Chula Vista’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 Chula Vista.
And while the city consistently ranks as one of the best places to live in California thanks in part to tons of entertainment and jobs, it’s not all rainbows and sunshine in Chula Vista. Some neighborhoods aren’t as safe as others.
So the question arises, which Chula Vista neighborhoods are the most dangerous and which are the safest?
Today, we’ll use Saturday Night Science to determine which Chula Vista hoods need a little tender loving care – the sore thumbs of the Chula Vista area if you will. Realistically, you can’t expect all the neighborhoods to be amazing, although Bonita Long Canyon ranks way above the rest.
We examined 17 of Chula Vista’s neighborhoods to find out the most dangerous places to live. These places don’t quite measure up to Chula Vista’s reputation.
Table Of Contents: Top 10 | Methodology | Summary | Table
So what’s the worst neighborhood to live in Chula Vista for 2025? According to the most recent census data, Southwest looks to be the worst neighborhood in Chula Vista.
Read on to see how we determined the places around Chula Vista that need a pick-me-up. And remember, don’t blame the messenger.
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The 10 Most Dangerous Neighborhoods In Chula Vista For 2025
/10
Population: 71,535
Violent Crimes Per 100k: 432
Property Crime Per 100k: 1,664
Median Home Value: $378,400 (2nd worst)
Median Income: $69,052 (2nd worst)
More on Southwest: Data
/10
Population: 50,904
Violent Crimes Per 100k: 856
Property Crime Per 100k: 2,529
Median Home Value: $452,070 (9th worst)
Median Income: $63,838 (worst)
More on Northwest: Data
/10
Population: 8,360
Violent Crimes Per 100k: 353
Property Crime Per 100k: 1,904
Median Home Value: $420,850 (5th worst)
Median Income: $93,074 (5th worst)
More on Rancho Del Rey: Data
/10
Population: 203
Violent Crimes Per 100k: 2,103
Property Crime Per 100k: 5,581
Median Home Value: $402,300 (4th worst)
Median Income: $110,682 (10th worst)
More on Village Center: Data
/10
Population: 5,839
Violent Crimes Per 100k: 153
Property Crime Per 100k: 970
Median Home Value: $318,760 (worst)
Median Income: $85,520 (3rd worst)
More on East Lake: Data
/10
Population: 8,064
Violent Crimes Per 100k: 274
Property Crime Per 100k: 939
Median Home Value: $448,400 (8th worst)
Median Income: $89,631 (4th worst)
More on Sunbow: Data
/10
Population: 4,293
Violent Crimes Per 100k: 289
Property Crime Per 100k: 1,653
Median Home Value: $631,680 (16th worst)
Median Income: $107,942 (8th worst)
More on Terra Nova: Data
/10
Population: 1,428
Violent Crimes Per 100k: 245
Property Crime Per 100k: 1,587
Median Home Value: $402,300 (4th worst)
Median Income: $110,226 (9th worst)
More on Fenton St: Data
/10
Population: 416
Violent Crimes Per 100k: 336
Property Crime Per 100k: 1,239
Median Home Value: $524,000 (11th worst)
Median Income: $111,047 (11th worst)
More on Yosemite Dr: Data
/10
Population: 3,749
Violent Crimes Per 100k: 155
Property Crime Per 100k: 827
Median Home Value: $423,000 (6th worst)
Median Income: $128,051 (14th worst)
More on Eastlake Vistas: Data
Methodology: How we determined the most dangerous Chula Vista neighborhoods in 2025
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 plugged the following criteria into Saturday Night Science to get the worst neighborhoods in Chula Vista:
- High crime (Estimated)
- 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)
Then, we ranked each neighborhood in Chula Vista, California for each of these criteria from worst to best.
Next, we averaged the individual rankings for each criterion into a “Worst Score.”
The neighborhood with the lowest “Worst Score” ranks as the most dangerous neighborhood of Chula Vista.
The article is an opinion based on facts and is meant as infotainment. We updated this article for 2025. This report is our time ranking the worst neighborhoods to live in Chula Vista.
Skip to the end to see the list of all 17 neighborhoods ranked from worst to best.
Summary: The Worst Neighborhoods Around Chula Vista
Well, there you have it — the worst of the neighborhoods in Chula Vista with Southwest landing at the bottom of the pack.
The worst neighborhoods in Chula Vista are Southwest, Northwest, Rancho Del Rey, Village Center, East Lake, Sunbow, Terra Nova, Fenton St, Yosemite Dr, and Eastlake Vistas.
As mentioned earlier, the neighborhoods in Chula Vista aren’t all bad. Bonita Long Canyon takes the cake as the best place to live in Chula Vista.
The best neighborhoods in Chula Vista are Bonita Long Canyon, Eastlake Trails, Paseo Ranchoero, Lynwood Hills, and Otay Ranch.
We ranked the neighborhoods from worst to best in the chart below.
For more California reading, check out:
Most Dangerous Neighborhoods To Live In Chula Vista For 2025?
| Rank | Neighborhood | Population | Home Value | Median Income |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Southwest | 71,535 | $378,400 | $69,052 |
| 2 | Northwest | 50,904 | $452,070 | $63,838 |
| 3 | Rancho Del Rey | 8,360 | $420,850 | $93,074 |
| 4 | Village Center | 203 | $402,300 | $110,682 |
| 5 | East Lake | 5,839 | $318,760 | $85,520 |
| 6 | Sunbow | 8,064 | $448,400 | $89,631 |
| 7 | Terra Nova | 4,293 | $631,680 | $107,942 |
| 8 | Fenton St | 1,428 | $402,300 | $110,226 |
| 9 | Yosemite Dr | 416 | $524,000 | $111,047 |
| 10 | Eastlake Vistas | 3,749 | $423,000 | $128,051 |
| 11 | Rolling Hills Ranch | 7,360 | $529,600 | $142,259 |
| 12 | Estlake Greens | 10,447 | $443,800 | $104,496 |
| 13 | Otay Ranch | 36,764 | $503,922 | $128,495 |
| 14 | Lynwood Hills | 5,228 | $567,200 | $93,637 |
| 15 | Paseo Ranchoero | 6,260 | $608,950 | $111,716 |
| 16 | Eastlake Trails | 2,782 | $615,600 | $137,549 |
| 17 | Bonita Long Canyon | 2,163 | $656,033 | $119,463 |