Is Flushing Safe? Queens Livability, Crime & Rent
Flushing scores 6.0 median—an above-average Queens neighborhood built for transit users and tree lovers, hampered by noise, rising crime, and long commutes to Manhattan job centers.
Flushing at a glance
- Borough
- Queens
- Livability score
- 6/10
- Borough rank
- #10 of 27
- Safety verdict
- High Activity Area
- Crimes (12 mo)
- 4,843
- Median listing
- $0
- Subway stations
- 1 (Flushing-Main St)
- Active listings
- 458
- Data updated
- 2026-04-05
Is Flushing Safe?
Flushing, Queens scores 6/10 for overall livability, ranking #10 of 27 Queens neighborhoods. Flushing scores 6.0 median—an above-average Queens neighborhood built for transit users and tree lovers, hampered by noise, rising crime, and long commutes to Manhattan job centers.
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 Flushing address below for a block-level breakdown.
Score Overview
Vertical line = borough median. Scale: 0-10.
Neighborhood Character
Flushing is dense, tree-heavy, and perpetually busy. You'll walk under a canopy density of 9.5/10—among the highest in Queens—with an average of 63 trees within 200 meters of any address. The neighborhood centers on the Flushing-Main Street 7 train terminus, a major transit hub that feeds constant foot traffic through Korean restaurants, Chinatown markets, and the edge of Flushing Meadows Park. Parks like Margaret I. Carman Green with its historic Weeping Beech, Colden Playground, and Bowne Playground sit roughly 343 meters apart on average. The building stock skews mid-rise (61%) and high-rise (29%), creating an urban canyon effect. You'll experience high activity—ranked in the 63rd percentile for safety in Queens—but also 5,458 noise complaints recorded, reflecting the crowded, commercial character.
Analysis based on 458 properties scored across 30+ data points
Livability & Restoration
Tree Canopy
63 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
Margaret I. Carman Green - Weeping Beech
Avg 343m away | Score: 2.7/10
Living within 300m of green space associated with 30% fewer antidepressant prescriptions (Taylor et al., 2015)
Acoustic Quality
8/10
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 Queens 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
3/10
Borough median: 5.5/10
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
63
Within 200m radius
Canopy Density
9.5/10
Normalized canopy coverage
Park Network
- Margaret I. Carman Green - Weeping Beech
- Colden Playground
- Bowne Playground
- Maple Playground
- Daniel Carter Beard Mall
Avg distance: 343m
Practical Living
Building Types
Who Flushing Is For
Transit-dependent commuters
The 7 train terminus and Practical score of 9/10 (nearly double the borough median of 5.3) mean excellent walkability and transit access, despite a Commute score of 3 that flags longer overall travel times to jobs outside Queens.
People prioritizing green space and trees
Canopy density of 9.5/10 and dense park network (4+ named parks within 343m average) make this ideal if outdoor access and vegetation matter more than quietness.
Culture and food seekers
Flushing's established Chinatown and Korean cuisine corridor, paired with ART/Livability score of 5.8 (above the 4.8 borough median), signal stronger neighborhood character and dining variety than average Queens.
Pros & Cons
Strengths
Exceptional tree canopy and parks
Canopy density 9.5/10 with 63 trees average within 200m; 4 named playgrounds and green spaces within standard walking distance
Top-tier walkability and local services
Practical score of 9/10, nearly double the borough median of 5.3, driven by dense mid-rise/high-rise building mix (90%) and ground-floor retail
Major transit hub with single-line access
Flushing-Main Street 7 train terminus eliminates transfer friction for commuters heading downtown or across Queens
Low rodent complaints
Only 79 rodent complaints recorded, well below borough patterns, suggesting better municipal response or lower infestation risk
Trade-offs
Worsening crime trend
Crime increased 165.4% over 12 months; total 12-month crimes at 3,575 place this in the 63rd percentile for safety (higher activity = higher incidents)
Very high noise complaints
5,458 noise complaints recorded—reflective of dense commercial corridors, transit use, and foot traffic; expect street-level sound throughout the day
Weak commute score for outer-borough residents
Commute score of 3 (vs. borough median 5.5) indicates long travel times to major job centers outside Queens; the 7 train helps but doesn't fully close the gap
Below-average investment metrics
Investment score of 5 matches borough median but lags other neighborhoods; Financial score of 5 (below borough median of 6) suggests economic headwinds
Score Any Address in Flushing
Get detailed livability scores based on building health, transit access, safety, noise levels, and 15+ NYC data sources.
Search an Address in FlushingFrequently Asked Questions about Flushing
1Is Flushing safe?
By NYPD data, Flushing is rated "High Activity Area" — safer than 0% of Queens neighborhoods. 4,843 crime incidents and 3 shooting incidents over the past 12 months. See the safety page for the full breakdown.
2What is the average rent in Flushing?
Rents in Flushing, Queens vary significantly by building and apartment type. The median listing price is $0. Use DwellCheck to research specific addresses.
3How is transit access in Flushing?
Flushing has a commute score of 3/10. 1 subway stations serve the area: Flushing-Main St.
4What are the best streets in Flushing?
The best streets depend on your priorities. Use DwellCheck to compare specific addresses across livability, safety, transit, and environmental factors.
5What is Flushing known for?
Flushing sits in Queens and ranks #10 of 27 Queens neighborhoods on DwellCheck's livability score (6/10). It's served by 1 subway station (Flushing-Main St), with a median listing price of $0. Flushing scores 6.0 median—an above-average Queens neighborhood built for transit users and tree lovers, hampered by noise, rising crime, and long commutes to Manhattan job centers.
6What is it like to live in Flushing?
Living in Flushing, Queens 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). Flushing's composite is 6/10. Flushing scores 6.0 median—an above-average Queens neighborhood built for transit users and tree lovers, hampered by noise, rising crime, and long commutes to Manhattan job centers. For the block-by-block view, run any specific Flushing address through DwellCheck.
7Is Flushing expensive?
Median listing price in Flushing, Queens is $0 based on 458 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 Flushing can run 20-40% below the median; check DHCR rent history for any specific address to verify.
8Can you walk around Flushing at night?
Flushing is classified as "High Activity Area" by NYPD CompStat data. Over the past 12 months it recorded 3 shooting incidents and 4,843 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 Flushing dangerous?
By NYPD data, Flushing is rated "High Activity Area" — safer than 0% of Queens neighborhoods. 4,843 crime incidents over 12 months. Block-level risk varies; check the address-level safety score for any specific street or building.
10What parts of Flushing 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 Flushing a good place to live?
Flushing scores 6/10 for overall livability and ranks in the 0th percentile for safety in Queens. Flushing scores 6.0 median—an above-average Queens neighborhood built for transit users and tree lovers, hampered by noise, rising crime, and long commutes to Manhattan job centers. 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 Flushing?
The median composite score is 6.0 (interquartile range 5.6–6.4 out of 10). It's driven by exceptional Practical (9.0) and strong ART/Livability (5.8) scores, offset by weak Commute (3.0) and neutral Financial (5.0) ratings. This makes Flushing above-average for Queens overall (6.0 median) but with sharp trade-offs between walkability and travel time.
13Why is the Commute score so low when there's a major transit hub?
14Is Flushing safe?
Flushing ranks in the 63rd percentile for safety within Queens—higher activity than half the borough. Recorded 12-month crimes total 3,575 with a worsening trend (+165.4% year-over-year). This reflects high foot traffic and density rather than exceptionally dangerous conditions, but the crime direction is concerning and warrants recent crime maps and local checks.
15What's the building stock like?
Mid-rise (61%) and high-rise (29%) dominate; only 9% are walk-ups. This dense, vertical stock supports the exceptional Practical score of 9 but creates an urban canyon feel and contributes to the 5,458 noise complaints. You'll find 458 tracked buildings in the neighborhood.
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