The 10 Worst Neighborhoods In Durham For 2022


We used data and science to identify the neighborhoods in Durham that are the real pits.

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Durham'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 Durham.

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 Durham. Some neighborhoods aren't as great as others.

So the question arises, which Durham neighborhoods are the worst, and which are the best?

Today, we'll use science and data to determine which Durham hoods need a little tender loving care - the sore thumbs of the Durham area if you will. Realistically, you can't expect all the neighborhoods to be amazing, although Parkside ranks way above the rest.

We examined 41 of Durham's neighborhoods to find out the worst places to live. These places don't quite measure up to Durham's reputation.

So what's the worst neighborhood to live in Durham for 2022? According to the most recent census data, Campus Hill looks to be the worst neighborhood in Durham.

Read on to see how we determined the places around Durham 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 Durham.

For more North Carolina reading, check out:

Worst Neighborhoods In Durham
Source: Public domain

The 10 Worst Neighborhoods In Durham For 2022

Overall SnackAbility

4
/10

Population: 488
Rank Last Year: 1 (No Change)
Median Home Value: $113,703 (8th worst)
Median Income: $27,722 (6th worst)
More on Campus Hill:  Data

#1 Worst Neighborhood In Durham

Overall SnackAbility

4
/10

Population: 715
Rank Last Year: 2 (No Change)
Median Home Value: $115,922 (9th worst)
Median Income: $30,008 (11th worst)
More on Southeast Durham Joint Community Council:  Data

#2 Worst Neighborhood In Durham

Overall SnackAbility

4
/10

Population: 262
Rank Last Year: 3 (No Change)
Median Home Value: $83,749 (4th worst)
Median Income: $23,602 (worst)
More on Plum Street:  Data

#3 Worst Neighborhood In Durham

Overall SnackAbility

6
/10

Population: 8,814
Rank Last Year: 4 (No Change)
Median Home Value: $299,859 (34th worst)
Median Income: $25,247 (3rd worst)
More on Duke University:  Data

#4 Worst Neighborhood In Durham

Overall SnackAbility

5
/10

Population: 2,043
Rank Last Year: 5 (No Change)
Median Home Value: $81,073 (worst)
Median Income: $32,460 (13th worst)
More on Y. E. Smith Community Organization:  Data

#5 Worst Neighborhood In Durham

Overall SnackAbility

6
/10

Population: 2,753
Rank Last Year: 6 (No Change)
Median Home Value: $245,167 (26th worst)
Median Income: $33,147 (14th worst)
More on Duke Forest:  Data

#6 Worst Neighborhood In Durham

Overall SnackAbility

6
/10

Population: 1,226
Rank Last Year: 7 (No Change)
Median Home Value: $132,833 (10th worst)
Median Income: $48,778 (29th worst)
More on Duke Homestead:  Data

#7 Worst Neighborhood In Durham

Overall SnackAbility

5
/10

Population: 3,521
Rank Last Year: 8 (No Change)
Median Home Value: $83,731 (3rd worst)
Median Income: $25,537 (4th worst)
More on Northeast Central Durham:  Data

#8 Worst Neighborhood In Durham

Overall SnackAbility

5
/10

Population: 1,636
Rank Last Year: 9 (No Change)
Median Home Value: $82,410 (2nd worst)
Median Income: $28,669 (8th worst)
More on Wellons Village:  Data

#9 Worst Neighborhood In Durham

Overall SnackAbility

6
/10

Population: 1,207
Rank Last Year: 10 (No Change)
Median Home Value: $209,480 (20th worst)
Median Income: $38,955 (2worst)
More on Stadium Heights:  Data

#10 Worst Neighborhood In Durham

Methodology: How we determined the worst Durham neighborhoods in 2022

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 Durham:

  • 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 Durham, North Carolina 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 Durham.

Read on below to learn more about these terrible places around Durham to live. Or skip to the end to see the list of all 41 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.

Summary: The Worst Neighborhoods Around Durham

Well there you have it -- the worst of the neighborhoods in Durham with Campus Hill landing at the bottom of the pack.

As we mentioned earlier, the neighborhoods in Durham aren't all bad. Parkside takes the cake as the best place to live in Durham.

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

For more North Carolina reading, check out:

Where Are The Worst Neighborhoods To Live In Durham For 2022?

Rank Neighborhood Population Home Value Median Income
1 Campus Hill 488 $113,703 $27,722
2 Southeast Durham Joint Community Council 715 $115,922 $30,008
3 Plum Street 262 $83,749 $23,602
4 Duke University 8,814 $299,859 $25,247
5 Y. E. Smith Community Organization 2,043 $81,073 $32,460
6 Duke Forest 2,753 $245,167 $33,147
7 Duke Homestead 1,226 $132,833 $48,778
8 Northeast Central Durham 3,521 $83,731 $25,537
9 Wellons Village 1,636 $82,410 $28,669
10 Stadium Heights 1,207 $209,480 $38,955
11 Albright Community 826 $100,829 $28,532
12 Old West Durham 2,626 $295,814 $42,458
13 Burch Avenue 533 $299,859 $24,844
14 East Durham 8,949 $86,897 $28,730
15 Fayetteville Street Corridor 9,098 $140,515 $27,210
16 Northgate Park 1,455 $137,362 $44,747
17 North Garrett Road Community 2,691 $223,473 $59,098
18 Valley Run 261 $263,643 $32,204
19 Colonial Village 545 $137,362 $44,091
20 Watts Hospital-Hillandale 2,787 $240,189 $55,992
21 Latta Road 2,029 $181,507 $81,203
22 Orange County Courtesy Review Area 535 $222,463 $48,524
23 Omah Street Citizens 230 $184,116 $56,359
24 Forest Hills 1,647 $342,482 $36,831
25 Parkwood 2,806 $170,885 $67,648
26 Lakewood Park 646 $189,799 $37,969
27 South Durham 26,198 $218,267 $70,538
28 Lyon Park 759 $133,717 $39,700
29 Croasdaile Farm 2,491 $249,823 $59,698
30 Southwest Central Durham 5,272 $238,098 $34,215
31 Old North Durham 1,835 $110,656 $35,838
32 Hope Valley 9,260 $444,276 $67,904
33 West End 1,015 $299,859 $29,666
34 Duke Park 2,162 $177,479 $46,012
35 Tuscaloosa-Lakewood 1,493 $299,859 $38,481
36 Trinity Park 2,538 $272,201 $45,654
37 Morrehead Hill 843 $342,715 $35,473
38 St. Teresa 249 $359,836 $59,097
39 Walltown 1,871 $271,157 $53,573
40 Rockwood 800 $308,157 $57,956
41 Parkside 139 $308,616 $76,071

Editor's Note: This article is an opinion based on facts and is meant as infotainment. Don't freak out we updated this article for 2022. This is our time ranking the worst neighborhoods to live in Durham.

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.