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Buffalo's neighborhoods conjure up too many stereotypes to count. You've got hipster areas, preppy places, neighborhoods where college kids thrive, and of course, ghettos.
It seems as if there's a neighborhood for everyone in Buffalo.
And while the city consistently ranks as one of the best places to live in the country thanks in part to a strong economy and tons of entertainment, it's not all rainbows and sunshine in Buffalo. Some neighborhoods aren't as great as others.
So the question arises, which Buffalo neighborhoods are the worst, and which are the best?
Today, we'll use science and data to determine which Buffalo hoods need a little tender loving care - the sore thumbs of the Buffalo area if you will. Realistically, you can't expect all the neighborhoods to be amazing, although South Abbott ranks way above the rest.
We examined 50 of Buffalo's neighborhoods to find out the worst places to live. These places don't quite measure up to Buffalo's reputation.
The Worst Neighborhoods In Buffalo For 2021
So what's the worst neighborhood to live in Buffalo for 2021? According to the most recent census data, Emerson looks to be the worst neighborhood in Buffalo.
Read on to see how we determined the places around Buffalo that need a pick-me-up. And remember, don't blame the messenger.
Once you're done, you can look at the bottom of the story for a complete chart of every neighborhood we looked at from worst to best. Looking for places to avoid outside of the city? You can also check out the worst suburbs of Buffalo.
For more New York reading, check out:
- Best Places To Live In New York
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- Most Dangerous Places In New York
The 10 Worst Neighborhoods In Buffalo For 2021
/10
Population: 1,980
Rank Last Year: 1 (No Change)
Median Home Value: $22,540 (4th worst)
Median Income: $17,900 (worst)
More on Emerson: Data
/10
Population: 7,184
Rank Last Year: 2 (No Change)
Median Home Value: $21,479 (2nd worst)
Median Income: $19,697 (2nd worst)
More on Broadway-Fillmore: Data
/10
Population: 3,160
Rank Last Year: 3 (No Change)
Median Home Value: $23,860 (5th worst)
Median Income: $26,499 (15th worst)
More on Babcock: Data
/10
Population: 2,485
Rank Last Year: 4 (No Change)
Median Home Value: $37,900 (11th worst)
Median Income: $26,230 (14th worst)
More on South Ellicott: Data
/10
Population: 3,027
Rank Last Year: 5 (No Change)
Median Home Value: $29,600 (7th worst)
Median Income: $22,626 (5th worst)
More on Mlk Park: Data
/10
Population: 1,426
Rank Last Year: 7 (Up 1)
Median Home Value: $33,867 (9th worst)
Median Income: $24,727 (10th worst)
More on Emslie: Data
/10
Population: 683
Rank Last Year: 6 (Down 1)
Median Home Value: $21,800 (3rd worst)
Median Income: $21,396 (3rd worst)
More on Squaw Island: Data
/10
Population: 1,641
Rank Last Year: 8 (No Change)
Median Home Value: $24,533 (6th worst)
Median Income: $22,075 (4th worst)
More on First Ward: Data
/10
Population: 4,197
Rank Last Year: 9 (No Change)
Median Home Value: $34,230 (10th worst)
Median Income: $25,572 (12th worst)
More on Genesee Moselle: Data
/10
Population: 5,425
Rank Last Year: 12 (Up 2)
Median Home Value: $18,575 (worst)
Median Income: $28,327 (19th worst)
More on Grider: Data
How we determined the worst Buffalo hoods in 2021
To figure out how bad a place is to live in, we only needed to know what kinds of things people like and then decide what places have the least amount of those things. We threw the following criteria into this analysis in order to get the best, most complete results possible. We used this set of criteria for each neighborhood in Buffalo:
- High unemployment (Less jobs)
- Low median income (Less pay)
- Low population density (No things to do)
- Low home values (No one's willing to pay to live here)
- High crime (Estimated)
Then, we ranked each neighborhood in Buffalo, New York for each of these criteria from worst to best.
Next, we averaged the individual rankings for each criteria into a "Worst Score".
The neighborhood with the lowest "Worst Score" ranks as the worst neighborhood of Buffalo.
Read on below to learn more about these terrible places around Buffalo to live. Or skip to the end to see the list of all 50 neighborhoods ranked from worst to best.
This list is a scientific analysis based on real data and is completely unbiased. Hold on to your pants.
The 'hoods around Buffalo that are really hoods
Well there you have it -- the worst of the neighborhoods in Buffalo with Emerson landing at the bottom of the pack.
As we mentioned earlier, the neighborhoods in Buffalo aren't all bad. South Abbott takes the cake as the best place to live in Buffalo.
We ranked the neighborhoods from worst to best in the chart below.
For more New York reading, check out:
- Richest Cities In New York
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- Worst Places To Live In New York State
Where Are The Worst Neighborhoods To Live In Buffalo For 2021?
| Rank | Neighborhood | Population |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Emerson | 1,980 |
| 2 | Broadway-Fillmore | 7,184 |
| 3 | Babcock | 3,160 |
| 4 | South Ellicott | 2,485 |
| 5 | Mlk Park | 3,027 |
| 6 | Emslie | 1,426 |
| 7 | Squaw Island | 683 |
| 8 | First Ward | 1,641 |
| 9 | Genesee Moselle | 4,197 |
| 10 | Grider | 5,425 |
| 11 | Schiller Park | 10,387 |
| 12 | Masten Park | 2,526 |
| 13 | Kingsley | 3,056 |
| 14 | Lovejoy | 7,787 |
| 15 | Valley | 835 |
| 16 | Black Rock | 6,015 |
| 17 | Leroy | 5,379 |
| 18 | Medical Park | 2,039 |
| 19 | Tifft | 1,327 |
| 20 | Military | 4,259 |
| 21 | Lasalle | 8,445 |
| 22 | Kenfield | 7,067 |
| 23 | Riverside Park | 11,574 |
| 24 | Columbus | 2,597 |
| 25 | Willert Park | 4,679 |
| 26 | North Delaware | 2,300 |
| 27 | Triangle | 3,876 |
| 28 | Delaware Park | 1,815 |
| 29 | Seneca | 2,834 |
| 30 | Waterfront | 959 |
| 31 | Cazenovia Park | 5,471 |
| 32 | Kaisertown | 5,166 |
| 33 | Bryant | 5,717 |
| 34 | Kensington | 10,344 |
| 35 | Grant Ferry | 7,182 |
| 36 | South Park | 6,430 |
| 37 | University | 5,400 |
| 38 | Front Park | 11,957 |
| 39 | Hamlin Park | 7,022 |
| 40 | Allen | 3,189 |
| 41 | Lakeview | 3,509 |
| 42 | Forest | 10,837 |
| 43 | Park Meadow | 3,327 |
| 44 | Abbott Mckinley | 7,089 |
| 45 | Parkside | 2,507 |
| 46 | Delaware-West Ferry | 5,803 |
| 47 | Albright | 2,910 |
| 48 | North Park | 14,742 |
| 49 | Starin Central | 5,695 |
| 50 | South Abbott | 3,622 |
