Dog bites are climbing sharply in New York City, with Staten Island emerging as the borough where residents face the highest odds of getting bitten, according to a new analysis of insurance claims and bite reports.
Nationally, the CDC estimates that about 4.5 million Americans are bitten by dogs each year, with someone landing in an emergency room every 80 seconds because of a bite. A new study from Gamble Mind looked at where dog-bite insurance claims are most common across the country and within New York City’s five boroughs.
New York state ranked 9th nationally, with 1,308 claims filed in 2025 and odds of 1 in 15,189 of being involved in a bite-related claim. But within the city itself, reported dog bites surged nearly 25% in a single year, rising from 4,041 in 2024 to 5,049 in 2025.
Staten Island Leads NYC Boroughs
Staten Island had the highest reported bite rate of any borough, with 395 bites recorded in 2025 — about one bite for every 1,261 residents.
Manhattan and Queens tied for the most total reported bites, with 1,192 each, but Manhattan’s smaller population pushed its rate higher. Manhattan residents faced odds of 1 in 1,393, compared with 1 in 1,944 in Queens.
Brooklyn had the lowest bite rate among the boroughs despite logging 1,126 incidents, translating to roughly one bite for every 2,325 residents.
Michigan Tops National Rankings
Michigan had the worst odds of any state, with residents facing a 1 in 7,073 chance of being involved in a dog-bite insurance claim. The state recorded 1,432 claims in 2025, a population-adjusted rate 69% above the national average and more than triple that of Texas.
The findings come months after a 5-day-old baby girl in Michigan was mauled to death in March after being left alone with a dog the family had recently taken in.
Indiana ranked second nationally with 824 claims and odds of 1 in 8,463. Ohio followed with 1,348 claims and odds of 1 in 8,828, just ahead of Pennsylvania, where the odds stood at 1 in 9,864 with 1,324 claims filed.
Illinois recorded 1,283 claims, giving it odds of 1 in 9,914. Florida posted a relatively high total of 2,347 claims, but its large population brought its odds down to 1 in 9,958, placing it sixth.
New Jersey ranked seventh with 818 claims and odds of 1 in 11,673. California logged the most claims of any state in the study — 2,830 — but its massive population dropped it to eighth place, with odds of 1 in 13,933.
Texas rounded out the top 10 with 1,313 claims and odds of 1 in 23,832.
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