Is Williamsburg Safe? Brooklyn Livability, Crime & Rent
Williamsburg scores 5.9 overall—a solid transit-first neighborhood for commuters and investors, but livability and green space lag behind comparable Brooklyn addresses.
Williamsburg at a glance
- Borough
- Brooklyn
- Livability score
- 5.9/10
- Borough rank
- #16 of 32
- Safety verdict
- Average
- Crimes (12 mo)
- 3,515
- Median listing
- $1.1M
- Subway stations
- 6 (Montrose Av, Metropolitan Av/Lorimer St, Graham Av)
- Active listings
- 68
- Data updated
- 2026-04-04
Is Williamsburg Safe?
Williamsburg, Brooklyn scores 5.9/10 for overall livability, ranking #16 of 32 Brooklyn neighborhoods. Williamsburg scores 5.9 overall—a solid transit-first neighborhood for commuters and investors, but livability and green space lag behind comparable Brooklyn addresses.
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 Williamsburg address below for a block-level breakdown.
Score Overview
Vertical line = borough median. Scale: 0-10.
Neighborhood Character
Williamsburg is a densely built neighborhood with strong transit connectivity but sparse green infrastructure. You'll find six subway lines within walking distance—the L at Montrose and Bedford, the G at Metropolitan/Lorimer, the M and J at Marcy—making it a commuter's advantage point. But tree coverage is thin: you're looking at 174 trees per 200m radius with a canopy density of just 3.7/10, well below what creates meaningful street-level shade. McCarren Park sits nearly 1km away on average, so park access requires intentional travel. The built environment is uniform—100% condos across the market—which means consistent ownership structures but limited architectural variety. The neighborhood reads as perpetually mid-renovation: valuable enough to attract investment capital, established enough to have lost its novelty.
Analysis based on 68 properties scored across 30+ data points
Livability & Restoration
Tree Canopy
174 trees
Avg within 200m | Density: 3.7/10
10 additional trees per block correlates with health benefits equivalent to being 7 years younger (Kardan et al., 2015)
Park Access
McCarren Park
Avg 974m away | Score: 6.9/10
Living within 300m of green space associated with 30% fewer antidepressant prescriptions (Taylor et al., 2015)
Acoustic Quality
5/10
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 Brooklyn 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
8/10
Borough median: 8/10
Walk Score Proxy
0/10
Based on street geometry analysis
Financial Landscape
Median Price
$1.1M
Price per Sq Ft
$1296
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
38
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
174
Within 200m radius
Canopy Density
3.7/10
Normalized canopy coverage
Park Network
- McCarren Park
Avg distance: 974m
Outdoor Space Types
Practical Living
Building Types
Bedroom Distribution
Laundry Availability
Who Williamsburg Is For
Long-distance commuters
Commute score of 8 (tied to borough median) with six subway lines within reach. Average 38 days on market suggests liquid inventory for quick moves.
Real estate investors
Investment score of 6.8 outpaces borough median of 5.8. Median price $1.1M at $1,296/sqft sits at a price point with active trading (68 listings tracked).
Practical urban dwellers
Practical score of 6.7 beats borough average. Transit access and condo-only market reduce friction for straightforward living arrangements.
Pros & Cons
Strengths
Exceptional transit access
Commute score of 8; six subway lines (L, G, M, J, Z) within neighborhood, multiple entry points via Montrose, Metropolitan, Graham, Marcy, Bedford, Hewes
Strong investment fundamentals
Investment score 6.8 vs. borough median 5.8; median price $1.1M with consistent condo product and 38-day average market time
Practical amenities and infrastructure
Trade-offs
Minimal tree canopy
Canopy density 3.7/10 with average 174 trees per 200m—limited shade, heat mitigation, and green-space character
Limited park proximity
McCarren Park averages 974m away; no parks within 200m walkable range
Weak livability scores
Art/Livability score of 5 (borough median 5) and Outdoor score of 4.1 (vs. borough 4.6); indicators of cultural and environmental constraints
Score Any Address in Williamsburg
Get detailed livability scores based on building health, transit access, safety, noise levels, and 15+ NYC data sources.
Search an Address in WilliamsburgFrequently Asked Questions about Williamsburg
1Is Williamsburg safe?
By NYPD data, Williamsburg is rated "Average" — safer than 45% of Brooklyn neighborhoods. 3,515 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 Williamsburg?
Rents in Williamsburg, Brooklyn vary significantly by building and apartment type. The median listing price is $1.1M. Use DwellCheck to research specific addresses.
3How is transit access in Williamsburg?
Williamsburg has a commute score of 8/10. 6 subway stations serve the area: Montrose Av, Metropolitan Av/Lorimer St, Graham Av.
4What are the best streets in Williamsburg?
The best streets depend on your priorities. Use DwellCheck to compare specific addresses across livability, safety, transit, and environmental factors.
5What is Williamsburg known for?
Williamsburg sits in Brooklyn and ranks #16 of 32 Brooklyn neighborhoods on DwellCheck's livability score (5.9/10). It's served by 6 subway stations (Montrose Av, Metropolitan Av/Lorimer St, Graham Av), with a median listing price of $1.1M. Williamsburg scores 5.9 overall—a solid transit-first neighborhood for commuters and investors, but livability and green space lag behind comparable Brooklyn addresses.
6What is it like to live in Williamsburg?
Living in Williamsburg, Brooklyn 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). Williamsburg's composite is 5.9/10. Williamsburg scores 5.9 overall—a solid transit-first neighborhood for commuters and investors, but livability and green space lag behind comparable Brooklyn addresses. For the block-by-block view, run any specific Williamsburg address through DwellCheck.
7Is Williamsburg expensive?
Median listing price in Williamsburg, Brooklyn is $1.1M based on 68 active listings as of 2026-04-04. Whether that reads "expensive" depends on the comparison: it's lower than Manhattan averages and varies considerably by building. Rent-stabilized units in Williamsburg can run 20-40% below the median; check DHCR rent history for any specific address to verify.
8Can you walk around Williamsburg at night?
Williamsburg is classified as "Average" by NYPD CompStat data. Over the past 12 months it recorded 1 shooting incident and 3,515 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 Williamsburg dangerous?
By NYPD data, Williamsburg is rated "Average" — safer than 45% of Brooklyn neighborhoods. 3,515 crime incidents over 12 months. Block-level risk varies; check the address-level safety score for any specific street or building.
10What parts of Williamsburg 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 Williamsburg a good place to live?
Williamsburg scores 5.9/10 for overall livability and ranks in the 45th percentile for safety in Brooklyn. Williamsburg scores 5.9 overall—a solid transit-first neighborhood for commuters and investors, but livability and green space lag behind comparable Brooklyn addresses. 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 Williamsburg?
Composite median of 5.9 (interquartile range 4.9–6.6). The score is driven up by commute (8) and investment potential (6.8), pulled down by outdoor access (4.1) and livability factors (5).
13How does pricing compare to the rest of Brooklyn?
Median price $1.1M at $1,296/sqft. Financial score of 5.5 (vs. borough median 5.7) indicates pricing is aligned with broader Brooklyn market, not a discount.
14Is Williamsburg a good investment?
Investment score of 6.8 beats borough median by one point. 68 active listings with 38-day average hold time suggests healthy, liquid market. All-condo inventory reduces management complexity.
15What's the green space situation?
Sparse. Canopy density 3.7/10 and 174 trees per 200m fall below neighborhood comfort thresholds. McCarren Park (974m away) requires travel. Outdoor score 4.1 reflects this constraint.
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