Is Tottenville Safe? Staten Island Livability, Crime & Rent
Tottenville scores a median 6.1 composite—a middle-ground neighborhood offering practical access and exceptional greenery offset by noise, rising crime, and limited outdoor recreation beyond parks.
Tottenville at a glance
- Borough
- Staten Island
- Livability score
- 6.1/10
- Borough rank
- #5 of 15
- Safety verdict
- Safer Than Average
- Crimes (12 mo)
- 891
- Median listing
- $0
- Subway stations
- 3 (Richmond Valley, Arthur Kill, Tottenville)
- Active listings
- 5
- Data updated
- 2026-04-05
Is Tottenville Safe?
Tottenville, Staten Island scores 6.1/10 for overall livability, ranking #5 of 15 Staten Island neighborhoods. Tottenville scores a median 6.1 composite—a middle-ground neighborhood offering practical access and exceptional greenery offset by noise, rising crime, and limited outdoor recreation beyond parks.
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 Tottenville address below for a block-level breakdown.
Score Overview
Vertical line = borough median. Scale: 0-10.
Neighborhood Character
You'll find Tottenville at Staten Island's southern edge—a neighborhood defined by dense tree canopy (averaging 40 trees within 200 meters, with a canopy density of 9.5/10) and waterfront access that gives it a distinctly suburban feel. The area clusters around three Staten Island Railway stations (Richmond Valley, Arthur Kill, and Tottenville), anchoring commuter corridors, while parks like Conference House Park and Long Pond Park sit within roughly 1.4 kilometers of most addresses. Walk-ups dominate the building stock—100% of tracked structures—meaning you're looking at older, smaller-scale residential construction. Street life is quieter than central Staten Island, but noise complaints remain very high at 1,270 over 12 months, suggesting either transit proximity or persistent localized issues.
Analysis based on 5 properties scored across 30+ data points
Livability & Restoration
Tree Canopy
40 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
Long Pond Park
Avg 1398m away | Score: 1/10
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
40
Within 200m radius
Canopy Density
9.5/10
Normalized canopy coverage
Park Network
- Long Pond Park
- Fairview Park
- Hybrid Oak Woods Park
- Tottenville Pool
- Aesop Park
Avg distance: 1398m
Practical Living
Building Types
Who Tottenville Is For
Commuters prioritizing practical access
Practical score of 9 (versus borough median of 5.5) reflects reliable transit infrastructure and walkable essentials, despite a commute score of 5—you get direct SIR service but longer travel times to Manhattan
Nature-focused residents on a budget
ART/Livability score of 6.8 (above borough median of 5) and exceptional tree coverage make this appealing for those valuing outdoor amenities and greenery without premium pricing
Those seeking low rodent pressure
Only 15 rodent complaints on record—markedly low for the borough—indicating better pest management or less dense waste infrastructure
Pros & Cons
Strengths
Excellent tree coverage and canopy density
Average of 40 trees within 200m radius with 9.5/10 canopy density—among the highest in Staten Island
Strong practical livability score
Practical score of 9 reflects reliable access to essential services and predictable neighborhood infrastructure
Direct Staten Island Railway access
Three SIR stations (Tottenville, Arthur Kill, Richmond Valley) serve the area for consistent, if lengthy, commutes
Low rodent complaints
Only 15 rodent complaints in 12 months—well below typical borough rates
Waterfront and park proximity
Conference House Park and multiple neighborhood parks within 1.4km average distance; beach access available
Trade-offs
Very high noise complaints
1,270 noise complaints over 12 months indicate persistent sound issues, possibly transit-related
Worsening crime trend
Crime increased 183.5% over recent periods; safety percentile of 72% is average for the borough but trajectory is negative
Long commute times
Commute score of 5 reflects geographic distance from Manhattan job centers despite rail access
Limited outdoor recreation score
Outdoor score of 2 versus borough median of 6 suggests fewer recreational amenities relative to other neighborhoods
100% walk-up building stock
Older, smaller-scale residential construction with no elevator buildings in tracked data—may limit accessibility and modern amenities
Score Any Address in Tottenville
Get detailed livability scores based on building health, transit access, safety, noise levels, and 15+ NYC data sources.
Search an Address in TottenvilleFrequently Asked Questions about Tottenville
1Is Tottenville safe?
By NYPD data, Tottenville is rated "Safer Than Average" — safer than 63% of Staten Island neighborhoods. 891 crime incidents and 0 shooting incidents over the past 12 months. See the safety page for the full breakdown.
2What is the average rent in Tottenville?
Rents in Tottenville, 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 Tottenville?
Tottenville has a commute score of 5/10. 3 subway stations serve the area: Richmond Valley, Arthur Kill, Tottenville.
4What are the best streets in Tottenville?
The best streets depend on your priorities. Use DwellCheck to compare specific addresses across livability, safety, transit, and environmental factors.
5What is Tottenville known for?
Tottenville sits in Staten Island and ranks #5 of 15 Staten Island neighborhoods on DwellCheck's livability score (6.1/10). It's served by 3 subway stations (Richmond Valley, Arthur Kill, Tottenville), with a median listing price of $0. Tottenville scores a median 6.1 composite—a middle-ground neighborhood offering practical access and exceptional greenery offset by noise, rising crime, and limited outdoor recreation beyond parks.
6What is it like to live in Tottenville?
Living in Tottenville, 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). Tottenville's composite is 6.1/10. Tottenville scores a median 6.1 composite—a middle-ground neighborhood offering practical access and exceptional greenery offset by noise, rising crime, and limited outdoor recreation beyond parks. For the block-by-block view, run any specific Tottenville address through DwellCheck.
7Is Tottenville expensive?
Median listing price in Tottenville, Staten Island is $0 based on 5 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 Tottenville can run 20-40% below the median; check DHCR rent history for any specific address to verify.
8Can you walk around Tottenville at night?
Tottenville is classified as "Safer Than Average" by NYPD CompStat data. Over the past 12 months it recorded 0 shooting incidents and 891 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 Tottenville dangerous?
By NYPD data, Tottenville is rated "Safer Than Average" — safer than 63% of Staten Island neighborhoods. 891 crime incidents over 12 months. Block-level risk varies; check the address-level safety score for any specific street or building.
10What parts of Tottenville 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 Tottenville a good place to live?
Tottenville scores 6.1/10 for overall livability and ranks in the 63th percentile for safety in Staten Island. Tottenville scores a median 6.1 composite—a middle-ground neighborhood offering practical access and exceptional greenery offset by noise, rising crime, and limited outdoor recreation beyond parks. 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 Tottenville?
The median composite score is 6.1 (interquartile range: 5.7–6.5). This reflects strong practical livability (9) and ART/culture (6.8) but weaker outdoor recreation (2) and commute efficiency (5). Financial and investment scores are neutral (5.0) due to insufficient price data.
13How safe is Tottenville?
Safety ranks at the 72nd percentile within Staten Island—average for the borough. However, total crimes were 672 over 12 months with a sharp upward trend (+183.5%), suggesting deteriorating conditions. Noise complaints are very high at 1,270.
14What transit options are available?
You'll have access to three Staten Island Railway stations: Tottenville, Arthur Kill, and Richmond Valley. The SIR provides consistent service but commute times to Manhattan are lengthy, reflected in a commute score of 5 (borough median: 2.5).
15What is the tree and park situation?
Tottenville has exceptional tree density—an average of 40 trees within 200 meters and canopy coverage of 9.5/10. Parks including Long Pond Park, Fairview Park, and Conference House Park are roughly 1.4km away on average. Outdoor amenity score (2) is low, however, suggesting limited recreation infrastructure beyond parks.
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