Safety index · Manhattan, New York · data through March 2026
Is Harlem (South) safe?
Harlem (South) records a high level of reported crime for New York City. Its SafeRoute safety index is 22 out of 100 — 11 points below the citywide median of 33, ranking 185th of 197 NYC neighborhoods — based on 2,162 incidents reported to the NYPD within 1 km of the neighborhood center (data through March 2026).
Most of what's reported here is property-related — other theft alone is 33% of reports — rather than violence against strangers, though the full mix below is worth a look.
Reported incidents here skew to daytime and evening hours — only about 14% of severity-weighted reports fall overnight (midnight–6 a.m.).
Where incidents cluster
What's reported here
| Other theft | 719 · 33% | |
| Violent crime | 325 · 15% | |
| Public order | 518 · 24% | |
| Drugs | 175 · 8% | |
| Criminal damage & arson | 96 · 4% | |
| Other | 85 · 4% |
When it happens
Severity-weighted share of reported incidents by time of day, from NYPD incident timestamps.
Walking in Harlem (South) at night?
SafeRoute scores every walking route against the same live crime data on this page — and shows how much of each route runs on lit streets. Pick the safer way, share your walk, and check in when you arrive. Free, no account.
Get SafeRoute on the App StoreNearby areas
- Morningside Heights29/100 · Elevated
- East Harlem (North)22/100 · High risk
- Upper West Side-Manhattan Valley28/100 · Elevated
- Manhattanville-West Harlem24/100 · High risk
- East Harlem (South)24/100 · High risk
Common questions
Is Harlem (South) safe at night?
High risk overall (safety index 22/100). About 45% of severity-weighted incidents in Harlem (South) are reported between 6 p.m. and 6 a.m. At night, prefer lit, busier streets — a block or two of detour often avoids the clusters on the map above.
What is the most common crime in Harlem (South)?
Other theft — 719 of 2,162 incidents (33%) reported within 1 km of the neighborhood center through March 2026.
How is the Harlem (South) safety index calculated?
SafeRoute weights each incident reported to the NYPD by severity (violence weighs more than shoplifting), sums the last available period within 1 km of the neighborhood center, and normalizes against citywide crime rates onto a 0–100 scale — higher is safer. It describes reported crime only; it is not a guarantee of safety.