Is Riverdale Safe? Bronx Livability, Crime & Rent
A safe neighborhood with few housing violations, held back by noise complaints and very limited transit—composite score 4.7.
Riverdale at a glance
- Borough
- Bronx
- Livability score
- 4.7/10
- Borough rank (NYC Open Data guides)
- #11 of 22
- Safety verdict
- Much Safer Than Average
- Crimes (12 mo)
- 1,491
- ZIP codes
- 10463 (55%), 10471 (46%)Share of residential units, NYC PLUTO 26v2
- Subway stations
- 0
- Data updated
- 2026-09-14
Is Riverdale Safe?
Riverdale, Bronx scores 4.7/10 for overall livability, ranking #11 of 22 Bronx neighborhoods scored from NYC Open Data. A safe neighborhood with few housing violations, held back by noise complaints and very limited transit—composite score 4.7.
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 Riverdale safety page. Safety varies by block — check a specific Riverdale 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
You'll find yourself in a neighborhood where 113 trees average within a 200-meter radius and tree density rates 2.1/10 (trees in NYC Parks' inventory, along streets and in maintained parks; private grounds are not counted). One-family houses sit on 62% of residential tax lots and two-family houses on 19%, while elevator apartment buildings (6% of lots) create an uneven skyline. No subway stations fall inside the neighborhood, and the commute score is 1/10. Parks include Wave Hill (about 393 meters from the neighborhood's center), Seton Park, Ewen Park, and Henry Hudson Park; the 3 nearest average 632 meters.
Livability & Restoration
Trees
113 trees
Expected in a 200m circle (NYC Parks tree inventory) | Density: 2.1/10 (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
18 parks
NYC Parks properties inside the neighborhood | largest: Henry Hudson Parkway | nearest to the center: Wave Hill, 393m | 3 nearest average 632m from the neighborhood's center
Acoustic Quality
5/10
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
No transit data available
Commute Score
1/10
Borough median: 5/10
Outdoor & Green Space
Avg Tree Count
113
Trees expected in a 200m circle
Tree Density
2.1/10
898 trees per km² in NYC Parks' tree inventory (street and park trees); city percentile, 1 = sparsest
Largest Parks In or Near the Neighborhood
- Henry Hudson Parkway
- Wave Hill
- Seton Park
- Henry Hudson Park
- Ewen Park
Nearest to the neighborhood's center: Wave Hill, about 393m. The 3 nearest NYC Parks properties average 632m from the center (approximate park centers, not entrances).
Practical Living
Practical (HPD violations): 8/10 (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 2,480 residential tax lots in the neighborhood by PLUTO building class (NYC Department of City Planning).
Who Riverdale Is For
Families seeking a safer Bronx neighborhood
Riverdale has the lowest crime rate per resident of the 22 Bronx neighborhoods we track; Wave Hill, Seton Park, and Ewen Park are among its largest parks, and the 3 nearest average 632 meters from the neighborhood's center
Pros & Cons
Strengths
Few housing violations
Practical score of 8 (borough median: 4) reflects a low rate of HPD housing violations per residential building
Multiple park options nearby
The 3 nearest parks average 632m from the neighborhood's center
Trade-offs
Moderate noise complaint volume
2,247 noise complaints recorded—a material livability factor indicating street-level activity and congestion stress
Weaker commute and transit redundancy
Commute score of 1 is far below the borough median of 5; no subway stations fall inside the neighborhood
Score Any Address in Riverdale
Get detailed livability scores based on building health, transit access, safety, noise levels, and 15+ NYC data sources.
Search an Address in RiverdaleFrequently Asked Questions about Riverdale
1Is Riverdale safe?
By NYPD data, Riverdale is rated "Much Safer Than Average", with the lowest crime rate per resident of the 22 Bronx neighborhoods we track. 1,491 crime incidents and 2 shooting incidents over the past 12 months. See the safety page for the full breakdown.
2What is the average rent in Riverdale?
Rents in Riverdale, 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 Riverdale?
Riverdale has a commute score of 1/10. It counts the subway stations inside the neighborhood and the lines they serve. Station-level mapping for this neighborhood isn't available yet.
4What are the best streets in Riverdale?
The best streets depend on your priorities. Use DwellCheck to compare specific addresses across livability, safety, transit, and environmental factors.
5What is Riverdale known for?
Riverdale sits in Bronx and ranks #11 of 22 Bronx neighborhoods scored from NYC Open Data on DwellCheck's livability score (4.7/10). It's served by 0 subway stations. A safe neighborhood with few housing violations, held back by noise complaints and very limited transit—composite score 4.7.
6What is it like to live in Riverdale?
DwellCheck scores Riverdale, 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). Riverdale's composite is 4.7/10. A safe neighborhood with few housing violations, held back by noise complaints and very limited transit—composite score 4.7. For the block-by-block view, run any specific Riverdale address through DwellCheck.
7Where is Riverdale?
Riverdale is in the Bronx, New York City. DwellCheck maps it to the Riverdale-Spuyten Duyvil Neighborhood Tabulation Area (BX0803), which falls in the Census tabulation area that approximates Bronx Community District 8 (Riverdale-Kingsbridge-Marble Hill). Its main ZIP codes are 10463 and 10471.
8What ZIP code is Riverdale in?
Riverdale spans ZIP codes 10463 (55% of residential units) and 10471 (46%). Shares are of the 22,579 residential units in the Riverdale-Spuyten Duyvil Neighborhood Tabulation Area (BX0803), from NYC PLUTO 26v2 tax-lot records.
9Can you walk around Riverdale at night?
Riverdale is classified as "Much Safer Than Average" by NYPD complaint data. Over the past 12 months it recorded 2 shooting incidents and 1,491 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 Riverdale dangerous?
By NYPD data, Riverdale is rated "Much Safer Than Average", with the lowest crime rate per resident of the 22 Bronx neighborhoods we track. 1,491 crime incidents over 12 months. Block-level risk varies; check the address-level safety score for any specific street or building.
11What parts of Riverdale 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 Riverdale a good place to live?
Riverdale scores 4.7/10 for overall livability and has the lowest crime rate per resident of the 22 Bronx neighborhoods we track. A safe neighborhood with few housing violations, held back by noise complaints and very limited transit—composite score 4.7. 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 Riverdale?
The composite score is 4.7, driven up by a strong practical score (8) and pulled down by ART/Livability (3.1), outdoor (4.9) and commute (1)
14How safe is Riverdale?
Riverdale is rated much safer than average, with the lowest crime rate per resident of the 22 Bronx neighborhoods we track; 1,491 crimes recorded in the past 12 months with a stable trend (-1.8%); noise complaints are moderate at 2,247
15What is transit access like?
No subway stations fall inside the neighborhood, and the commute score of 1 reflects very limited connectivity
16How green is this neighborhood?
Riverdale's tree density rates 2.1/10, with 113 trees within 200 meters. Outdoor score of 4.9 trails the borough median (6.7); the 3 nearest parks average 632 meters from the neighborhood's center
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