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