Is Tottenville Safe? Staten Island Livability, Crime & Rent
Tottenville scores a median 5.3 composite—a middle-ground neighborhood offering few housing violations, offset by noise and limited outdoor recreation.
Tottenville at a glance
- Borough
- Staten Island
- Livability score
- 5.3/10
- Borough rank (NYC Open Data guides)
- #10 of 15
- Safety verdict
- Higher Than Average
- Crimes (12 mo)
- 822
- ZIP codes
- 10307 (86%), 10309 (14%)Share of residential units, NYC PLUTO 26v2
- Subway stations
- 3 (Richmond Valley, Arthur Kill, Tottenville)
- Data updated
- 2026-09-14
Is Tottenville Safe?
Tottenville, Staten Island scores 5.3/10 for overall livability, ranking #10 of 15 Staten Island neighborhoods scored from NYC Open Data. Tottenville scores a median 5.3 composite—a middle-ground neighborhood offering few housing violations, offset by noise and limited outdoor recreation.
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 Tottenville safety page. Safety varies by block — check a specific Tottenville 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 Staten Island neighborhood guides.
Neighborhood Character
You'll find Tottenville at Staten Island's southern edge—a neighborhood defined by waterfront access and a distinctly suburban feel, with sparse trees (85 within 200 meters on average, a tree density of 1.3/10). The area clusters around three Staten Island Railway stations (Richmond Valley, Arthur Kill, and Tottenville), anchoring commuter corridors, while parks like Long Pond Park and Fairview Park sit roughly 1.4 kilometers away on average. Houses dominate: one-family (60% of residential tax lots) and two-family (38%), meaning smaller-scale residential construction. Noise complaints are moderate at 1,079 over 12 months, suggesting either transit proximity or persistent localized issues.
Livability & Restoration
Trees
85 trees
Expected in a 200m circle (NYC Parks tree inventory) | Density: 1.3/10 (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
6 parks
NYC Parks properties inside the neighborhood | largest: Long Pond Park | nearest to the center: Fairview Park, 384m | 3 nearest average 1398m from the neighborhood's center
Acoustic Quality
4/10
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 Staten Island 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
5/10
Borough median: 4/10
Outdoor & Green Space
Avg Tree Count
85
Trees expected in a 200m circle
Tree Density
1.3/10
675 trees per km² in NYC Parks' tree inventory (street and park trees); city percentile, 1 = sparsest
Largest Parks In or Near the Neighborhood
- Long Pond Park
- Fairview Park
- Hybrid Oak Woods Park
- Tottenville Pool
- Aesop Park
Nearest to the neighborhood's center: Fairview Park, about 384m. The 3 nearest NYC Parks properties average 1398m from the center (approximate park centers, not entrances).
Practical Living
Practical (HPD violations): 9/10 (Staten Island median 9). It measures HPD housing violations per residential lot over the last 12 months (higher = fewer violations).
Building Mix (Residential Tax Lots)
Share of the 4,541 residential tax lots in the neighborhood by PLUTO building class (NYC Department of City Planning).
Who Tottenville Is For
Those seeking low rodent pressure
Only 16 rodent complaints on record—low per resident—which may reflect better pest management or less dense waste infrastructure
Pros & Cons
Strengths
Few housing violations
Practical score of 9 reflects a low rate of HPD housing violations per residential building
Direct Staten Island Railway access
Three SIR stations (Tottenville, Arthur Kill, Richmond Valley) serve the area for consistent, if lengthy, commutes
Low rodent complaints
Only 16 rodent complaints in 12 months—well below typical borough rates
Waterfront and park proximity
Long Pond Park and multiple neighborhood parks at 1.4km average distance; beach access available
Trade-offs
Moderate noise complaints
1,079 noise complaints over 12 months indicate persistent sound issues, possibly transit-related
Long commute times
Commute score of 5 reflects geographic distance from Manhattan job centers despite rail access
Limited outdoor recreation score
Outdoor score of 2.6 versus borough median of 5.1 suggests fewer recreational amenities relative to other neighborhoods
Almost no apartment buildings
Older, smaller-scale residential construction with no elevator buildings in tracked data—may limit accessibility and modern amenities
Score Any Address in Tottenville
Get detailed livability scores based on building health, transit access, safety, noise levels, and 15+ NYC data sources.
Search an Address in TottenvilleFrequently Asked Questions about Tottenville
1Is Tottenville safe?
By NYPD data, Tottenville is rated "Higher Than Average", with a lower crime rate per resident than 31% of Staten Island neighborhoods. 822 crime incidents and 0 shooting incidents over the past 12 months. See the safety page for the full breakdown.
2What is the average rent in Tottenville?
Rents in Tottenville, Staten Island 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 Tottenville?
Tottenville has a commute score of 5/10. 3 subway stations serve the area: Richmond Valley, Arthur Kill, Tottenville.
4What are the best streets in Tottenville?
The best streets depend on your priorities. Use DwellCheck to compare specific addresses across livability, safety, transit, and environmental factors.
5What is Tottenville known for?
Tottenville sits in Staten Island and ranks #10 of 15 Staten Island neighborhoods scored from NYC Open Data on DwellCheck's livability score (5.3/10). It's served by 3 subway stations (Richmond Valley, Arthur Kill, Tottenville). Tottenville scores a median 5.3 composite—a middle-ground neighborhood offering few housing violations, offset by noise and limited outdoor recreation.
6What is it like to live in Tottenville?
DwellCheck scores Tottenville, Staten Island 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). Tottenville's composite is 5.3/10. Tottenville scores a median 5.3 composite—a middle-ground neighborhood offering few housing violations, offset by noise and limited outdoor recreation. For the block-by-block view, run any specific Tottenville address through DwellCheck.
7Where is Tottenville?
Tottenville is in Staten Island, New York City. DwellCheck maps it to the Tottenville-Charleston Neighborhood Tabulation Area (SI0305), which falls in the Census tabulation area that approximates Staten Island Community District 3 (South Shore). Its main ZIP codes are 10307 and 10309. Subway stations in the neighborhood include Richmond Valley, Arthur Kill and Tottenville.
8What ZIP code is Tottenville in?
Tottenville spans ZIP codes 10307 (86% of residential units) and 10309 (14%). Shares are of the 6,529 residential units in the Tottenville-Charleston Neighborhood Tabulation Area (SI0305), from NYC PLUTO 26v2 tax-lot records.
9Can you walk around Tottenville at night?
Tottenville is classified as "Higher Than Average" by NYPD complaint data. Over the past 12 months it recorded 0 shooting incidents and 822 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 Tottenville dangerous?
By NYPD data, Tottenville is rated "Higher Than Average", with a lower crime rate per resident than 31% of Staten Island neighborhoods. 822 crime incidents over 12 months. Block-level risk varies; check the address-level safety score for any specific street or building.
11What parts of Tottenville 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 Tottenville a good place to live?
Tottenville scores 5.3/10 for overall livability and has a lower crime rate per resident than 31% of Staten Island neighborhoods. Tottenville scores a median 5.3 composite—a middle-ground neighborhood offering few housing violations, offset by noise and limited outdoor recreation. 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 Tottenville?
The composite score is 5.3. This reflects a strong practical score (9) but weaker ART/Livability (2.2), outdoor recreation (2.6) and commute efficiency (5).
14How safe is Tottenville?
Tottenville is rated higher than average, with a lower crime rate per resident than 31% of Staten Island neighborhoods. Total crimes were 822 over 12 months, down 7.4%. Noise complaints are moderate at 1,079.
15What transit options are available?
You'll have access to three Staten Island Railway stations: Tottenville, Arthur Kill, and Richmond Valley. The SIR provides consistent service but commute times to Manhattan are lengthy, reflected in a commute score of 5 (borough median: 4.0).
16What is the tree and park situation?
Tottenville averages 85 trees within 200 meters, with tree density of 1.3/10. Parks including Long Pond Park, Fairview Park, and Hybrid Oak Woods Park are roughly 1.4km away on average. Outdoor amenity score (2.6) is low, however, suggesting limited recreation infrastructure beyond parks.
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