The 10 Most Dangerous And Worst Neighborhoods In Dallas, TX


The most dangerous and worst Dallas neighborhoods are South Boulevard-Park Row and Northwest Dallas for 2024 based on Saturday Night Science.

Worst Neighborhoods In Dallas
Source: Flickr User TexasExplorer98 | CC BY 2.0

Dallas’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 Dallas.

And while the city consistently ranks as one of the best places to live in Texas thanks in part to tons of entertainment and jobs, it’s not all rainbows and sunshine in Dallas. Some neighborhoods aren’t as safe as others.

So the question arises, which Dallas neighborhoods are the most dangerous and which are the safest?

Today, we’ll use Saturday Night Science to determine which Dallas hoods need a little tender loving care – the sore thumbs of the Dallas area if you will. Realistically, you can’t expect all the neighborhoods to be amazing, although University Park ranks way above the rest.

We examined 32 of Dallas’s neighborhoods to find out the most dangerous places to live. These places don’t quite measure up to Dallas’s reputation.


Table Of Contents: Top 10 | Methodology | Summary | Table


The Most Dangerous Neighborhoods In Dallas For 2024

  1. South Boulevard-Park Row
  2. Northwest Dallas
  3. Cedar Crest
  4. Urbandale-Parkdale
  5. South Dallas
  6. Cockrell Hill
  7. Convention Center District
  8. Love Field Area
  9. Five Mile Creek
  10. Eagle Ford

So what’s the worst neighborhood to live in Dallas for 2024? According to the most recent census data, South Boulevard-Park Row looks to be the worst neighborhood in Dallas.

Read on to see how we determined the places around Dallas that need a pick-me-up. And remember, don’t blame the messenger.

For more Texas reading, check out:

The 10 Most Dangerous Neighborhoods In Dallas For 2024

South Boulevard-Park Row Dallas, TX

Source: Wikipedia User Renelibrary | CC BY-SA 3.0
Overall SnackAbility

4
/10

Population: 26,359
Violent Crimes Per 100k: 3,255
Property Crime Per 100k: 6,462
Median Home Value: $64,083 (worst)
Median Income: $30,213 (worst)
More on South Boulevard-Park Row:  Data

A small neighborhood in southeast Dallas, South Boulevard-Park Row has an exclusive air. Sold as a historic district, it contains houses dating back to 1910. Many local homes represent important architectural landmarks as well, with examples of the Prairie School and Craftsman bungalows.

Problem is: most of the money to build those structures was earned more than a century ago. These days, it’s harder to find the cash for upscale places to live. Now, the median income sits at $30,213 and the unemployment rate hovers at 4.4%.

Northwest Dallas Dallas, TX

Source: Wikipedia User J. P. Fagerback | CC BY-SA 3.0
Overall SnackAbility

2
/10

Population: 3,961
Violent Crimes Per 100k: 1,243
Property Crime Per 100k: 5,072
Median Home Value: $127,100 (8th worst)
Median Income: $45,819 (10th worst)
More on Northwest Dallas:  Data

There’s plenty to do in Northwest Dallas. You’ll find lots of hotels, shops, and restaurants. The area also houses the Asian Trade District. And, if you feel like getting out of town, you can head over to the Love Field airport, just to the south of the neighborhood.

Of course, a plane ticket might be hard to afford for most locals. The median income comes in at a miniscule $45,819. Those low wages put homeownership out of reach for many, even with a median home value of just $127,100. Still, a paycheck is a paycheck. Fully 9.8% of the area can’t find a job at all.

Overall SnackAbility

4
/10

Population: 67,875
Violent Crimes Per 100k: 1,724
Property Crime Per 100k: 3,751
Median Home Value: $83,769 (4th worst)
Median Income: $33,363 (2nd worst)
More on Cedar Crest:  Data

When you live in a sprawling metropolis like Dallas, it’s nice to find ways to stay in touch with nature. In that regard, the appropriately named Cedar Crest provides some relief. Sure, for the most part, it’s just another urban neighborhood. But you can also commune with wild beasts or enjoy a pleasant walk on the grass.

Take what you can get. Because the realities of city life hit pretty hard in other parts of Cedar Crest. This is especially true on the economic front. Locals face an unemployment rate of 4.4% and a median income of just $33,363.

Overall SnackAbility

5
/10

Population: 25,716
Violent Crimes Per 100k: 1,082
Property Crime Per 100k: 4,044
Median Home Value: $78,462 (2nd worst)
Median Income: $33,974 (3rd worst)
More on Urbandale-Parkdale:  Data

For such a small neighborhood, Urbandale-Parkdale comes with, well…a lot of parks. Guess the “Parkdale” part pretty much nails it. You’ve got the actual Parkdale Park on the north side of the area and Lawnview Park to the south. You’ve even got Parkdale Lake and the White Rock Creek. Country living, right here in the city.

Well, not quite. There is that “Urbandale” part to deal with. Locals face many of the issues associated with an urban landscape, including poverty and financial struggles. Those come about as a result of a $33,974 median income. On the bright side, the unemployment rate won’t make you choke at 4.6% and home prices are affordable at a median level of $78,462.

South Dallas Dallas, TX

Source: Wikipedia User Michael Barera | CC BY-SA 4.0
Overall SnackAbility

3
/10

Population: 31,153
Violent Crimes Per 100k: 1,717
Property Crime Per 100k: 4,920
Median Home Value: $92,479 (5th worst)
Median Income: $35,903 (4th worst)
More on South Dallas:  Data

South Dallas mostly represents an urban area. In the northern end of the district, close to downtown, you’ll find a web of Interstate interchanges and a view of the high rises at the center of the city. But the area has its share of green spaces too, especially along the fringes. You can head to William Blair Jr. Park and Fair Park to escape the glass and asphalt.

You might not be able to escape the economic worry however. An elevated unemployment rate and a reliance on low-paying jobs leaves this area at number 5 on the list of Dallas’s worst neighborhoods in 2024. That comes as the unemployment rate hits 2.4% and the median income stands at $35,903.

Overall SnackAbility

7
/10

Population: 4,240
Violent Crimes Per 100k: 1,249
Property Crime Per 100k: 5,097
Median Home Value: $83,650 (3rd worst)
Median Income: $42,243 (6th worst)
More on Cockrell Hill:  Data

Overall SnackAbility

9
/10

Population: 1,178
Violent Crimes Per 100k: 1,591
Property Crime Per 100k: 9,612
Median Home Value: $557,200 (26th worst)
Median Income: $85,179 (19th worst)
More on Convention Center District:  Data

Overall SnackAbility

6
/10

Population: 12,066
Violent Crimes Per 100k: 895
Property Crime Per 100k: 4,988
Median Home Value: $258,800 (14th worst)
Median Income: $44,328 (7th worst)
More on Love Field Area:  Data

Love Field sounds like either a hippie commune or a particularly naughty part of town. In this case, neither applies. This Love Field is actually Dallas’s airport.

Well, one of Dallas’s airports. True to a neighborhood that ranks as the number 8 worst spot in Dallas for 2024, it isn’t even the city’s main source of air transportation. For that, you’ll have to head northwest of downtown for the Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport. But Love Field still pulls its weight. It represents the operating base of Southwest Airlines.

Living near an airport isn’t always a pleasant experience. It’s not a shock, then, that the Love Field Area generally attracts people looking for a discount on real estate.

Overall SnackAbility

5
/10

Population: 6,958
Violent Crimes Per 100k: 976
Property Crime Per 100k: 2,741
Median Home Value: $163,380 (11th worst)
Median Income: $40,307 (5th worst)
More on Five Mile Creek:  Data

Five Mile Creek is a small, triangle-shaped neighborhood in the southwest part of town. Its borders are defined by the I-35, Highway 67, and W. Ledbetter Dr. You’ll find the actual Five Mile Creek running through the southern part of the neighborhood, right by the Big T Plaza shopping mall.

As has become common on this list, Five Mile Creek slots in as the number 9 worst location in Dallas because of its stagnant economy. If you get a job at the Big T, you’re likely not going to earn very much. The median income tracks at $40,307, while the unemployment rate equals 4.6%.

Overall SnackAbility

5
/10

Population: 28,708
Violent Crimes Per 100k: 979
Property Crime Per 100k: 3,750
Median Home Value: $193,400 (12th worst)
Median Income: $52,788 (12th worst)
More on Eagle Ford:  Data

The “ford” part of Eagle Ford refers to fording the Trinity River, which forms the northern boundary of this neighborhood. In the old days, the community served as an important river crossing. It remained a thinly populated town into the 20th century. However, in the 1950s, a fast-growing city of Dallas absorbed Eagle Ford.

Maybe it would have been better off on its own. Instead, it now ranks as the number 10 worst area of Dallas in 2024.

The economy represents the main challenge to the area. Good-paying jobs are difficult to find. The unemployment rate stands at 4.2% and the median income hovers at $52,788.

Methodology: How we determined the most dangerous Dallas neighborhoods in 2024

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 Dallas:

  • 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 Dallas, Texas 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 Dallas.

The article is an opinion based on facts and is meant as infotainment. We updated this article for 2024. This report is our time ranking the worst neighborhoods to live in Dallas.

Skip to the end to see the list of all 32 neighborhoods ranked from worst to best.

Summary: The Worst Neighborhoods Around Dallas

Well, there you have it — the worst of the neighborhoods in Dallas with South Boulevard-Park Row landing at the bottom of the pack.

The worst neighborhoods in Dallas are South Boulevard-Park Row, Northwest Dallas, Cedar Crest, Urbandale-Parkdale, South Dallas, Cockrell Hill, Convention Center District, Love Field Area, Five Mile Creek, and Eagle Ford.

As mentioned earlier, the neighborhoods in Dallas aren’t all bad. University Park takes the cake as the best place to live in Dallas.

The best neighborhoods in Dallas are University Park, Highland Park, Bluffview, m Streets, and North Dallas.

We ranked the neighborhoods from worst to best in the chart below.

For more Texas reading, check out:

Most Dangerous Neighborhoods To Live In Dallas For 2024?

Rank Neighborhood Population Home Value Median Income
1 South Boulevard-Park Row 26,359 $64,083 $30,213
2 Northwest Dallas 3,961 $127,100 $45,819
3 Cedar Crest 67,875 $83,769 $33,363
4 Urbandale-Parkdale 25,716 $78,462 $33,974
5 South Dallas 31,153 $92,479 $35,903
6 Cockrell Hill 4,240 $83,650 $42,243
7 Convention Center District 1,178 $557,200 $85,179
8 Love Field Area 12,066 $258,800 $44,328
9 Five Mile Creek 6,958 $163,380 $40,307
10 Eagle Ford 28,708 $193,400 $52,788
11 Southwest Dallas 104,394 $157,393 $55,405
12 Southeast Dallas 140,736 $100,293 $45,220
13 Wolf Creek 39,134 $122,264 $44,602
14 Reunion District 1,195 $423,700 $92,419
15 Government District 1,020 $470,667 $86,907
16 Oak Cliff 32,008 $324,779 $66,666
17 Lake Highlands 56,536 $221,715 $60,724
18 Farmers Market District 2,272 $465,100 $80,218
19 Winnetka Heights 62,164 $139,384 $51,829
20 Near East 10,551 $1,384,150 $99,147
21 Main Street District 1,106 $427,400 $87,772
22 West End Historic District 1,277 $978,450 $90,862
23 Northeast Dallas 236,985 $309,550 $78,164
24 Preston Hollow 80,473 $307,948 $102,440
25 Far North 160,928 $326,434 $78,733
26 City Center District 2,636 $581,167 $89,039
27 Oak Lawn 55,334 $374,958 $85,394
28 North Dallas 40,580 $493,756 $118,668
29 M Streets 34,205 $470,647 $106,301
30 Bluffview 13,662 $559,310 $106,446
31 Highland Park 8,797 $1,383,288 $197,247
32 University Park 24,259 $1,176,311 $198,578
About Nick Johnson

Nick Johnson earned his masters in Business Administration from the Drucker School At Claremont Graduate University. He has written for 39 publications across the country and ran the media relations department at Movoto, a real estate portal based in San Francisco. He has been featured in over 500 publications as an expert in real estate and as an authority on real estate trends.

Nick's the creator of the HomeSnacks YouTube channel that now has over 260,000 subscribers and is an excellent source to learn about different parts of the country.