Is Forest Hills Safe? Queens Livability, Crime & Rent
Forest Hills scores 6.3 median (IQR: 5.9–6.7): a safe, tree-dense neighborhood with excellent walkability that trades transit convenience for stability and green cover.
Is Forest Hills Safe?
Forest Hills, Queens scores 6.3/10 for overall livability, ranking #5 of 11 Queens neighborhoods. Forest Hills scores 6.3 median (IQR: 5.9–6.7): a safe, tree-dense neighborhood with excellent walkability that trades transit convenience for stability and green cover.
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 Forest Hills address below for a block-level breakdown.
Score Overview
Vertical line = borough median. Scale: 0-10.
Neighborhood Character
You'll find yourself in a heavily treed neighborhood where the canopy is nearly complete—94 trees within a 200-meter radius create a sheltered, suburban feel despite the urban density. The building stock is dominated by high-rises (52%) and mid-rises (38%), giving Forest Hills a structured, planned appearance that reflects its early 20th-century garden community origins. Parks are distributed across the area—Lost Battalion Hall Recreation Center, The Painter's Playground, and Horace Harding Playground average 572 meters away—but the real amenity is overhead: a canopy density rating of 9.5/10 means shade is constant. You'll access the M and R lines at 63 Drive–Rego Park station, though the commute score of 3.5 flags what residents experience as a meaningful limitation.
Analysis based on 42 properties scored across 30+ data points
Livability & Restoration
Tree Canopy
94 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
Lost Battalion Hall Recreation Center
Avg 572m away | Score: 2.4/10
Living within 300m of green space associated with 30% fewer antidepressant prescriptions (Taylor et al., 2015)
Acoustic Quality
5/10
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
Transit & Commute
Subway Stations
Commute Score
3.5/10
Borough median: 5.5/10
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
94
Within 200m radius
Canopy Density
9.5/10
Normalized canopy coverage
Park Network
- Lost Battalion Hall Recreation Center
- The Painter's Playground
- Horace Harding Playground
- Remsen Family Cemetery
- Fleetwood Triangle
Avg distance: 572m
Practical Living
Building Types
Who Forest Hills Is For
Families prioritizing safety and schools
Safety percentile of 81% in borough, practical score of 9 (highest category), and established reputation for top schools make this a base for stability-focused households
Green-space seekers without car dependency concerns
Canopy density 9.5/10 and five nearby parks offset the outdoor score of 4.7; art/livability score of 7.3 beats borough median significantly
Long-term residents accepting transit trade-offs
Commute score of 3.5 is well below borough median (5.5), so this works for remote workers or those with Queens-based employment
Pros & Cons
Strengths
Exceptional tree coverage and canopy density
94 trees within 200m radius, canopy density 9.5/10—highest possible livability component for green space
Much safer than borough average
Safety percentile of 81% in Queens; low rodent complaints (85) reflect maintenance standards
Strong walkability and practical services
Practical score of 9 (vs. borough median 5.3) indicates dense access to essentials, retail, and utilities
Art and livability significantly above borough baseline
Art/Livability score 7.3 vs. borough median 4.8; established cultural infrastructure and institutional anchors
Trade-offs
Commute performance is weak
Commute score 3.5 vs. borough median 5.5; single transit pair (M, R) limits routing flexibility
Crime trend is worsening
12-month crime trend shows +140.5% increase; 902 total crimes recorded despite strong safety percentile
High noise complaint volume
1,027 noise complaints flagged as high; dense mid/high-rise building mix contributes to acoustic pressure
Outdoor recreation score lags borough
Outdoor score 4.7 below borough median 5.0, despite parks nearby—likely reflects limited waterfront and athletic facilities relative to neighborhood size
Score Any Address in Forest Hills
Get detailed livability scores based on building health, transit access, safety, noise levels, and 15+ NYC data sources.
Search an Address in Forest HillsFrequently Asked Questions about Forest Hills
1Is Forest Hills safe?
Forest Hills safety varies by block. DwellCheck provides detailed safety data including NYPD crime statistics, arrest data, and 311 complaints. Check the Forest Hills safety page for full details.
2What is the average rent in Forest Hills?
Rents in Forest Hills, Queens vary significantly by building and apartment type. The median listing price is $0. Use DwellCheck to research specific addresses.
3How is transit access in Forest Hills?
Forest Hills has a commute score of 3.5/10. 1 subway stations serve the area: 63 Dr-Rego Park.
4What are the best streets in Forest Hills?
The best streets depend on your priorities. Use DwellCheck to compare specific addresses across livability, safety, transit, and environmental factors.
5What is the average DwellScore in Forest Hills?
Median composite score is 6.3 (IQR: 5.9–6.7). Practical services (9.0) and art/livability (7.3) are the leading categories; commute (3.5) is the constraint pulling the overall score down from higher levels.
6How safe is Forest Hills compared to the rest of Queens?
You're in the 81st percentile for safety in the borough—a 'much-safer' designation. However, crimes increased 140.5% over 12 months (902 total), suggesting recent worsening despite the percentile ranking.
7What transit options serve Forest Hills?
The M and R lines serve the neighborhood via 63 Drive–Rego Park station. The low commute score (3.5) reflects limited routing and frequency relative to other Queens neighborhoods.
8Why is the practical score so high?
Practical score of 9 reflects dense walkable infrastructure: high building count (42 tracked), mid/high-rise density, and proximity to retail, services, and utilities. This is a neighborhood where you can meet daily needs on foot.
9What are noise levels like?
1,027 noise complaints were filed—flagged as high. The predominance of high-rise (52%) and mid-rise (38%) buildings contributes to acoustic pressure from density and neighbor proximity.