Is Bowling Green or New York City Safer?
According to crimebycity.com's analysis of 2024 FBI data, New York City is safer than Bowling Green (Safety Score 19/100 vs 17/100), with a total crime rate of 3,040 per 100,000 versus 3,153 for Bowling Green — 4% lower. Bowling Green has higher rates in 3 of 7 crime categories.
The biggest difference is in robbery, where Bowling Green has a 75% lower rate.
Note: New York City is 107.1x larger by coverage, which can affect crime rate comparisons. Larger cities tend to report higher rates due to density and more comprehensive reporting.
Bowling Green — 5-Year Trend
Violent
Property
Total
New York City — 5-Year Trend
Violent
Property
Total
Bowling Green, KY
New York City, NY
Detailed Crime Rate Comparison
| Crime Type | Bowling Green | New York City | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total Crime Rate | 3,153.4 | 3,039.7 | +113.7 |
| Violent Crime Rate | 224.5 | 671.4 | -446.9 |
| Murder Rate | 1.3 | 3.9 | -2.6 |
| Rape Rate | 89.0 | 23.4 | +65.6 |
| Robbery Rate | 46.5 | 187.5 | -141.0 |
| Aggravated Assault Rate | 87.7 | 456.2 | -368.5 |
| Property Crime Rate | 2,928.9 | 2,368.3 | +560.7 |
| Burglary Rate | 340.6 | 154.7 | +185.9 |
| Larceny-Theft Rate | 2,322.5 | 2,015.0 | +307.5 |
| Motor Vehicle Theft Rate | 265.8 | 198.5 | +67.3 |
All rates per 100,000 residents. Source: FBI UCR 2024.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Bowling Green or New York City safer?
New York City is safer with a total crime rate of 3,040 per 100K vs 3,153 for Bowling Green — a 4% difference.
How do violent crime rates compare?
Bowling Green has a violent crime rate of 224.5 per 100K while New York City has 671.4. Bowling Green has lower violent crime.
About Bowling Green, KY
Bowling Green, Kentucky, home to Western Kentucky University, sits on the Barren River. This city of over 70,000 residents is also home to the National Corvette Museum. With a safety score of 17/100 and a population coverage of 77,503, Bowling Green has a total crime rate of 3,153.4 per 100,000 residents.
About New York City, NY
New York City, a global financial hub, sits at the mouth of the Hudson River. Home to the iconic Statue of Liberty, its five boroughs house over 8 million people, making it the most populous city in the United States. With a safety score of 19/100 and a population coverage of 8,299,271, New York City has a total crime rate of 3,039.7 per 100,000 residents.