Toronto

Is Toronto safe?

Yes. Toronto has the crime profile of a large European capital rather than a big American city. Toronto Police recorded 45 homicides in 2025, down from 85 the year before and the fewest in about 40 years. That is about 1.4 per 100,000 people, against roughly 3.6 in New York and about 15 in Chicago. The US State Department puts Canada at Level 1, its lowest advisory.

The things to watch are smaller: a run of violent incidents on the TTC, visible drug use on a few downtown blocks and a winter that can be brutal. We score Toronto 84.

How much crime is there?

Police data put 2025 assaults at 23,922 and robberies at 2,556, both lower than in 2024. Twenty of the year's homicides were shootings and 14 were stabbings. The police data show the cases scattered across 37 neighbourhoods, from Scarborough to a handful downtown, with no more than two in any one area; at these numbers, no part of the city stands out.

The crimes that dominate local news hit residents, not tourists. Police counted 7,377 car thefts in 2025, down a quarter from 2024 but still high, and 6,114 break-ins. Newer SUVs and pickups are the main targets, many stolen to order for export. If you rent a car, use a staffed garage.

Pickpocketing is uncommon. Keep an eye on your bag in crowds at Union Station, Yonge-Dundas Square, the Eaton Centre, the CNE and Raptors or Blue Jays games, and on the Toronto Islands ferry in summer.

Downtown at night

Most of downtown is busy and comfortable after dark: King Street West, the Entertainment District, Queen West, Kensington Market, the Distillery District and the waterfront. The exception is a cluster of blocks east of Yonge, around Dundas and Sherbourne, Moss Park and parts of Church Street, where homelessness, open drug use and people in mental health crisis are concentrated. Incidents there rarely involve visitors, but walk along Yonge or King instead of cutting through.

Yonge Street between Dundas and College can also feel rough late on weekends.

Is the TTC safe?

The subway, streetcars and buses carry more than 6 million rides a week, and almost all of them are uneventful. A string of random stabbings and assaults from 2022 into 2023 led to more police, security guards and outreach workers on the network. The TTC's 2026 reports say offences against customers have fallen over the past three years, though some categories have risen.

Late at night, wait in the platform's Designated Waiting Area, which has an intercom and cameras, and board near the guard's car in the middle of the train. If something feels wrong, use the yellow alarm strip or text TTC Safety.

Roads, air and weather

Toronto Police collision data show 40 traffic deaths in 2025, down from 50, about 1.2 per 100,000 and far below US cities. Nineteen of the dead were pedestrians, mostly on wide suburban roads like Finch, Sheppard and Lawrence rather than downtown. Watch for turning drivers at intersections, and take care crossing streetcar tracks on a bike.

Air quality is good most of the year. Canada averaged 6.7 µg/m³ of fine particlesPM2.5Tiny airborne particles 2.5 micrometres across or smaller. They reach deep into the lungs and are the air pollutant most linked to early death.More in the glossary in 2024, according to IQAir, close to the WHO guideline, but smoke from distant wildfires has pushed the air quality index into the high-risk range on some summer days. Tap water is safe to drink.

The weather is the bigger planning issue. Lake-effect snow and ice storms disrupt travel in winter, and wind chill can fall below -20 °C in January. Summer brings heat warnings and intense thunderstorms; flash floods have closed the Don Valley Parkway and flooded parts of the transit system in recent years.

Practical tips

• Stay near Line 1 (Yonge-University) so you can avoid long late-night walks.
• Use licensed taxis or ride apps from Pearson Airport; the UP Express train to Union Station is the easiest option.
• Carry travel insurance: visitors pay full cost at Canadian hospitals.
• In winter, wear proper boots and layers; frostbite on exposed skin can happen within minutes on the coldest days.

For entry rules, wildlife and remote travel across the country, see our Canada page.

How we scored it

Violent crime (88), traffic safety (88) and health (88) are the strongest factors, backed by police data showing the fewest homicides in decades and low road deaths. Theft (78) is lower because of car theft and break-ins, and night safety (80) reflects the TTC and a few downtown blocks. Natural hazards (82) come from winter storms and flash floods rather than earthquakes or hurricanes.