Is DUMBO Safe? Brooklyn Livability, Crime & Rent
DUMBO scores a median 4.9/10—a commutable, stable residential enclave built for remote workers and investors, hampered by isolation from neighborhood amenities and limited green space.
DUMBO at a glance
- Borough
- Brooklyn
- Livability score
- 4.9/10
- Borough rank (listing-scored guides)
- #11 of 11
- Median listing
- $1.4M
- Subway stations
- 2 (High St, York St)
- Active listings
- 40
- Data updated
- 2026-04-04
Is DUMBO Safe?
DUMBO, Brooklyn scores 4.9/10 for overall livability, ranking #11 of 11 Brooklyn neighborhoods scored from for-sale listings. DUMBO scores a median 4.9/10—a commutable, stable residential enclave built for remote workers and investors, hampered by isolation from neighborhood amenities and limited green space.
The livability score is the median DwellScore of 40 for-sale listings scored as of 2026-04-04. It does not include crime; NYPD complaint and shooting figures are on the DUMBO safety page. Safety varies by block — check a specific DUMBO address below for a block-level breakdown.
Score Overview
Vertical line = borough median. Scale: 0-10.
Practical measures unit features of the listings: in-unit laundry, bedrooms, bathrooms and building age. Scores and borough medians come from for-sale listings, so they are not comparable with the NYC Open Data guides.
Neighborhood Character
You'll find yourself in a neighborhood that trades density for isolation. DUMBO's converted warehouses and cobblestone streets feel deliberately separated from Brooklyn—ringed by water on two sides, anchored by the A/C and F trains, with 95 trees per 200 meters creating pockets of greenery that feel curated rather than abundant. The nearest major park, Fort Greene, sits 1.8 kilometers away, which means you're relying on Brooklyn Bridge Park for outdoor access. Walking here, you move between industrial loft conversions and new development, with the Manhattan skyline as a constant visual reference. It's a neighborhood that prioritizes views and architecture over street-level amenities.
Analysis based on 40 properties scored across 30+ data points
Livability & Restoration
Tree Canopy
95 trees
Avg within 200m of listings | Density: 1/10
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
Fort Greene Park
Avg 1763m from listings to the nearest major park | Park proximity score (listing average): 3.3/10
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 is the median of DwellScore’s ART scores across 40 for-sale listings in the neighborhood. An address report has no ART score. It runs the Wellness checks below, and their points go into the address’s overall score.
Higher sensory load than the Brooklyn median — density of nightlife, traffic, or tourism typically drives this down.
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
8/10
Borough median: 8/10
Financial Landscape
Median Price
$1.4M
Price per Sq Ft
$1503
Price Distribution
Scored Listings by Building Type
Investment Indicators
Avg Days on Market
77
Market velocity signal
Multi-Family Stock
0%
2-4 family buildings
Outdoor & Green Space
Avg Tree Count
95
Within 200m of listings
Canopy Density
1/10
Average canopy-density score of the scored listings
Nearest Major Parks
- Fort Greene Park
Listings average 1763m to their nearest major park.
Outdoor Space Types
Practical Living
Practical (unit features): 6.7/10 (Brooklyn median 6.4). It measures unit features of the listings: in-unit laundry, bedrooms, bathrooms and building age.
Scored Listings by Building Type
Share of the 40 scored for-sale listings, not of all buildings.
Bedroom Distribution
Laundry Availability
Who DUMBO Is For
Remote workers and finance professionals
Commute score of 8/10 and median price of $1.42M attract established earners; condos make up 100% of scored listings, which suits those avoiding landlord relationships.
Design-focused buyers
Practical score of 6.7/10 (above borough median) reflects stronger unit features (laundry, bedrooms, bathrooms, building age), while warehouse-loft typology appeals to aesthetic priorities.
Investors seeking stability
Investment score of 5.8/10 matches borough median; low unused FAR (0 sqft) signals built-out market with limited redevelopment upside.
Pros & Cons
Strengths
Excellent commute access
Commute score of 8/10 via High St (A/C) and York St (F) lines; equal to the borough median.
Strong financial metrics
Financial score of 5.6/10 nearly matches borough median; median price $1.42M, price/sqft $1,503.
Built-out market signals stability
Zero average unused FAR indicates limited new supply; all scored listings are condos (100%).
Trade-offs
Weak livability and cultural amenities
ART/Livability score of 3.7/10 versus 5.0 borough median; neighborhood underperforms on arts, culture, and neighborhood character.
Minimal green space
Outdoor score of 2.5/10 (borough median 4.6); canopy density is only 1/10, and nearest major park is 1.8km away.
Slow sales velocity
Average 77 days on market suggests softer demand relative to other Brooklyn hotspots; no YoY appreciation data available.
Score Any Address in DUMBO
Get detailed livability scores based on building health, transit access, safety, noise levels, and 15+ NYC data sources.
Search an Address in DUMBOFrequently Asked Questions about DUMBO
1Is DUMBO safe?
DUMBO safety varies by block. DwellCheck provides detailed safety data including NYPD crime statistics, arrest data, and 311 complaints. Check the DUMBO safety page for full details.
2What is the average rent in DUMBO?
Rents in DUMBO, Brooklyn vary significantly by building and apartment type. The median listing price is $1.4M. Use DwellCheck to research specific addresses.
3How is transit access in DUMBO?
DUMBO has a commute score of 8/10. 2 subway stations serve the area: High St, York St.
4What are the best streets in DUMBO?
The best streets depend on your priorities. Use DwellCheck to compare specific addresses across livability, safety, transit, and environmental factors.
5What is DUMBO known for?
DUMBO sits in Brooklyn and ranks #11 of 11 Brooklyn neighborhoods scored from for-sale listings on DwellCheck's livability score (4.9/10). It's served by 2 subway stations (High St, York St), with a median listing price of $1.4M. DUMBO scores a median 4.9/10—a commutable, stable residential enclave built for remote workers and investors, hampered by isolation from neighborhood amenities and limited green space.
6What is it like to live in DUMBO?
DUMBO's scores are medians across 40 for-sale listings scored by DwellScore on six dimensions: practical (unit features of the listings: in-unit laundry, bedrooms, bathrooms and building age), commute, ART/livability, outdoor, financial and investment. Its composite is 4.9/10. DUMBO scores a median 4.9/10—a commutable, stable residential enclave built for remote workers and investors, hampered by isolation from neighborhood amenities and limited green space. For the block-by-block view, run any specific DUMBO address through DwellCheck.
7Is DUMBO expensive?
Median listing price in DUMBO, Brooklyn is $1.4M based on 40 active listings as of 2026-04-04. Whether that reads "expensive" depends on the comparison and varies considerably by building. That median is a sale price, not a rent. For rents, the city's 2023 Housing and Vacancy Survey put the citywide median at $1,500 a month for rent-stabilized apartments and $2,000 for market-rate rentals (NYC HPD, 2023 NYCHVS Selected Initial Findings, Table 6); it publishes no neighborhood breakdown, so check DHCR rent history for any specific address.
8What is the average DwellScore in DUMBO?
Median composite score is 4.9/10 (interquartile range 4.2–5.4). Commute and Practical scores anchor the neighborhood (8.0 and 6.7 respectively), while ART/Livability (3.7) and Outdoor (2.5) pull it down significantly below borough medians.
9Why is the Outdoor score so low?
Outdoor score of 2.5/10 reflects sparse tree coverage (95 trees per 200m with only 1/10 canopy density) and distance to the nearest major park—Fort Greene Park is 1.8km away. Access to Brooklyn Bridge Park mitigates this partially but doesn't offset the deficit.
10Is DUMBO a good investment?
Investment score of 5.8/10 matches borough median, indicating stable but not exceptional fundamentals. The 0 sqft average unused FAR signals the market is built out with little redevelopment potential. Median price is $1.42M at $1,503/sqft; however, 77-day market time and unavailable YoY appreciation data suggest softer momentum than other Brooklyn neighborhoods.
11What's the transit situation?
You'll find the High St (A/C) and York St (F) stations, producing an 8/10 commute score—tied with borough median. Both lines offer reliable downtown and Manhattan access, though frequency can vary by time of day.
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.