TL;DR: Herkimer, a Mohawk Valley village of about 7,200 people, tops the list with 1,191 violent crimes per 100,000 residents. Among the state’s major cities, Albany leads at 817 violent crimes per 100,000.
The most dangerous cities in New York are not the ones that make national headlines. FBI data shows upstate cities carry the highest violent crime rates per capita in the state. Below, the ten worst, ranked by violent crimes per 100,000 residents.
#1: Herkimer — 1,191 Violent Crimes per 100k
Population: 7,218 | Victim chance: 1 in 84 | Murders reported: 1
A Mohawk Valley village of just 7,218 residents — and that small population is exactly why it tops the list. A modest number of violent incidents divides into a very high per-capita rate.
#2: Albany — 817 Violent Crimes per 100k
Population: 102,095 | Victim chance: 1 in 122 | Murders reported: 9
New York’s state capital (102,095) anchors the Hudson Valley. Its 817 per 100,000 is the highest rate of any major city in the state, driven by robbery and aggravated assault.
#3: Syracuse — 765 Violent Crimes per 100k
Population: 145,175 | Victim chance: 1 in 131 | Murders reported: 22
Central New York’s largest city (145,175) and home to Syracuse University. Industrial decline hollowed out the east and west sides, where most violent crime concentrates.
#4: Buffalo — 706 Violent Crimes per 100k
Population: 273,728 | Victim chance: 1 in 142 | Murders reported: 34
The state’s second-largest city (273,728) anchors Western New York. Buffalo’s rate is down from historic highs, but gun violence persists in pockets of the East Side even as downtown and the waterfront draw new investment.
#5: Schenectady — 646 Violent Crimes per 100k
Population: 68,610 | Victim chance: 1 in 155 | Murders reported: 7
A Capital Region city of 68,610 on the Mohawk River, once home to a giant General Electric works. Downtown has been revitalized, but older neighborhoods still record assaults and robberies above the state average.
#6: Watertown — 599 Violent Crimes per 100k
Population: 24,029 | Victim chance: 1 in 167 | Murders reported: 0
A North Country city of 24,029 near Fort Drum. Watertown’s rate is driven by aggravated assault rather than homicide — the FBI data shows zero murders in the covered year.
#7: Rochester — 582 Violent Crimes per 100k
Population: 206,093 | Victim chance: 1 in 172 | Murders reported: 27
A former manufacturing powerhouse of 206,093 on Lake Ontario. Violent crime runs hot in a handful of north and east-side neighborhoods, while most of the metro area records low rates.
#8: Elmira — 547 Violent Crimes per 100k
Population: 26,130 | Victim chance: 1 in 183 | Murders reported: 1
A Southern Tier city of 26,130, once a railroad and manufacturing hub. Its rate sits below the big upstate cities but elevated for its size — a pattern common to economically struggling smaller cities.
#9: Binghamton — 533 Violent Crimes per 100k
Population: 46,378 | Victim chance: 1 in 188 | Murders reported: 3
Home to Binghamton University and the Triple Cities (46,378). Downtown-core assaults and robberies — where student neighborhoods meet some of the region’s poorest census tracts — push the rate above 500 per 100,000.
#10: Ogdensburg — 438 Violent Crimes per 100k
Population: 9,125 | Victim chance: 1 in 228 | Murders reported: 0
A small St. Lawrence River border city of 9,125 that rounds out the top ten. Like Watertown, it reported zero murders in the covered year.
How This Ranking Was Built
Cities are ranked by violent crimes per 100,000 using FBI Uniform Crime Report data for the 2024 reporting year, as compiled by RoadSnacks’ 2026 analysis of 188 New York cities over 5,000 in population. Raw counts come from the FBI Crime Data Explorer. Rates are per-capita by design, so small places can outrank big cities. The honest caveat: these figures reflect the latest published UCR data, not 2026 estimates. Compare with our ranking of New Mexico’s most dangerous cities.
Staying Safe in Higher-Crime Areas
Risk is hyperlocal: in the highest-ranked cities, most neighborhoods see little violent crime. Keep valuables out of sight, avoid poorly lit areas at night, and lock your car and home. If you are moving to one of these cities, ask local police for neighborhood-level crime maps — and check the FBI Crime Data Explorer for the freshest published numbers.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the most dangerous city in New York State?
The village of Herkimer leads at 1,191 violent crimes per 100,000; among larger cities, Albany (817) ranks highest, per RoadSnacks’ analysis of FBI UCR 2024 data.
Is New York City dangerous compared to other New York cities?
New York City is not in the top ten for violent crime per capita — its rate is well below Albany, Syracuse, and Buffalo on this measure.
What counts as violent crime in these rankings?
The FBI’s violent crime category includes murder, rape, robbery, and aggravated assault. These rankings use only the violent crime rate per 100,000 residents.
Why does a small village like Herkimer rank #1?
Per-capita rates are sensitive to population size: with just over 7,000 residents, a small number of violent crimes produces a very high rate.
How recent is the crime data in this ranking?
The figures reflect the most recent fully published FBI Uniform Crime Report data (2024 reporting year). They are not 2026 estimates — the FBI publishes national data with a lag.
Is Buffalo’s violent crime rate going up or down?
The 2024 FBI data puts Buffalo at 706 per 100,000 — high, but down from much higher levels in the 1990s and 2000s. Year-to-year swings of 5-10% are normal.
Which New York cities have the most homicides?
In raw numbers, Buffalo led this dataset with 34 murders, followed by Rochester (27) and Syracuse (22).
Are these cities safe to visit?
Most violent crime concentrates in specific neighborhoods; tourist and commercial districts see far lower rates.
