Is Astoria Safe? Queens Livability, Crime & Rent
Astoria scores 6.2/10 composite—a neighborhood with strong transit and few housing violations, hampered by moderate noise.
Astoria at a glance
- Borough
- Queens
- Livability score
- 6.2/10
- Borough rank (NYC Open Data guides)
- #8 of 27
- Safety verdict
- Average
- Crimes (12 mo)
- 5,032
- ZIP codes
- 11102 (33%), 11105 (28%), 11106 (24%), 11103 (10%)Share of residential units, NYC PLUTO 26v2
- Subway stations
- 4 (Astoria-Ditmars Blvd, Astoria Blvd, 30 Av)
- Data updated
- 2026-09-14
Is Astoria Safe?
Astoria, Queens scores 6.2/10 for overall livability, ranking #8 of 27 Queens neighborhoods scored from NYC Open Data. Astoria scores 6.2/10 composite—a neighborhood with strong transit and few housing violations, hampered by moderate noise.
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 Astoria safety page. Safety varies by block — check a specific Astoria 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 Queens neighborhood guides.
Neighborhood Character
Astoria is a densely built neighborhood with an average of 137 trees within a 200-meter radius (3.1/10 tree density). Two-family houses (38% of residential tax lots) and walk-up apartment buildings (37%) dominate, creating a layered streetscape that feels neither purely residential nor overly developed. You'll find Greek restaurants anchoring corners, diverse cuisines filling storefronts, and access to Astoria Park just blocks away. The N and W trains at Astoria-Ditmars Blvd, Astoria Blvd, 30 Av and Broadway connect you directly to Manhattan.
Livability & Restoration
Trees
137 trees
Expected in a 200m circle (NYC Parks tree inventory) | Density: 3.1/10 (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
20 parks
NYC Parks properties inside the neighborhood | largest: Ralph Demarco Park | nearest to the center: Hoyt Playground, 361m | 3 nearest average 443m from the neighborhood's center
Acoustic Quality
3/10
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.
More than a point below the Queens median: sparser trees, more noise complaints per resident, or both.
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
7/10
Borough median: 3.5/10
Outdoor & Green Space
Avg Tree Count
137
Trees expected in a 200m circle
Tree Density
3.1/10
1,091 trees per km² in NYC Parks' tree inventory (street and park trees); city percentile, 1 = sparsest
Largest Parks In or Near the Neighborhood
- Ralph Demarco Park
- Whitey Ford Field
- Hoyt Playground
- Paul Raimonda Playground
- Triborough Bridge Playground B
Nearest to the neighborhood's center: Hoyt Playground, about 361m. The 3 nearest NYC Parks properties average 443m from the center (approximate park centers, not entrances).
Practical Living
Practical (HPD violations): 8/10 (Queens median 8). It measures HPD housing violations per residential lot over the last 12 months (higher = fewer violations).
Building Mix (Residential Tax Lots)
Share of the 11,696 residential tax lots in the neighborhood by PLUTO building class (NYC Department of City Planning).
Who Astoria Is For
Manhattan commuters
Commute score of 7/10 (borough median 3.5) with the N and W at four stations in the neighborhood
Arts and culture seekers
Greek restaurants and diverse cuisines shape neighborhood character, though the ART/Livability score is 2.6 (borough median 4.1)
Pros & Cons
Strengths
Few housing violations
Practical score of 8/10 (borough median 8.0) reflects a low rate of HPD housing violations per residential building
Multiple parks within walking distance
The 3 nearest parks average 443m from the neighborhood's center; parks include Ralph Demarco Park and Whitey Ford Field
Established dining and cultural scene
Greek cuisine heritage and documented diverse dining options create neighborhood identity and foot traffic
Trade-offs
Moderate noise complaint volume
9,217 noise complaints recorded (Moderate category), indicating ongoing street-level sound issues
Score Any Address in Astoria
Get detailed livability scores based on building health, transit access, safety, noise levels, and 15+ NYC data sources.
Search an Address in AstoriaFrequently Asked Questions about Astoria
1Is Astoria safe?
By NYPD data, Astoria is rated "Average", with a lower crime rate per resident than 54% of Queens neighborhoods. 5,032 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 Astoria?
Rents in Astoria, Queens 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 Astoria?
Astoria has a commute score of 7/10. 4 subway stations serve the area: Astoria-Ditmars Blvd, Astoria Blvd, 30 Av.
4What are the best streets in Astoria?
The best streets depend on your priorities. Use DwellCheck to compare specific addresses across livability, safety, transit, and environmental factors.
5What is Astoria known for?
Astoria sits in Queens and ranks #8 of 27 Queens neighborhoods scored from NYC Open Data on DwellCheck's livability score (6.2/10). It's served by 4 subway stations (Astoria-Ditmars Blvd, Astoria Blvd, 30 Av). Astoria scores 6.2/10 composite—a neighborhood with strong transit and few housing violations, hampered by moderate noise.
6What is it like to live in Astoria?
DwellCheck scores Astoria, Queens 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). Astoria's composite is 6.2/10. Astoria scores 6.2/10 composite—a neighborhood with strong transit and few housing violations, hampered by moderate noise. For the block-by-block view, run any specific Astoria address through DwellCheck.
7Where is Astoria?
Astoria is in Queens, New York City. DwellCheck maps it to the Astoria (North)-Ditmars-Steinway, Old Astoria-Hallets Point and Astoria (Central) Neighborhood Tabulation Areas (QN0101, QN0102, QN0103), which fall in the Census tabulation area that matches Queens Community District 1 (Astoria-Queensbridge). Its main ZIP codes are 11102, 11105, 11106 and 11103. Subway stations in the neighborhood include Astoria-Ditmars Blvd, Astoria Blvd and 30 Av.
8What ZIP code is Astoria in?
Astoria spans ZIP codes 11102 (33% of residential units), 11105 (28%), 11106 (24%) and 11103 (10%). Shares are of the 60,136 residential units in the Astoria (North)-Ditmars-Steinway, Old Astoria-Hallets Point and Astoria (Central) Neighborhood Tabulation Areas (QN0101, QN0102, QN0103), from NYC PLUTO 26v2 tax-lot records. 2 other ZIP codes each hold under 5%.
9Can you walk around Astoria at night?
Astoria is classified as "Average" by NYPD complaint data. Over the past 12 months it recorded 2 shooting incidents and 5,032 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 Astoria dangerous?
By NYPD data, Astoria is rated "Average", with a lower crime rate per resident than 54% of Queens neighborhoods. 5,032 crime incidents over 12 months. Block-level risk varies; check the address-level safety score for any specific street or building.
11What parts of Astoria 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 Astoria a good place to live?
Astoria scores 6.2/10 for overall livability and has a lower crime rate per resident than 54% of Queens neighborhoods. Astoria scores 6.2/10 composite—a neighborhood with strong transit and few housing violations, hampered by moderate noise. 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 Astoria?
The composite score is 6.2. Strengths are Practical (8/10) and Commute (7/10). Outdoor access (6.2/10) is above the borough median; ART/Livability (2.6/10) is below it.
14How safe is Astoria?
Astoria is rated about average, with a lower crime rate per resident than 54% of Queens neighborhoods. Crime held stable over 12 months (-0.9%), with 5,032 total crimes.
15What's the transit situation?
You'll access the N and W subway lines at Astoria-Ditmars Blvd, Astoria Blvd, 30 Av and Broadway. The Commute score of 7/10 is above the borough median of 3.5.
16What buildings types dominate Astoria?
Of 11,696 residential tax lots, 38% are two-family houses, 37% walk-up apartment buildings and 2% elevator apartment buildings. This mix creates a human-scaled, neighborhood-oriented streetscape without residential towers dominating.
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