Let's be honest, there are some dangerous and violent areas around New York State. Taking a look at statistics provided by the state's Division of Criminal Justice Services, these are the counties with the most violent crimes committed with a firearm.

New York State and the FBI use seven Index crime categories as indicators of overall crime trends: murder, rape, robbery and aggravated assault, which are classified as violent crimes; and the property crimes of burglary, larceny and motor vehicle theft. The FBI created these categories to allow for uniform crime reporting across all 50 states.

I've included the major city in each of the counties (which are the statistics the state provides) since they tend to be more identifiable. Most people automatically think New York City is the most dangerous and violent in the state. While that is partially true, as you'll see below, there are many other cities you might not expect to see on the list when it comes to gun violence.

When it comes to violent crimes with a firearm, based on the numbers reported in 2021, here are the top 11 counties (including major cities) in New York:

The overall crime rate of a county is calculated by dividing the total number of index crimes submitted by police agencies in each county by the county’s population and multiplying the result by 100,000. The U.S. Census Bureau is the source of county population data.

 

11. Queens (Queens County): The rate of violent crimes committed with a firearm is 60.5.

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Queens County is located within the area known as New York City. It has a population of 2,333,311.

Queens is the most ethnically diverse urban area in the world, as residents often closely identify with their neighborhood rather than with the borough or city. The borough is a patchwork of dozens of unique neighborhoods, each with its own distinct identity. ~ New York State

The property crimes rate in Queens County is 1,245.80 and the violent crime rate is 439.8.

10. Schenectady (Schenectady County): The rate of violent crimes committed with a firearm is 64.6

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Schenectady's violent crime rate has dropped. In 2020 it had a violent crime rate of 359.5, in 2021, the crime rate was 330.5. Schenectady County is home to 159,464 New Yorkers. General Electric's administrative core and Price Chopper Supermarkets headquarters are both located in the county. The property crime rate is 2,083.90.

9. Niagara Falls (Niagara County): The rate of violent crimes committed with a firearm is 67.1

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Niagara County has a population of 213,024. It is known for the natural wonder - Niagara Falls. The property crime rate is 1404.5 and the violent crime rate is 272.7.

8. Syracuse (Onondaga County): The violent crimes committed with a firearm rate is 77.6

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Onondaga County, which includes Syracuse, has a population of 470,355. It is considered west central in the Finger Lakes region of New York. For many New Yorkers, it is known best as the home of The Great New York State Fair. Its property crime rate is 1,579.90 and it has a violent crime rate of 355.9.

7. Troy (Rensselaer County): The violent crimes committed with a firearm rate is 78.3

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Rensselaer County is part of New York's Capital Region with Troy as its county seat. The eastern boundary runs along the New York–Vermont and New York–Massachusetts borders.

Th population of Rensselaer County is 162,109. It has a property crime rate of 1542.2 and a violent crime rate of 286.8.

6. Manhattan (New York County): The rate of violent crimes committed with a firearm is 85.9

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New York County is the most densely populated county in the United States with a population of 1,578,342 in 2021.

Manhattan has been described as the economic and cultural center of the United States and serves as home to the United Nations Headquarters. Wall Street, in Lower Manhattan, has been called the financial capital of the world, and is home to the New York Stock Exchange and NASDAQ.

The property crimes rate was 2,649.70 in 2021 and it has a violent crime rate of 742.6.

5. Brooklyn (Kings County): The rate of violent crimes committed with a firearm was 89.5

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Kings County, home of the borough of Brooklyn, has a population of 2,643,508. It is the most populated county on the list.

In recent years, Brooklyn has benefited from a steady influx of financial back-office operations from Manhattan, the rapid growth of a high-tech and entertainment economy in DUMBO, and strong growth in support services such as accounting, personal supply agencies, and computer services firms. ~ New York State

The property crimes rate was 1,332.60 in 2021 and it has a violent crime rate of 576.8.

4. Albany (Albany County): The rate of violent crimes committed with a fire arm is 89.6

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Albany is the capital of New York State. The county has a population of 311,537. Aside from being the home of New York State's government, Albany also has more than 100,000 college and university students attending its 12 colleges. It has a property crime rate of 2,145.20 and it has a violent crime rate of 384.2.

3. Buffalo (Erie County): The rate of violent crimes committed with a firearm at 123.1

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Erie County has reduced violent crime over the last year. In 2020 the violent crime rate was 402.2, in 2021 it was 369.9. Home of the Buffalo Bills, Erie County has a population of just under 1 million - 940,988, it is New York's second biggest city. Erie County's violent crimes committed with a firearm rate is down from the previous year's rate of 130.7. The property crime rate is 1,802.40.

2. Rochester (Monroe County): The rate for violent crimes committed with a firearm is 134.9

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Rochester is located in Monroe County, which is between Buffalo and Syracuse. It sits on the border of the United States, right off of Lake Ontario. Monroe County has a population of 759,863 as of 2021, making it the third largest city in the state. Its property crime rate, at 1633.7, is significantly higher than the violent crime rate of 304.3. Rochester has surpassed Buffalo when it comes to gun violence.

1. The Most Violent and Dangerous City When It Comes To Gun Violence in New York State is the Bronx

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Bronx County had a rate of 127.5 violent crimes committed with a firearm last year, but it has increased to 179.8 this year.

Bronx County, home of the Bronx, one of New York City's five boroughs, also has the most violent crimes with a rate of 1,039.00 in 2021, up from 928.8 in 2020. The population of Bronx is 1,426,273. The rate of property crimes in Bronx County was 1,647.10.

Bronx County was the last of the 62 counties of New York State to be incorporated. Although the Bronx is the third most densely populated county in the U.S., about a quarter of its area is open space, including Woodlawn Cemetery, Van Cortlandt Park, Pelham Bay Park, the New York Botanical Garden and the Bronx Zoo. ~ New York State

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