Ithaca, NY Crime Map

Frequently Asked Questions

Frequently Asked Questions About Crime in Ithaca, NY

Is Ithaca, NY safe to live in?

Ithaca earns an overall crime grade of C at the city level, but the neighborhood-by-neighborhood picture is considerably more reassuring. Of the 16 neighborhoods analyzed, 43.8% received an A grade and another 43.8% received a B grade, meaning 88% of Ithaca neighborhoods qualify as safe. Only 2 neighborhoods — roughly 12.5% of those studied — fell into the C range, and not a single neighborhood scored a D or F. For context, top-rated areas like Cornell University (A+), West Hill (A), and Fall Creek (A) anchor the city's safety profile, while even the lowest-graded area, Waterfront & Inlet Island, holds a C+ — a relatively modest concern. The city-wide safety rating is Safe (B), making Ithaca broadly livable for residents who choose their neighborhood with the crime map in mind.

What is the crime rate in Ithaca, NY?

Ithaca's overall crime grade is a C, which reflects the city's elevated poverty rate of 37.4% and a population density of roughly 2,200 residents per square mile — factors that correlate with higher reported incidents in concentrated urban cores. However, the grade distribution across neighborhoods tells a more nuanced story: 7 neighborhoods (43.8%) earned an A and 7 neighborhoods (43.8%) earned a B, with only 2 neighborhoods (12.5%) in the C tier. No neighborhoods received a D or F. Higher-activity areas include Downtown Ithaca (B), Collegetown (B-), and Waterfront & Inlet Island (C+). Neighborhoods like Cornell Heights, which has a median household income of $84,844, and Spencer Road, with a median income of $66,745, consistently post A-level grades, illustrating how income stability correlates with lower crime activity across Ithaca's geography.

What are the safest neighborhoods in Ithaca?

The safest neighborhoods in Ithaca, based on 2026 crime data, are:

1. Cornell University — Grade A+ (population: 2,444; median income: $61,447)
2. West Hill — Grade A (population: 389; median income: $62,347)
3. Fall Creek — Grade A (population: 1,910; median income: $59,862)
4. Cornell Heights — Grade A (population: 878; median income: $84,844)
5. Spencer Road — Grade A (population: 124; median income: $66,745)
6. South Hill — Grade A (population: 1,554; median income: $35,775)
7. University Hill — Grade A- (population: 1,382; median income: $34,859)

Notably, South Hill and University Hill achieve A-level safety grades despite median incomes below $36,000, demonstrating that high safety scores in Ithaca are not exclusively tied to affluence. Rounding out the top tier, South Side (B+) and Washington Park (B+) also offer strong safety profiles with median incomes of $47,430 and $49,779, respectively. In total, 88% of analyzed neighborhoods fall into the A or B safety range.

Which neighborhoods in Ithaca have higher crime levels?

Even Ithaca's highest-crime areas remain in the C range — no neighborhood received a D or F grade. The areas with the most elevated crime activity include:

• Waterfront & Inlet Island — Grade C+: The lowest-rated neighborhood in the dataset, though still above the D threshold.
• Collegetown — Grade B-: A dense student-populated area adjacent to Cornell University, where higher foot traffic and transient populations contribute to a slightly elevated crime profile.
• Downtown Ithaca — Grade B: The commercial core sees more incidents than residential neighborhoods, consistent with patterns seen in most small-city downtowns.
• East Hill — Grade B and Southwest Area — Grade B: Both sit in the moderate range, with no acute safety concerns but worth monitoring on the crime map.

The fact that 0% of Ithaca neighborhoods score a D or F distinguishes the city from many comparably sized metros, even accounting for its 37.4% poverty rate — one of the higher rates among New York college towns.

Is Ithaca a good place to live in 2026?

For most residents, Ithaca offers a compelling mix of academic culture, natural scenery, and neighborhood-level safety. The city's median home value of $260,826 and median rent of $1,171 position it as relatively affordable for a New York city, particularly given that 88% of its neighborhoods carry A or B safety grades. The 4.9% unemployment rate is moderate, and neighborhoods like Cornell Heights (median income: $84,844, Grade A) and West Hill (median income: $62,347, Grade A) demonstrate that Ithaca's safest pockets also tend to be economically stable. The city's 37.4% poverty rate — driven in part by its large student population — does weigh on the overall C crime grade, but prospective residents who anchor in A- or B-rated neighborhoods such as Bryant Park & Belle Sherman (B), Washington Park (B+), or South Side (B+) will find a livable, relatively secure environment. Using the Ithaca crime map to compare specific neighborhoods before committing to a lease or purchase remains the smartest first step.