El Paso’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 El Paso.
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 El Paso. Some neighborhoods aren’t as safe as others.
So the question arises, which El Paso neighborhoods are the most dangerous and which are the safest?
Today, we’ll use Saturday Night Science to determine which El Paso hoods need a little tender loving care – the sore thumbs of the El Paso area if you will. Realistically, you can’t expect all the neighborhoods to be amazing, although Rim Area ranks way above the rest.
We examined 47 of El Paso’s neighborhoods to find out the most dangerous places to live. These places don’t quite measure up to El Paso’s reputation.
Table Of Contents: Top 10 | Methodology | Summary | Table
So what’s the worst neighborhood to live in El Paso for 2025? According to the most recent census data, South Mesa looks to be the worst neighborhood in El Paso.
Read on to see how we determined the places around El Paso 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 El Paso For 2025
Population: 649
Violent Crimes Per 100k: 538
Property Crime Per 100k: 2,590
Median Home Value: $38,300 (2nd worst)
Median Income: $13,676 (worst)
More on South Mesa: Data
/10
Population: 223
Violent Crimes Per 100k: 538
Property Crime Per 100k: 2,590
Median Home Value: $38,300 (2nd worst)
Median Income: $18,594 (5th worst)
More on Chihuahuita: Data
/10
Population: 1,585
Violent Crimes Per 100k: 527
Property Crime Per 100k: 2,540
Median Home Value: $62,150 (4th worst)
Median Income: $14,837 (3rd worst)
More on Magoffin: Data
/10
Population: 2,760
Violent Crimes Per 100k: 538
Property Crime Per 100k: 2,590
Median Home Value: $26,300 (worst)
Median Income: $14,812 (2nd worst)
More on Eagle: Data
/10
Population: 469
Violent Crimes Per 100k: 493
Property Crime Per 100k: 2,372
Median Home Value: $83,333 (8th worst)
Median Income: $21,864 (8th worst)
More on A Presidential Neighborhood: Data
/10
Population: 32
Violent Crimes Per 100k: 438
Property Crime Per 100k: 2,109
Median Home Value: $86,300 (11th worst)
Median Income: $70,240 (40th worst)
More on Buena Vista: Data
/10
Population: 1,404
Violent Crimes Per 100k: 496
Property Crime Per 100k: 2,387
Median Home Value: $83,525 (9th worst)
Median Income: $18,650 (6th worst)
More on Alameda Business: Data
/10
Population: 1,235
Violent Crimes Per 100k: 500
Property Crime Per 100k: 2,407
Median Home Value: $79,700 (6th worst)
Median Income: $18,520 (4th worst)
More on Chamizal: Data
/10
Population: 2,285
Violent Crimes Per 100k: 450
Property Crime Per 100k: 2,167
Median Home Value: $93,360 (15th worst)
Median Income: $21,741 (7th worst)
More on San Juan: Data
/10
Population: 350
Violent Crimes Per 100k: 420
Property Crime Per 100k: 2,022
Median Home Value: $108,450 (25th worst)
Median Income: $26,492 (13th worst)
More on Carpenter: Data
Methodology: How we determined the most dangerous El Paso 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 El Paso:
- 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 El Paso, 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 El Paso.
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 El Paso.
Skip to the end to see the list of all 47 neighborhoods ranked from worst to best.
Summary: The Worst Neighborhoods Around El Paso
Well, there you have it — the worst of the neighborhoods in El Paso with South Mesa landing at the bottom of the pack.
The worst neighborhoods in El Paso are South Mesa, Chihuahuita, Magoffin, Eagle, A Presidential Neighborhood, Buena Vista, Alameda Business, Chamizal, San Juan, and Carpenter.
As mentioned earlier, the neighborhoods in El Paso aren’t all bad. Rim Area takes the cake as the best place to live in El Paso.
The best neighborhoods in El Paso are Rim Area, Cielo Vista, Las Palmas, North Hills, and Montoya Heights.
We ranked the neighborhoods from worst to best in the chart below.
For more Texas reading, check out:
Most Dangerous Neighborhoods To Live In El Paso For 2025?
| Rank | Neighborhood | Population | Home Value | Median Income |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | South Mesa | 649 | $38,300 | $13,676 |
| 2 | Chihuahuita | 223 | $38,300 | $18,594 |
| 3 | Magoffin | 1,585 | $62,150 | $14,837 |
| 4 | Eagle | 2,760 | $26,300 | $14,812 |
| 5 | A Presidential Neighborhood | 469 | $83,333 | $21,864 |
| 6 | Buena Vista | 32 | $86,300 | $70,240 |
| 7 | Alameda Business | 1,404 | $83,525 | $18,650 |
| 8 | Chamizal | 1,235 | $79,700 | $18,520 |
| 9 | San Juan | 2,285 | $93,360 | $21,741 |
| 10 | Carpenter | 350 | $108,450 | $26,492 |
| 11 | Pasadena | 5,766 | $99,400 | $24,596 |
| 12 | Ysleta Mission Valley | 8,622 | $82,650 | $38,065 |
| 13 | Sunset Heights | 2,231 | $98,300 | $50,568 |
| 14 | Central | 42,696 | $106,767 | $35,355 |
| 15 | El Paso Lower Valley | 4,079 | $66,875 | $22,933 |
| 16 | Houston Park | 1,736 | $103,600 | $26,183 |
| 17 | Thomas Manor | 5,004 | $100,650 | $31,475 |
| 18 | United | 3,129 | $90,700 | $31,264 |
| 19 | Golden Hills | 2,684 | $118,533 | $28,285 |
| 20 | Lakeside | 1,821 | $90,500 | $22,921 |
| 21 | Medina | 1,136 | $102,500 | $48,125 |
| 22 | Stoneridge | 132 | $130,100 | $37,422 |
| 23 | Castner Heights | 1,316 | $150,550 | $62,228 |
| 24 | Northeast | 90,100 | $108,274 | $46,403 |
| 25 | Roberts | 4,157 | $114,667 | $34,604 |
| 26 | Lower Valley | 51,733 | $88,900 | $34,999 |
| 27 | Las Tierras | 26,176 | $152,414 | $62,425 |
| 28 | Five Points | 8,981 | $101,469 | $34,093 |
| 29 | Borderland | 2,005 | $156,450 | $62,442 |
| 30 | Manhattan Heights | 1,992 | $106,829 | $39,072 |
| 31 | Redd-Mulberry | 358 | $184,700 | $74,971 |
| 32 | Friends Of Karl Wyler | 828 | $114,200 | $28,887 |
| 33 | Save The Valley 21 | 19,330 | $86,000 | $32,964 |
| 34 | El Paso High | 3,211 | $116,550 | $32,051 |
| 35 | Mission Hills | 3,772 | $156,367 | $69,018 |
| 36 | Mesa Hills | 9,717 | $151,060 | $39,994 |
| 37 | Mountain Arroyos | 2,407 | $223,525 | $91,986 |
| 38 | East Side | 140,105 | $147,856 | $65,511 |
| 39 | Silver Springs Village | 1,916 | $306,533 | $82,054 |
| 40 | Northwest | 91,023 | $195,429 | $79,050 |
| 41 | Album Park | 13,254 | $135,033 | $54,962 |
| 42 | Coronado | 7,626 | $170,650 | $80,715 |
| 43 | Montoya Heights | 1,589 | $171,900 | $59,056 |
| 44 | North Hills | 13,125 | $185,983 | $88,478 |
| 45 | Las Palmas | 1,628 | $178,200 | $60,295 |
| 46 | Cielo Vista | 21,378 | $152,000 | $51,676 |
| 47 | Rim Area | 1,005 | $286,100 | $91,569 |