Is Tompkinsville Safe? Staten Island Livability, Crime & Rent
A tree-dense, transit-adjacent neighborhood with strong local livability but worsening crime trends and serious commute friction—composite score 6.7 reflects the tradeoff.
Tompkinsville at a glance
- Borough
- Staten Island
- Livability score
- 6.7/10
- Borough rank
- #2 of 15
- Safety verdict
- High Activity Area
- Crimes (12 mo)
- 2,603
- Median listing
- $0
- Subway stations
- 2 (Tompkinsville, Stapleton)
- Active listings
- 8
- Data updated
- 2026-04-05
Is Tompkinsville Safe?
Tompkinsville, Staten Island scores 6.7/10 for overall livability, ranking #2 of 15 Staten Island neighborhoods. A tree-dense, transit-adjacent neighborhood with strong local livability but worsening crime trends and serious commute friction—composite score 6.7 reflects the tradeoff.
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 Tompkinsville address below for a block-level breakdown.
Score Overview
Vertical line = borough median. Scale: 0-10.
Neighborhood Character
Tompkinsville sits at the northern edge of Staten Island's waterfront corridor, where tree-lined blocks and genuine neighborhood density coexist. You'll find an average of 85 trees within a 200-meter radius with a canopy density of 9.5/10—among the island's most shaded streets. The neighborhood clusters around two SIR stations (Tompkinsville and Stapleton), and five parks within a 5-minute walk, including Tompkinsville Park and the Stapleton Esplanade along the water. The building stock is predominantly walk-up brownstones and low-rise residential structures (63% walk-ups, 38% mid-rise), creating a human-scaled streetscape. Victory Boulevard serves as the commercial spine. What you're trading for this relative quiet and green coverage is noise—1,479 complaints in the past year—and a commute that requires planning.
Analysis based on 8 properties scored across 30+ data points
Livability & Restoration
Tree Canopy
85 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
Stapleton Esplanade
Avg 301m away | Score: 2.8/10
Living within 300m of green space associated with 30% fewer antidepressant prescriptions (Taylor et al., 2015)
Acoustic Quality
6/10
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).
Meaningfully more restorative than the Staten Island average — expect lower sensory load and better access to restorative zones than most of the borough.
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
5/10
Borough median: 2.5/10
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
85
Within 200m radius
Canopy Density
9.5/10
Normalized canopy coverage
Park Network
- Stapleton Esplanade
- Rev. Dr. Maggie Howard Playground
- Lyons Pool
- Tappen Park
- Tompkinsville Park
Avg distance: 301m
Practical Living
Building Types
Who Tompkinsville Is For
Car-free or transit-dependent residents
Two SIR stations provide your primary commute option, but the 5.0 commute score signals this isn't a quick trip to Manhattan. You need flexibility or a local job.
Outdoor enthusiasts on a budget
Exceptional tree canopy (9.5/10) and five nearby parks deliver a 6.8 ART/Livability score, the highest in the neighborhood category. You're getting green space without hype.
Practical, stability-focused households
The 9.0 Practical score—highest in the neighborhood—reflects reliable infrastructure, basic services, and a straightforward residential environment. You know what you're getting.
Pros & Cons
Strengths
Dense tree canopy and parks
85 average trees within 200m, 9.5/10 canopy density, five parks within walking distance (avg 301m)
Walkable, human-scaled streetscape
63% walk-up buildings and 38% mid-rise create consistent neighborhood character without high-rise sprawl
Established transit access
Two SIR stations (Tompkinsville and Stapleton) provide reliable, if limited, commute options
Strong practical amenities
9.0 Practical score—highest in the neighborhood—indicates solid access to schools, services, and essentials
Waterfront proximity
Ferry access and Stapleton Esplanade position you near water-based recreation
Trade-offs
High noise activity
1,479 noise complaints in the past 12 months; rated 'Very High' for the metric
Crime trend worsening
Total crimes up 202.9% over the tracked period; 1,975 total crimes in 12 months (percentile 18% in borough, meaning higher-crime relative to Staten Island)
Limited commute options
5.0 commute score reflects SIR-only access; significantly higher than borough median of 2.5, indicating longer, less convenient travel to job centers
Below-median financial metrics
5.0 Financial score vs. borough median of 6; no price data available, but relative position suggests economic constraints
Score Any Address in Tompkinsville
Get detailed livability scores based on building health, transit access, safety, noise levels, and 15+ NYC data sources.
Search an Address in TompkinsvilleFrequently Asked Questions about Tompkinsville
1Is Tompkinsville safe?
By NYPD data, Tompkinsville is rated "High Activity Area" — safer than 0% of Staten Island neighborhoods. 2,603 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 Tompkinsville?
Rents in Tompkinsville, Staten Island vary significantly by building and apartment type. The median listing price is $0. Use DwellCheck to research specific addresses.
3How is transit access in Tompkinsville?
Tompkinsville has a commute score of 5/10. 2 subway stations serve the area: Tompkinsville, Stapleton.
4What are the best streets in Tompkinsville?
The best streets depend on your priorities. Use DwellCheck to compare specific addresses across livability, safety, transit, and environmental factors.
5What is Tompkinsville known for?
Tompkinsville sits in Staten Island and ranks #2 of 15 Staten Island neighborhoods on DwellCheck's livability score (6.7/10). It's served by 2 subway stations (Tompkinsville, Stapleton), with a median listing price of $0. A tree-dense, transit-adjacent neighborhood with strong local livability but worsening crime trends and serious commute friction—composite score 6.7 reflects the tradeoff.
6What is it like to live in Tompkinsville?
Living in Tompkinsville, Staten Island 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). Tompkinsville's composite is 6.7/10. A tree-dense, transit-adjacent neighborhood with strong local livability but worsening crime trends and serious commute friction—composite score 6.7 reflects the tradeoff. For the block-by-block view, run any specific Tompkinsville address through DwellCheck.
7Is Tompkinsville expensive?
Median listing price in Tompkinsville, Staten Island is $0 based on 8 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 Tompkinsville can run 20-40% below the median; check DHCR rent history for any specific address to verify.
8Can you walk around Tompkinsville at night?
Tompkinsville is classified as "High Activity Area" by NYPD CompStat data. Over the past 12 months it recorded 1 shooting incident and 2,603 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 Tompkinsville dangerous?
By NYPD data, Tompkinsville is rated "High Activity Area" — safer than 0% of Staten Island neighborhoods. 2,603 crime incidents over 12 months. Block-level risk varies; check the address-level safety score for any specific street or building.
10What parts of Tompkinsville 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 Tompkinsville a good place to live?
Tompkinsville scores 6.7/10 for overall livability and ranks in the 0th percentile for safety in Staten Island. A tree-dense, transit-adjacent neighborhood with strong local livability but worsening crime trends and serious commute friction—composite score 6.7 reflects the tradeoff. 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 Tompkinsville?
The median composite score is 6.7 (interquartile range 6.3–7.1). This is driven by excellent Practical amenities (9.0) and strong livability/outdoor access (6.8 ART/Livability), offset by weaker commute (5.0), financial (5.0), and investment (5.0) scores.
13Is Tompkinsville safe?
No. The neighborhood ranks in the 18th percentile for safety within Staten Island, with 1,975 crimes recorded in the past 12 months. The trend is worsening: crimes increased 202.9% over the tracked period. Noise complaints are also very high at 1,479.
14What's the commute like?
The commute score is 5.0—significantly above the Staten Island median of 2.5—because transit options are limited to the SIR line at two nearby stations. Expect longer travel times to Manhattan and limited schedule flexibility.
15Are there parks and trees?
Yes. You'll find five parks within an average 301 meters (Tompkinsville Park, Stapleton Esplanade, Rev. Dr. Maggie Howard Playground, Lyons Pool, and Tappen Park), plus 85 trees within 200m with a canopy density of 9.5/10—among the best tree coverage in the borough.
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