Is Fordham Safe? Bronx Livability, Crime & Rent
Fordham is a transit-connected neighborhood with genuine green space (composite 4.1), but high crime and noise make it a pragmatic rather than appealing choice.
Fordham at a glance
- Borough
- Bronx
- Livability score
- 4.1/10
- Borough rank (NYC Open Data guides)
- #15 of 22
- Safety verdict
- Much Higher Than Average
- Crimes (12 mo)
- 3,655
- ZIP codes
- 10458 (39%), 10468 (28%), 10453 (26%), 10457 (7%)Share of residential units, NYC PLUTO 26v2
- Subway stations
- 3 (Fordham Rd, 182-183 Sts, 183 St)
- Data updated
- 2026-09-14
Is Fordham Safe?
Fordham, Bronx scores 4.1/10 for overall livability, ranking #15 of 22 Bronx neighborhoods scored from NYC Open Data. Fordham is a transit-connected neighborhood with genuine green space (composite 4.1), but high crime and noise make it a pragmatic rather than appealing choice.
The livability score draws on HPD housing violations, subway access, NYC Parks' tree inventory and parks, and 311 noise complaints per resident from NYC Open Data, refreshed periodically rather than live. It does not include crime; NYPD complaint and shooting figures are on the Fordham safety page. Safety varies by block — check a specific Fordham address below for a block-level breakdown.
Score Overview
Vertical line = borough median. Scale: 0-10.
Practical measures HPD housing violations per residential lot over the last 12 months (higher = fewer violations). Borough medians are computed across DwellCheck's Bronx neighborhood guides.
Neighborhood Character
Fordham sits in the central Bronx with dense apartment stock: of its 504 residential tax lots, 47% are walk-up apartment buildings and 19% elevator apartment buildings. You'll find yourself surrounded by trees: an average of 255 within a 200-meter radius and tree density of 9.3/10, which softens the streetscape considerably. Parks are accessible: Slattery Playground is about 122 meters from the neighborhood's center, and the 3 nearest parks average 325 meters. Three subway lines (the 4 at Fordham Rd and 183 St; the B and D at Fordham Rd and 182-183 Sts) run through, making transit practical. But you should know: the neighborhood registers 5,806 noise complaints and 3,655 crimes over 12 months, with crime trending upward at +6.7%.
Livability & Restoration
Trees
255 trees
Expected in a 200m circle (NYC Parks tree inventory) | Density: 9.3/10 (city percentile)
In Toronto, 10 more trees on a city block went with a rise in self-rated health comparable to being 7 years younger (Kardan et al., 2015, Scientific Reports). In a cross-sectional study of London boroughs, each additional street tree per km of street went with 1.18 fewer antidepressant prescriptions per 1,000 residents (Taylor et al., 2015, Landscape and Urban Planning).
Park Access
2 parks
NYC Parks properties inside the neighborhood | largest: Slattery Playground | nearest to the center: Slattery Playground, 122m | 3 nearest average 325m from the neighborhood's center
Acoustic Quality
1/10
Noise proxy score (higher = quieter)
Environmental noise exposure increases the occurrence of hypertension and cardiovascular disease; WHO's night-noise guidelines call average outdoor night noise above 55 dB increasingly dangerous for public health (Basner et al., 2014, The Lancet).
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.
DwellCheck uses the idea in two separate places, and they measure different things. The neighborhood ART score below comes from neighborhood-wide data: up to 5 points from tree density (a city percentile) and up to 5 from how few 311 noise complaints there are per resident. An address report has no ART score. It runs the Wellness checks below, and their points go into the address’s overall score.
Within a point of the Bronx median.
What an address report checks instead (Wellness)
- ±Sensory environment. A calm score minus a busy score, each starting at 50. Busy: a firehouse within 100m (+15) or 200m (+8), and 311 noise complaints within 200m over 6 months (15+ adds 5, 40+ adds 12, 80+ adds 20, and 3 more at 20+ complaints that include vehicle or street noise). Calm: a library (+15), community garden (+12) or public plaza or atrium (POPS; +15 indoor, +8 outdoor) within 200m, and a park within 300m (+10; +15 at 1+ acre; +20 at 5+ acres). A difference of +20 or more adds 8 points; −10 to −29 costs 2; −30 or less costs 4. Bars, museums, tourists and foot traffic are not counted.
- +Third places (Oldenburg, 1989). Public libraries, public plazas and atriums (POPS) and community gardens within 400m: 1–2 add 5 points, 3 or more add 10. Cafés and community centers are not counted. In a meta-analysis of longitudinal studies, loneliness or social isolation went with a 29% higher risk of incident coronary heart disease (Valtorta et al., 2016, Heart).
- 0Street vitality (Jacobs, 1961). Permitted block parties, farmers markets and similar community events in the borough over the past 12 months. The event data has no coordinates, so this is a borough-wide count shown for context. It doesn’t change the score.
Health mechanism. The theory holds that natural settings let directed attention recover. The evidence is mixed: a systematic review of 31 studies (Ohly et al., 2016, Journal of Toxicology and Environmental Health, Part B) found that time in natural environments improved 3 of 13 pooled attention measures (Digit Span Forward, Digit Span Backward and Trail Making Test B) and showed no marked benefit on the other 10.
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
6/10
Borough median: 5/10
Outdoor & Green Space
Avg Tree Count
255
Trees expected in a 200m circle
Tree Density
9.3/10
2,032 trees per km² in NYC Parks' tree inventory (street and park trees); city percentile, 1 = sparsest
Largest Parks In or Near the Neighborhood
- Slattery Playground
- Jardin De Las Rosas
Nearest to the neighborhood's center: Slattery Playground, about 122m. The 3 nearest NYC Parks properties average 325m from the center (approximate park centers, not entrances).
Practical Living
Practical (HPD violations): 1/10 (Bronx median 4). It measures HPD housing violations per residential lot over the last 12 months (higher = fewer violations).
Building Mix (Residential Tax Lots)
Share of the 504 residential tax lots in the neighborhood by PLUTO building class (NYC Department of City Planning).
Who Fordham Is For
Transit-dependent commuters
Commute score of 6 is above the borough median of 5, and you have direct access to three subway stations within walking distance and proximity to Fordham University and Metro-North connections.
Green-space seekers on a budget
Outdoor score of 7.2 beats the borough median of 6.7, driven by high tree density (9.3/10 tree density) and the 3 nearest parks averaging 325 meters from the neighborhood's center.
Safety-conscious renters
Safety is a significant concern: the neighborhood has a lower crime rate per resident than 14% of Bronx neighborhoods, with a worsening trend. Practical score of 1 reflects a high rate of HPD housing violations per residential building.
Pros & Cons
Strengths
High tree density and park proximity
255 trees average within 200m, 9.3/10 tree density, the 3 nearest parks average 325m from the neighborhood's center
Reliable transit access
Three subway stations (4, B, D lines) within neighborhood; additional Metro-North connections nearby
Trade-offs
High crime activity with worsening trend
3,655 crimes in 12 months; lower crime rate per resident than 14% of Bronx neighborhoods; crime up 6.7% year-over-year
Severe noise complaints
5,806 noise complaints filed (Very High category)
Score Any Address in Fordham
Get detailed livability scores based on building health, transit access, safety, noise levels, and 15+ NYC data sources.
Search an Address in FordhamFrequently Asked Questions about Fordham
1Is Fordham safe?
By NYPD data, Fordham is rated "Much Higher Than Average", with a lower crime rate per resident than 14% of Bronx neighborhoods. 3,655 crime incidents and 5 shooting incidents over the past 12 months. See the safety page for the full breakdown.
2What is the average rent in Fordham?
Rents in Fordham, Bronx vary significantly by building and apartment type. Market pricing isn't aggregated for this neighborhood yet; use DwellCheck to research specific addresses for HPD registration, HPD violations, and other building-level records. DwellCheck doesn't show rent-stabilization status; request the apartment's rent history from DHCR for that.
3How is transit access in Fordham?
Fordham has a commute score of 6/10. 3 subway stations serve the area: Fordham Rd, 182-183 Sts, 183 St.
4What are the best streets in Fordham?
The best streets depend on your priorities. Use DwellCheck to compare specific addresses across livability, safety, transit, and environmental factors.
5What is Fordham known for?
Fordham sits in Bronx and ranks #15 of 22 Bronx neighborhoods scored from NYC Open Data on DwellCheck's livability score (4.1/10). It's served by 3 subway stations (Fordham Rd, 182-183 Sts, 183 St). Fordham is a transit-connected neighborhood with genuine green space (composite 4.1), but high crime and noise make it a pragmatic rather than appealing choice.
6What is it like to live in Fordham?
DwellCheck scores Fordham, Bronx from NYC Open Data on practical (HPD housing violations per residential lot over the last 12 months (higher = fewer violations)), commute (subway stations and lines in the neighborhood), ART (tree density and 311 noise complaints per resident), outdoor (trees and park proximity). Fordham's composite is 4.1/10. Fordham is a transit-connected neighborhood with genuine green space (composite 4.1), but high crime and noise make it a pragmatic rather than appealing choice. For the block-by-block view, run any specific Fordham address through DwellCheck.
7Where is Fordham?
Fordham is in the Bronx, New York City. DwellCheck maps it to the Fordham Heights Neighborhood Tabulation Area (BX0503), which falls in the Census tabulation area that approximates Bronx Community District 5 (Morris Heights-Mount Hope). Its main ZIP codes are 10458, 10468, 10453 and 10457. Subway stations in the neighborhood include Fordham Rd, 182-183 Sts and 183 St.
8What ZIP code is Fordham in?
Fordham spans ZIP codes 10458 (39% of residential units), 10468 (28%), 10453 (26%) and 10457 (7%). Shares are of the 11,432 residential units in the Fordham Heights Neighborhood Tabulation Area (BX0503), from NYC PLUTO 26v2 tax-lot records.
9Can you walk around Fordham at night?
Fordham is classified as "Much Higher Than Average" by NYPD complaint data. Over the past 12 months it recorded 5 shooting incidents and 3,655 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.
10Is Fordham dangerous?
By NYPD data, Fordham is rated "Much Higher Than Average", with a lower crime rate per resident than 14% of Bronx neighborhoods. 3,655 crime incidents over 12 months. Block-level risk varies; check the address-level safety score for any specific street or building.
11What parts of Fordham should I avoid?
NYPD complaint records carry approximate incident coordinates, but a neighborhood total can't tell you which blocks drive it, so we don't publish an "avoid this street" list. For a specific block, use DwellCheck's address-level safety score, which counts NYPD crime complaints within a 300m radius of the building over the latest 12 months of published data and compares that count with the borough average.
12Is Fordham a good place to live?
Fordham scores 4.1/10 for overall livability and has a lower crime rate per resident than 14% of Bronx neighborhoods. Fordham is a transit-connected neighborhood with genuine green space (composite 4.1), but high crime and noise make it a pragmatic rather than appealing choice. 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).
13What is the average DwellScore in Fordham?
The composite score is 4.1. The Practical score of 1 is the neighborhood's weakest indicator.
14How safe is Fordham?
Fordham has a lower crime rate per resident than 14% of Bronx neighborhoods, with 3,655 crimes recorded over 12 months and a worsening trend (+6.7% year-over-year). This is a significant consideration for residents.
15What transit options are available?
You have direct access to three subway stations: Fordham Rd (4, B, D lines), 182-183 Sts (B, D lines), and 183 St (4 line). Metro-North connections are also accessible nearby.
16How green is the neighborhood?
Fordham has strong tree coverage: an average of 255 trees within 200 meters and a tree density of 9.3/10. The largest parks are Slattery Playground and Jardin De Las Rosas, and the 3 nearest parks average 325 meters from the neighborhood's center, supporting an Outdoor score of 7.2 (above the borough median of 6.7).
Related Guides
NYC Building Complaints Lookup
Check any building's HPD, DOB, and 311 complaint history before signing.
30 NYC Apartment Red Flags
What to watch for at the viewing, in the listing, and on the landlord.
How to Check Your NYC Landlord
A 5-step free lookup: ACRIS ownership, HPD violations, DOB complaints, lawsuits.
Is My Apartment Rent-Stabilized?
Request a free DHCR rent history and verify stabilization status in 24-72 hours.