Is Riverdale Safe? Bronx Livability, Crime & Rent
A tree-rich, walkable neighborhood with solid schools and park access, held back by rising crime, noise complaints, and middling transit—composite score 6.5 reflects tradeoffs that favor families and nature-seekers but require comfort with safety and noise realities.
Riverdale at a glance
- Borough
- Bronx
- Livability score
- 6.5/10
- Borough rank
- #6 of 23
- Safety verdict
- Much Safer Than Average
- Crimes (12 mo)
- 1,573
- Median listing
- $0
- Subway stations
- 3 (Prospect Av, Jackson Av, 3 Av-149 St)
- Active listings
- 239
- Data updated
- 2026-04-05
Is Riverdale Safe?
Riverdale, Bronx scores 6.5/10 for overall livability, ranking #6 of 23 Bronx neighborhoods. A tree-rich, walkable neighborhood with solid schools and park access, held back by rising crime, noise complaints, and middling transit—composite score 6.5 reflects tradeoffs that favor families and nature-seekers but require comfort with safety and noise realities.
This score aggregates live NYPD crime data, 311 safety complaints, shooting incidents, and building health signals within walking distance. Safety varies by block — check a specific Riverdale address below for a block-level breakdown.
Score Overview
Vertical line = borough median. Scale: 0-10.
Neighborhood Character
You'll find yourself in a tree-dense neighborhood where 125 trees average within a 200-meter radius and a 9.5/10 canopy density creates substantial green cover on most blocks. The built environment leans mid-rise (66% of tracked buildings), with a quarter high-rise structures that create an uneven skyline. Transit access centers on the 2, 5 lines at Prospect Ave and Jackson Ave, plus the 3 Av-149 St station—workable but not redundant. Parks cluster within walking distance: Fountain of Youth Playground, Grove Hill Playground, and Captain Rivera Playground average 269 meters away, giving you accessible outdoor space without needing to travel far.
Analysis based on 239 properties scored across 30+ data points
Livability & Restoration
Tree Canopy
125 trees
Avg within 200m | Density: 9.5/10
10 additional trees per block correlates with health benefits equivalent to being 7 years younger (Kardan et al., 2015)
Park Access
Fountain Of Youth Playground
Avg 269m away | Score: 3.1/10
Living within 300m of green space associated with 30% fewer antidepressant prescriptions (Taylor et al., 2015)
Acoustic Quality
9/10
Noise proxy score (higher = quieter)
Chronic noise above 55 dB at night associated with 8% cardiovascular mortality increase (Basner et al., 2014)
Street Character
0/10
Enclosure: 0/10
What is the ART Score?
ART stands for Attention Restoration Theory (Kaplan & Kaplan, 1989) — the framework environmental psychologists use to measure whether a place helps your brain recover from mental fatigue, or pushes it deeper into overload. Cities deplete directed attention (the effortful focus you use at work); exposure to restorative environments replenishes it.
We compute an ART score for every block by combining four signals: access to restorative zones (parks, museums, libraries), sensory load (nightlife and tourist density), street vitality (Jane Jacobs’ “eyes on the street”), and third places (Oldenburg’s informal community spaces).
In line with the Bronx median — typical city stimulus with typical restorative access.
What drives the score
- +Restorative zones. Museums, libraries, community gardens, and parks within walking distance. “Soft fascination” stimuli (clouds, tree branches, water) let directed attention recover without effort — the Kaplans’ core mechanism.
- −Sensory load. Bar and nightclub density (5+ within 150m), firehouse siren corridors, tourist chokepoints, and very high foot traffic push the score down by up to 8 points.
- +Street vitality (Jacobs, 1961). Permitted block parties, farmers markets, and community festivals over the past 12 months — a proxy for “eyes on the street” and the informal surveillance that makes blocks feel safe and maintained.
- +Third places (Oldenburg, 1989). Cafés, public plazas (POPS), community centers — the “anchors of community life” that buffer against social isolation. Loneliness has been linked to 29% higher incident coronary heart disease risk (Valtorta et al., 2016).
Health mechanism. Directed-attention fatigue (DAF) is linked to impaired decision-making, irritability, and elevated cortisol. A meta-analysis of 60+ studies (Ohly et al., 2016) found restorative environment exposure significantly improves attention-task performance (Hedges’ g ≈ 0.32) and reduces negative affect.
Theoretical foundations. Kaplan & Kaplan (1989), The Experience of Nature; Jacobs (1961), The Death and Life of Great American Cities; Oldenburg (1989), The Great Good Place.
Transit & Commute
Subway Stations
Commute Score
5.5/10
Borough median: 5/10
Walk Score Proxy
0/10
Based on street geometry analysis
Financial Landscape
Median Price
$0
Price per Sq Ft
$0
Price Distribution
Price by Building Type
Investment Indicators
Avg Unused FAR
0 sqft
Development rights potential
Unused development rights valued at $30-$80/sqft in Brooklyn (Glaeser, 2011)
Avg Days on Market
0
Market velocity signal
Multi-Family Stock
0%
2-4 family buildings
Multi-family owner-occupants build 2.4x wealth vs single-family (Herbert, 2013)
Outdoor & Green Space
Avg Tree Count
125
Within 200m radius
Canopy Density
9.5/10
Normalized canopy coverage
Park Network
- Fountain Of Youth Playground
- Grove Hill Playground
- P.S. 29 Ballfield
- Melrose Playground
- Captain Rivera Playground
Avg distance: 269m
Practical Living
Building Types
Who Riverdale Is For
Transit-dependent renters
Commute score of 5.5 and three subway lines (2, 5, 2/5, 3) provide adequate but not exceptional connectivity; practical score of 9 reflects strong walkability and service density once you're on foot
Families prioritizing outdoor space and schools
ART/Livability score of 5.3 exceeds borough median (4.5); top schools and Wave Hill are documented assets; five named playgrounds within 300 meters support active households
Nature-conscious residents
Outdoor score of 6.1 beats borough median (5.5), driven by above-average tree density and consistent park access; canopy density of 9.5/10 is a material quality-of-life factor
Pros & Cons
Strengths
Dense tree canopy and green infrastructure
125 trees within 200m radius; 9.5/10 canopy density significantly exceeds typical urban coverage
Walkable, service-rich blocks
Practical score of 9 (borough median: 4) reflects strong local retail, food, and amenity density on foot
Multiple park options nearby
Five named playgrounds average 269m away; no major gaps in recreational access
Reasonable transit coverage
Three subway lines (2, 5, 3) serve the neighborhood with acceptable frequency for Bronx standards
Trade-offs
Rising crime activity
5,191 total crimes in 12 months; crime trend worsening at +142.3%; safety percentile ranks 32% in borough (meaning higher activity than 68% of other areas)
Very high noise complaint volume
3,827 noise complaints recorded—a material livability factor indicating street-level activity and congestion stress
Weaker commute and transit redundancy
Commute score of 5.5 is below borough standard; only three lines and limited east-west alternatives if service disrupts
Below-average financial and investment metrics
Both financial and investment scores register at 5.0 (neutral); financial score trails borough median (6.5)
Score Any Address in Riverdale
Get detailed livability scores based on building health, transit access, safety, noise levels, and 15+ NYC data sources.
Search an Address in RiverdaleFrequently Asked Questions about Riverdale
1Is Riverdale safe?
By NYPD data, Riverdale is rated "Much Safer Than Average" — safer than 79% of Bronx neighborhoods. 1,573 crime incidents and 1 shooting incident over the past 12 months. See the safety page for the full breakdown.
2What is the average rent in Riverdale?
Rents in Riverdale, Bronx vary significantly by building and apartment type. The median listing price is $0. Use DwellCheck to research specific addresses.
3How is transit access in Riverdale?
Riverdale has a commute score of 5.5/10. 3 subway stations serve the area: Prospect Av, Jackson Av, 3 Av-149 St.
4What are the best streets in Riverdale?
The best streets depend on your priorities. Use DwellCheck to compare specific addresses across livability, safety, transit, and environmental factors.
5What is Riverdale known for?
Riverdale sits in Bronx and ranks #6 of 23 Bronx neighborhoods on DwellCheck's livability score (6.5/10). It's served by 3 subway stations (Prospect Av, Jackson Av, 3 Av-149 St), with a median listing price of $0. A tree-rich, walkable neighborhood with solid schools and park access, held back by rising crime, noise complaints, and middling transit—composite score 6.5 reflects tradeoffs that favor families and nature-seekers but require comfort with safety and noise realities.
6What is it like to live in Riverdale?
Living in Riverdale, Bronx weights against six livability dimensions: practical (HPD-violation density), commute (subway proximity), arts/culture (venue density), outdoor (parks + trees), financial (price level), investment (price trend). Riverdale's composite is 6.5/10. A tree-rich, walkable neighborhood with solid schools and park access, held back by rising crime, noise complaints, and middling transit—composite score 6.5 reflects tradeoffs that favor families and nature-seekers but require comfort with safety and noise realities. For the block-by-block view, run any specific Riverdale address through DwellCheck.
7Is Riverdale expensive?
Median listing price in Riverdale, Bronx is $0 based on 239 active listings as of 2026-04-05. Whether that reads "expensive" depends on the comparison: it's lower than Manhattan averages and varies considerably by building. Rent-stabilized units in Riverdale can run 20-40% below the median; check DHCR rent history for any specific address to verify.
8Can you walk around Riverdale at night?
Riverdale is classified as "Much Safer Than Average" by NYPD CompStat data. Over the past 12 months it recorded 1 shooting incident and 1,573 total crime incidents. Walking at night carries the same risk profile as anywhere in NYC: stay on commercial corridors with foot traffic, avoid empty side streets after midnight, and prefer subway lines that run 24/7.
9Is Riverdale dangerous?
By NYPD data, Riverdale is rated "Much Safer Than Average" — safer than 79% of Bronx neighborhoods. 1,573 crime incidents over 12 months. Block-level risk varies; check the address-level safety score for any specific street or building.
10What parts of Riverdale should I avoid?
NYPD CompStat reports incidents at the precinct level, not block-by-block, so a granular "avoid this street" answer isn't possible from public data alone. The most reliable signal at the block level is DwellCheck's address-level safety score, which weights NYPD incidents within a 250m radius of a specific building. As a general rule across NYC: industrial blocks with no foot traffic are higher-risk than residential blocks; subway-station-adjacent commercial corridors are lowest-risk.
11Is Riverdale a good place to live?
Riverdale scores 6.5/10 for overall livability and ranks in the 79th percentile for safety in Bronx. A tree-rich, walkable neighborhood with solid schools and park access, held back by rising crime, noise complaints, and middling transit—composite score 6.5 reflects tradeoffs that favor families and nature-seekers but require comfort with safety and noise realities. Whether it's a good fit depends on what you weight: families, solo renters, and remote workers each prioritize different factors (noise, transit access, parks, building quality).
12What is the average DwellScore in Riverdale?
Median composite score is 6.5 (interquartile range 6.1–6.9), driven up by exceptional practical walkability (9) and above-borough-average outdoor access (6.1), offset by weaker financial (5) and commute (5.5) dimensions
13How safe is Riverdale?
Safety activity ranks at the 32nd percentile in the Bronx (meaning higher activity than most areas); 5,191 crimes recorded in the past 12 months with a +142.3% worsening trend; noise complaints are very high at 3,827
14What is transit access like?
You have access to three subway lines: the 2 and 5 at Prospect Ave and Jackson Ave, and the 2/5 at 3 Av-149 St. Commute score of 5.5 reflects workable but not exceptional connectivity; no east-west redundancy
15How green is this neighborhood?
Riverdale scores well on tree coverage and canopy: 125 trees within 200 meters (high for the Bronx) and 9.5/10 canopy density. Outdoor score of 6.1 exceeds borough median (5.5); five playgrounds within 300 meters provide distributed recreational access
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