Violent
Property
Total
Quick answer
According to crimebycity.com's analysis of FBI crime data, Cortland, NY has a Safety Score of 17/100 — higher crime than 83% of US cities — with a total crime rate of 3,180.8 per 100,000 residents, ranking #2,467 of 2,957 US cities and #109 of 130 in New York.
Quiz: which of these is MORE DANGEROUS than Cortland, NY?
Safety Score
Violent Crime Rate
Property Crime Rate
Is Cortland, New York Safe?
Cortland, "The Crown City," sits in Central New York's hills. Home to SUNY Cortland, it's a small city with a population around 19,000.
Cortland has a safety score of 17/100 (High Crime). Based on FBI data, the city reported a total crime rate of 3,180.8 per 100,000 residents, compared to the national average of 2,785.9 per 100,000.
Cortland ranks #109 out of 130 cities in New York and #2467 out of 2957 nationally (safest first). This places it in the 17th percentile for safety — with higher crime than 83% of US cities.
The most elevated crime category in Cortland is larceny-theft, at 2,581.9 per 100K — 1.6x the national average. Conversely, murder is relatively low at just 0.0x the national rate.
Year over year, Cortland's total crime rate decreased by 4.4%, with violent crime declining 36%.
Photo: Wikimedia Commons
Cortland Crime Statistics Breakdown
| Crime Type | Incidents | Rate per 100K | National Avg |
|---|---|---|---|
| Violent Crime | 39 | 226.8 | 478.2 |
| Murder | 0 | 0.0 | 6.3 |
| Rape | 7 | 40.7 | 43.8 |
| Robbery | 2 | 11.6 | 94.0 |
| Aggravated Assault | 30 | 174.5 | 333.5 |
| Property Crime | 508 | 2,954.0 | 2,307.7 |
| Burglary | 56 | 325.6 | 292.0 |
| Larceny-Theft | 444 | 2,581.9 | 1,657.7 |
| Motor Vehicle Theft | 8 | 46.5 | 358.0 |
| Arson | 0 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
Cortland vs New York Average
How does Cortland's crime rate compare to the New York state average?
| Metric | Cortland | New York Avg | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Violent Crime Rate | 226.8 | 529.5 | -57.2% |
| Property Crime Rate | 2,954.0 | 2,210.1 | +33.7% |
| Murder Rate | 0.0 | 3.8 | -100.0% |
| Total Crime Rate | 3,180.8 | 2,739.6 | +16.1% |
Cortland Crime Rate Trends
Year-over-year crime rate changes for Cortland, New York.
| Year | Coverage | Total Crime Rate | Violent Crime Rate | Property Crime Rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 17,197 | 3,180.8 | 226.8 | 2,954.0 |
| 2023 | 17,215 | 3,328.5 | 354.3 | 2,974.2 |
| 2022 | 17,061 | 4,020.9 | 287.2 | 3,733.7 |
| 2021 | 18,384 | 2,491.3 | 201.3 | 2,290.0 |
| 2020 | 18,615 | 3,024.4 | 263.2 | 2,761.2 |
| 2019 | 18,655 | 2,037.0 | 294.8 | 1,742.2 |
Cortland Crime Map — Surrounding Area
City-level crime rates from FBI data for Cortland and nearby cities — green is safer, red is higher-crime; circle size is population. Not an incident-level map. Full state view: New York crime map.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Cortland, New York safe?
Cortland has a safety score of 17/100, meaning it has less crime than about 17% of US cities in our FBI dataset. With a total crime rate of 3,180.8 per 100,000 residents in 2024, Cortland is among the highest-crime US cities.
What is the crime rate in Cortland, New York?
According to FBI data for 2024, Cortland has a violent crime rate of 226.8 per 100,000 and a property crime rate of 2,954.0 per 100,000 residents.
How does Cortland compare to the national average?
Cortland's total crime rate of 3,180.8 per 100,000 can be compared to the national average. The data covers 17,197 residents.
What types of crime are most common in Cortland?
Based on FBI 2024 data, the most reported crimes in Cortland are larceny-theft (444 reported incidents) and burglary (56 reported incidents). Property crime outnumbers violent crime 13.0x in the city.
Is Cortland safe to visit?
Like any city, Cortland has areas that are safer than others. The city's overall safety score is 17/100 based on FBI crime data. Standard travel precautions are recommended.