Buffalo's numbers pull in two directions. Property crime at 3,810 per 100k sits 95% above the national 1,954, and violent crime 86% above, placing the city in the 4th percentile of the 13,216 jurisdictions SafeNest grades. Yet the 2024 FBI reporting year shows violent crime down 6.4% year over year, a trend SafeNest classifies as improving. Schools carry a similar split: a 3.5/10 average across 85 rated schools, with high schools at 4.4/10 outperforming elementary schools at 3.1/10, and Kenmore West Senior High at 7.3/10 showing the range a citywide average flattens. New York's 27 federal flood declarations set the hazard backdrop, not a parcel verdict. Every figure here is a city-wide average; the block you buy on can differ sharply from it.
Crime in Buffalo vs. the national average
Buffalo reports 707 violent crimes per 100,000 residents, 86% above the U.S. average of 381, and 3,810 property crimes per 100k versus a national 1,954 (95% above). In the most recent FBI reporting year (2024), the violent crime rate fell 6.4% year over year, a pattern SafeNest classifies as improving.
| Buffalo | US average | |
|---|---|---|
| Violent crime (per 100k) | 707 | 381 |
| Property crime (per 100k) | 3810 | 1954 |
City-wide averages hide block-by-block variation — the safest and least safe neighborhoods in Buffalo can differ dramatically. For a specific address, a SafeNest report covers it directly — or search free in the iPhone app.
Flood & natural hazard risk
Federal disaster records for New York — the state SafeNest uses for Buffalo's flood context — list 27 FEMA flood disaster declarations between 1956 and 2024, most recently "Severe Storm, Tornadoes, And Flooding". New York has also seen 19 hurricane or tropical-storm declarations, events that frequently drive flooding. These are state-level federal declarations, not a parcel-level flood-zone determination — a specific Buffalo address may sit inside or well outside a FEMA flood zone, which SafeNest does not determine; check FEMA's flood maps and flood-insurance requirements for that address.
Schools in Buffalo
Public schools in Buffalo average 3.5/10 on the SafeNest School Score across 85 rated schools. By level, high schools rate strongest at 4.4/10 on average, while elementary schools average 3.1/10. The highest-scoring is Kenmore West Senior High School at 7.3/10.
Registered offenders
Registered-offender data is meaningful only at the address level, so SafeNest does not publish a city-wide figure for Buffalo: a single citywide number would blend blocks with very different profiles and mislead more than it informs. Registered offender counts by distance band for any specific Buffalo address are included in a SafeNest report, drawn directly from the state's public registry. The iPhone app shows that count free for any address, and maps each registrant with Premium.
Check a specific Buffalo address
City averages are a starting point. A SafeNest report covers one specific address — crime, registered offender counts, flood and disaster history, schools, air quality, taxes — delivered by email as a PDF for $6.99.
Or search any Buffalo address free in the iPhone app.
Common questions about safety in Buffalo
Is Buffalo, NY safe?
Buffalo records 707 violent crimes per 100,000 residents, 86% above the US national average of 381. Overall SafeNest grade: D, a city-wide average of reported crime. It does not describe a specific street or address.
What is the crime rate in Buffalo?
Buffalo reports approximately 707 violent crimes and 3810 property crimes per 100,000 residents in 2024, the most recent FBI reporting year in our data.
Does Buffalo have flood risk?
SafeNest reports federal disaster declaration history for the area. For Buffalo, federal records show 27 FEMA flood disaster declarations for New York, most recently in 2024; a specific address may still sit inside or outside a FEMA flood zone, which SafeNest does not determine — check FEMA's flood maps for that address.
How this page was built
Every figure here comes from the same public records behind SafeNest's grading. We published the full method and what it does and doesn't support in We graded 13,216 American cities with FBI data — including where a letter grade means almost nothing. City comparisons: safest cities in New York.
Other city safety reports
Data compiled from public sources including FBI crime statistics, FEMA disaster declarations and the FEMA National Risk Index, NCES education data, and state registries. Last updated 2026-08-17. Figures are city-level estimates; verify with primary sources before making decisions. SafeNest is not a consumer reporting agency (see Terms).