Yes, by Canadian standards Niagara Falls is in one of the lower-crime metro areas in the country. Statistics Canada does not publish a separate figure for the City of Niagara Falls; it is part of the St. Catharines–Niagara census metropolitan area (CMA), policed by Niagara Regional Police. That metro recorded a Crime Severity Index (CSI) of 53.8 in 2025, down 9% on 2024 and about 28% below Canada’s 75.0. Its crime rate was 4,139 incidents per 100,000 people, against 5,585 nationally.
Data: Statistics Canada, police-reported crime statistics for 2025 (released 22 July 2026), Crime Severity Index and incident-based crime tables. All figures are for the St. Catharines–Niagara CMA or the Niagara Regional Police Service area, which covers Niagara Falls, St. Catharines, Welland and the other Niagara municipalities. No separate city-level figures exist for Niagara Falls. Comparisons and percentages that are not in the release are our own arithmetic. Updated 5 October 2026.
What is the crime rate in Niagara Falls?
The closest official measure is the St. Catharines–Niagara CMA. In 2025 police reported 22,812 Criminal Code incidents (excluding traffic) there, a rate of 4,139 per 100,000 people, down 2% on 2024. That was about 26% below the national rate (our arithmetic).
The Crime Severity Index, which weights offences by seriousness, was 53.8. That was the fifth lowest of Canada’s 41 metro areas, after Barrie, Saguenay, Sherbrooke and Ottawa. Niagara Regional Police, whose area matches the region, also reported a CSI of 53.84 for 2025.
Because the region is one unit in the data, these numbers describe Niagara as a whole. A tourist district with very large visitor numbers and a quiet residential street are both inside the same average.
Is Niagara safe compared with other Ontario cities?
| Area (2025) | Crime Severity Index | CSI change vs 2024 | Crime rate per 100,000 | Rate change vs 2024 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Barrie CMA | 46.9 | -3% | 3,777 | -4% |
| Ottawa CMA (Ont. part) | 50.6 | -6% | 4,212 | -2% |
| St. Catharines–Niagara CMA | 53.8 | -9% | 4,139 | -2% |
| Hamilton CMA | 54.8 | -7% | 4,076 | -4% |
| Toronto CMA | 55.0 | -7% | 3,950 | -5% |
| Brantford CMA | 72.1 | +8% | 5,381 | +10% |
| Ontario | 57.2 | -6% | 4,296 | -4% |
| Canada | 75.0 | -5% | 5,585 | -2% |
Niagara’s CSI was slightly below the Ontario average and very close to neighbouring Hamilton. See the safest cities in Ontario for the full provincial list.
Is crime in Niagara going up or down?
Down in 2025. The region’s CSI has moved within a fairly narrow band over the past decade, peaking in 2018:
Crime Severity Index, Niagara metro and Canada, 2015–2025
| Year | St. Catharines–Niagara CSI | Canada CSI |
|---|---|---|
| 2015 | 51.83 | 70.39 |
| 2016 | 49.49 | 72.01 |
| 2017 | 59.60 | 73.60 |
| 2018 | 68.74 | 75.60 |
| 2019 | 63.54 | 79.72 |
| 2020 | 57.75 | 73.92 |
| 2021 | 61.03 | 74.87 |
| 2022 | 55.75 | 78.74 |
| 2023 | 55.36 | 81.27 |
| 2024 | 58.94 | 78.84 |
| 2025 | 53.84 | 75.01 |
The 2025 score is about 22% below the 2018 peak and close to where it was in 2015. Both parts of the index fell: the violent CSI dropped from 79.08 to 69.83 and the non-violent CSI from 51.39 to 47.91. Niagara’s violent CSI was about 28% below the national 97.19 (our arithmetic).
Niagara is a mid-sized metro, so its index can move by several points in a year on relatively small changes in serious offences, as the 2017–2018 rise and later fall show.
What kind of crime is most common in Niagara?
Selected 2025 figures for the St. Catharines–Niagara CMA:
- Violent crime: 5,427 incidents, a rate of 985 per 100,000, compared with 1,443 nationally.
- Break-ins: 1,029 incidents, a rate of 187 per 100,000, down from 231 in 2024 (about -19%) and below the national 262.
- Vehicle theft: 1,023 incidents, a rate of 186 per 100,000, a little below the national 201.
- Shoplifting ($5,000 or under): 2,563 incidents, a rate of 465 per 100,000, compared with 502 nationally.
- Homicide: 8 homicides, a rate of 1.45 per 100,000, compared with 1.61 nationally.
Is Niagara Falls safe for tourists?
For visitors, the region’s overall figures are reassuring. As in any busy tourist destination, the most likely problems are opportunistic: items taken from cars, pickpocketing in crowds, or bags left unattended. Simple habits help:
- Keep valuables out of sight in parked cars, or take them with you.
- Use a cross-body bag in crowded viewing areas and on busy streets.
- Agree a meeting point with your group in case you get separated.
- Late at night, stick to well-lit, busy routes back to your hotel.
Statistics Canada does not publish neighbourhood figures and we do not rank areas. Generally, reported incidents concentrate where crowds are, such as entertainment districts, shopping areas and transit stops, which reflects footfall rather than the people who live nearby. Our safety tips for tourists in Canada have more advice.
What should I keep in mind when reading these numbers?
- Visitors count in incidents, not in population. The crime rate is calculated per resident, but incidents involving the many visitors to Niagara are counted too. That can make tourist-heavy regions look slightly worse per head than they feel day to day.
- Reported crime only. In 2019 only about 29% of victimizations were reported to police.
- The CSI is not a full safety score, as Statistics Canada itself cautions.
How do I check crime near a specific address in Niagara Falls?
- Check the Niagara Regional Police Service website. Look for any published crime statistics, maps or community updates for the area you are interested in.
- Use our map. Our Canada crime map brings official figures together by city and region.
- Compare two areas. Look at a neighbourhood you know alongside the one you are considering.
- Read the limits. Maps show reported incidents only, often offset for privacy, and busy tourist and commercial streets always show more.
Visiting Niagara?
Safety App Canada puts official crime data on a live map, plans walking routes that avoid high-risk areas and sends one-tap SOS alerts to the people you trust. Coming soon to Android and iPhone.
Niagara Falls crime FAQ
Is there official crime data just for Niagara Falls?
Not in Statistics Canada’s CMA tables. Niagara Falls is part of the St. Catharines–Niagara CMA, which had a CSI of 53.8 and a crime rate of 4,139 per 100,000 in 2025.
Is Niagara Falls safer than Toronto?
On these measures the two metros are similar. The St. Catharines–Niagara CSI was 53.8 against Toronto CMA’s 55.0; Toronto’s crime rate (3,950) was a little lower than Niagara’s (4,139).
Is crime in Niagara going down?
Yes in 2025: the CSI fell 9% and the crime rate fell 2%. The index is about 22% below its 2018 peak (our arithmetic).
How common is violent crime in the Niagara region?
The region recorded 5,427 violent incidents in 2025, a rate of 985 per 100,000, roughly a third below the national rate of 1,443.
Who polices Niagara Falls?
Niagara Regional Police Service, whose 2025 CSI of 53.84 matches the CMA figure.
Related: Safest cities in Ontario · Is Hamilton safe? · Is Toronto safe? · Safety tips for tourists · Crime rate by city. Official source: Statistics Canada, The Daily. In an emergency call 911.
