THE safest city in New York is just an hour from the unruly chaos of the Big Apple, a recent study revealed.
The quiet commuter town boasts a practically zero crime rate, according to a survey conducted by safety research group Safewise.
Safewise identified the safest city in each US state by reviewing crime statistics, focusing on property and violent crimes for every 1,000 people.
In New York state, the safest city was determined to be Bedford, located in the northeastern part of Westchester County.
The town, 50 miles north of New York City, is known for its tight-knit community and historic homes.
In 2025, Bedford’s violent crime rate is 0.1 per 1,000 residents in a population of 16,700 people, SafeWise reported.
Last year, the rate was at a cool zero. In 2023, the rate was 0.1.
The property crime rate this year is 1.3 per 1,000 people.
It was even lower in 2024 and 2023, coming in at a rate of 0.9 both years.
In the ranked list of the safest cities in America, Bedford comes in 16th place, according to SafeWise.
Bedford offers a quaint, rural life to its residents with horse farms and massive estates on sprawling green properties.
Three hamlets make up the town: Bedford Village, Bedford Hills, and Katonah.
It’s considered a wealthy city, but the median income of the town, $183,750, might be skewed as multiple celebrities live in the area.
This peaceful ambiance has attracted celebrities like Brendan Fraser, Glenn Close, Ryan Reynolds and Blake Lively, and Matt Damon seeking refuge.
Following Bedford, SafeWise highlighted other secure towns in New York situated in the Hudson Valley, such as Carmel, Rye, Yorktown, and Hyde Town.
Seven of the 10 safest New York towns are located in the Hudson Valley, just north of New York City.
Safest cities in the United States
The top 20 safest cities in the United States are:
- Campton Hills, IL
- Pingree Grove, IL
- Hawthorn Woods, IL
- Sagamore Hills, OH
- Plainfield, CT
- Indiana Township, PA
- Cape Elizabeth, ME
- Eliot, ME
- Vernon Township, NJ
- Boxford, MA
- San Elizario, TX
- Broadview Heights, OH
- Atkinson, NH
- Lexington, SC
- Spring Township, PA
- Bedford Town, NY
- Shawangunk Town, NY
- Northborough, MA
- Weston, CT
- Ridgefield, CT
Source: SafeWise
The group’s State of Safety report also said that New Yorkers are less worried about their security compared to last year.
Only 47% of residents said they worry each day about general crime and safety.
The decline is a huge step from 2024’s reported 59% of worried citizens.
SafeWise’s safety reports are determined by calculating numbers based on reported crimes.
The experts ranked the safest US city to be Campton Hills, Illinois, which had a 0.0 rate for both violent and property crime in 2025.
New Jersey has 17 cities on SafeWise’s list of the 100 cities, making it the most of any state.
