A large part of today’s dialogue is concerned with safety: the safety of our schools, our homes, our children, and the nation as a whole. Yet what our news sources rarely discuss is how safe our communities really are.
Luckily for us, New York has an abundance of secure, close-knit towns and cities that are great for raising a family. According to an annual report from the National Council for Home Safety and Security (NCHSS), 38 of the top 50 safest cities in New York are within the Hudson Valley region.
To come up with their numbers, the NCHSS reviewed the most recent FBI Uniform Crime Report statistics alongside their own population data and internal research. Cities, excluding places with a population under 5,000 and any that failed to submit complete crime reports to the FBI, were ranked on the number of reported violent and property crimes per 100,000 people, weighted, depending on the severity of each type of crime.
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Coming in at number one is the Town of Highlands, located near West Point (which may or may not have something to do with their safety ranking). With a population of 8,303, Highlands experienced only three reported violent crimes and 12 property crimes last year.
Comparably, Westchester’s Rye, with a population of 16,066, came in at number two, boasting only one reported violent crime, but 48 property crimes.
Check below to see what other Hudson Valley cities made the list, and check out the rankings for a more detailed look at the numbers.
This list has been updated since the original posting. The NCHSS made corrections that are now reflected here.
1. Highlands, Orange County
2. Rye, Westchester County
3. New Castle, Westchester County
6. Kent, Putnam County
7. Irvington, Westchester County
9. Harrison, Westchester County
10. Chester, Orange County
​11. Croton-on-Hudson Village, Westchester County
13. Cornwall, Orange County
14. Bedford, Westchester County
15. Carmel, Putnam County
16. Pound Ridge, Westchester County
17. Sleepy Hollow, Westchester County
18. Cairo, Greene County
20. North Castle, Westchester County
21. Rosendale, Ulster County
22. Stony Point, Rockland County
23. Hyde Park, Dutchess County
25. Rye Brook, Westchester County
26. Mount Hope, Orange County
27. Tarrytown, Westchester County
28. East Fishkill, Dutchess County
29. Shawangunk, Ulster County
30. Blooming Grove, Orange County
31. Tuckahoe, Westchester County
34. Washingtonville, Orange County
35. Mamaroneck, Westchester County
36. Fishkill, Dutchess County
37. Suffern, Rockland County
38. Plattekill, Ulster County
39. Hastings-on-Hudson, Westchester County
40. Scarsdale, Westchester County
41. Montgomery, Orange County
42. Shodack, Rensselaer County
44. Mount Pleasant, Westchester County
46. Yorktown, Westchester County
48. Ramapo, Rockland County
