Shootings ↓ ~15% • Serious crimes ↓ ~6%
Violent crime: 4.6 per 1,000 vs NYC 5.1
Midwood: ~8.8 crimes/1,000 (top 5 safest)
Bay Ridge ~6.1 vs Brownsville ~35 per 1,000
Is Brooklyn Safe?
Brooklyn is relatively safe by big-city standards, and recent crime trends are encouraging. In fact, 2024 was Brooklyn’s safest year on record for major crimes – shootings fell about 15% and total serious crimes dropped nearly 6% compared to 2023 [1][2]. New York City as a whole remains one of the safest large cities in the U.S., and Brooklyn’s crime rate is about average for NYC – lower than in the Bronx or Manhattan, but higher than in Queens or Staten Island [3]. In 2022, Brooklyn saw roughly 12.2 “serious” crimes per 1,000 residents, slightly below the citywide rate [4]. Its violent crime rate was about 4.6 per 1,000 people, a bit lower than the NYC average (5.1 per 1,000) that year [5]. In short, Brooklyn’s overall danger level is about average, and crime has been trending downward toward pre-2020 lows.
That said, safety varies widely by neighborhood. Predominantly residential areas of southern Brooklyn enjoy very low crime (for example, Bay Ridge’s crime rate is ~6.1 per 1,000 residents [6]). In contrast, busier commercial hubs and some historically disadvantaged areas have higher crime rates. But overall Brooklyn’s major crime rate remains lower than in Manhattan or the Bronx and far below the levels of a few decades ago [7]. For context, Brooklyn’s major crime rate was ~10.6 per 1,000 in recent years, vs. 13.5 in the Bronx and 16.7 in Manhattan [8].
Is Flatbush, Brooklyn Safe?
Yes – Flatbush is generally considered about as safe as the average NYC neighborhood, with crime rates near or slightly below city norms. The NYPD precincts covering Flatbush have mid-range crime levels by NYC standards. For example, the 70th Precinct (Flatbush/Ditmas Park/Midwood) was ranked the 30th safest out of 69 city precinct areas [9], while the neighboring 67th Precinct (East Flatbush) ranked 40th. Violent crime in Flatbush is not unusually high – as of the late 2010s, Flatbush/Midwood actually had fewer violent crimes per capita than NYC overall [10]. The area’s assault and robbery rates are moderate, and its incarceration rate is lower than the city average [11][12].
Importantly, crime in Flatbush has fallen dramatically over the past decades. The 70th Precinct saw major crimes drop about 89% from 1990 to 2018 [13], and the 67th Precinct (East Flatbush) had a ~80% decline in crime over the same period [14]. In 2018, the 70th Precinct reported only 6 murders and 162 robberies [15], and the 67th Precinct had 6 murders as well (though East Flatbush experienced more assault cases) [14]. More recently, after a pandemic-era uptick, Flatbush rebounded: murders in the Flatbush precinct fell by 60% in 2021, and shootings dropped 55% that year [16][17]. Like any Brooklyn neighborhood, Flatbush has both safer and rougher pockets, but overall it is not a particularly dangerous area [18].
Is Midwood, Brooklyn a Good Neighborhood?
Midwood is widely regarded as an excellent, family-friendly neighborhood – in large part because it is very safe. This south-central Brooklyn community is largely residential and calm, which contributes to its low crime. Analyses consistently place Midwood among Brooklyn’s safest neighborhoods. In fact, Midwood’s crime rate is estimated around 8.8 crimes per 1,000 residents, which is well below the NYC average [19]. For perspective, that rate makes Midwood safer than many affluent areas; it’s on par with the top tier of safe NYC neighborhoods. Residents describe Midwood as “peaceful” and “quiet,” with a true community feel [20], and crime statistics back that up.
Beyond just low crime numbers, Midwood boasts a stable, tight-knit community with many long-time residents. Its streets are tree-lined and largely filled with homes, schools, and places of worship rather than late-night bars or industrial zones – a profile that generally correlates with safety. The NYPD’s 70th Precinct, which patrols Midwood, was noted as one of the safer precinct areas in NYC (ranked #30 of 69) [10][9], reflecting the low crime in this area. In short, Midwood is a “good” neighborhood in terms of safety, offering a quiet environment with crime rates far lower than Brooklyn and city averages.
Is Midwood, Brooklyn Safe?
Yes – Midwood is considered one of the safest neighborhoods in Brooklyn. It experiences very low crime rates by New York City standards. As noted, the area’s crime rate is roughly 8.8 incidents per 1,000 people, which is significantly lower than the Brooklyn and NYC averages [19]. Major crimes are infrequent in Midwood’s largely residential precinct. For example, the broader Midwood/Flatbush precinct sees a lower violent crime per capita than the city as a whole [21]. Local law enforcement data show crime has plummeted over the past decades, and it remains at a low baseline today. Midwood was even highlighted among Brooklyn’s top 5 safest neighborhoods in a 2024 report [22].
Brooklyn Neighborhood Crime Rate Comparison
To put these areas in context, here’s how Flatbush and Midwood compare with some of the safest vs. most crime-prone neighborhoods in Brooklyn:
- Safest: Borough Park/Kensington and Bay Ridge. Borough Park saw ~6.6 crimes per 1,000 [23]. Bay Ridge sees only about 6.1 per 1,000 [6]. Midwood (~8.8/1,000) is in this same safe tier [19].
- Higher-crime areas: Downtown Brooklyn recorded about 72.7 property crimes per 1,000 [24]. Brownsville, historically violent, had around 35 per 1,000 in 2011 (down from 45 in 2000) [25].
