The 10 Worst Neighborhoods In Eugene For 2022


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

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Eugene'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 Eugene.

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

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

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

We examined 22 of Eugene's neighborhoods to find out the worst places to live. These places don't quite measure up to Eugene's reputation.

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

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

For more Oregon reading, check out:

Worst Neighborhoods In Eugene

The 10 Worst Neighborhoods In Eugene For 2022

Overall SnackAbility

4
/10

Population: 3,801
Rank Last Year: 1 (No Change)
Median Home Value: $171,986 (4th worst)
Median Income: $32,064 (7th worst)
More on West Eugene:  Data

Overall SnackAbility

5
/10

Population: 2,568
Rank Last Year: 2 (No Change)
Median Home Value: $177,000 (5th worst)
Median Income: $22,500 (4th worst)
More on U Of O Campus:  Data

Overall SnackAbility

5
/10

Population: 7,119
Rank Last Year: 3 (No Change)
Median Home Value: $53,333 (worst)
Median Income: $10,672 (worst)
More on West University:  Data

Overall SnackAbility

5
/10

Population: 2,389
Rank Last Year: 4 (No Change)
Median Home Value: $157,967 (3rd worst)
Median Income: $32,569 (8th worst)
More on Trainsong:  Data

Overall SnackAbility

4
/10

Population: 3,646
Rank Last Year: 5 (No Change)
Median Home Value: $194,400 (7th worst)
Median Income: $23,607 (5th worst)
More on Whiteaker:  Data

Overall SnackAbility

5
/10

Population: 3,345
Rank Last Year: 6 (No Change)
Median Home Value: $209,729 (9th worst)
Median Income: $15,041 (2nd worst)
More on Downtown:  Data

Overall SnackAbility

6
/10

Population: 26,225
Rank Last Year: 7 (No Change)
Median Home Value: $147,138 (2nd worst)
Median Income: $46,446 (11th worst)
More on Active Bethel:  Data

Overall SnackAbility

7
/10

Population: 4,552
Rank Last Year: 8 (No Change)
Median Home Value: $189,800 (6th worst)
Median Income: $44,386 (9th worst)
More on Far West:  Data

Overall SnackAbility

7
/10

Population: 2,906
Rank Last Year: 9 (No Change)
Median Home Value: $212,000 (10th worst)
Median Income: $64,718 (20th worst)
More on Industrial Corridor:  Data

Overall SnackAbility

8
/10

Population: 12,412
Rank Last Year: 10 (No Change)
Median Home Value: $204,333 (8th worst)
Median Income: $45,660 (10th worst)
More on River Road:  Data

Methodology: How we determined the worst Eugene 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 Eugene:

  • 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 Eugene, Oregon 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 Eugene.

Read on below to learn more about these terrible places around Eugene to live. Or skip to the end to see the list of all 22 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 Eugene

Well there you have it -- the worst of the neighborhoods in Eugene with West Eugene landing at the bottom of the pack.

As we mentioned earlier, the neighborhoods in Eugene aren't all bad. Laurel Hill Valley takes the cake as the best place to live in Eugene.

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

For more Oregon reading, check out:

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

Rank Neighborhood Population Home Value Median Income
1 West Eugene 3,801 $171,986 $32,064
2 U Of O Campus 2,568 $177,000 $22,500
3 West University 7,119 $53,333 $10,672
4 Trainsong 2,389 $157,967 $32,569
5 Whiteaker 3,646 $194,400 $23,607
6 Downtown 3,345 $209,729 $15,041
7 Active Bethel 26,225 $147,138 $46,446
8 Far West 4,552 $189,800 $44,386
9 Industrial Corridor 2,906 $212,000 $64,718
10 River Road 12,412 $204,333 $45,660
11 South University 3,766 $295,033 $15,640
12 Jefferson Westside 7,091 $261,362 $29,215
13 Santa Clara 17,754 $231,057 $63,060
14 Cal Young 19,815 $241,807 $59,779
15 Southeast 11,881 $282,182 $62,647
16 Harlow 12,889 $231,329 $49,402
17 Churchill Area 9,308 $281,330 $63,726
18 Amazon 1,557 $335,250 $50,672
19 Fairmount 4,307 $397,825 $58,499
20 Crest Drive 5,124 $305,433 $80,871
21 Friendly Area 7,954 $285,222 $54,232
22 Laurel Hill Valley 636 $358,450 $98,060

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 Eugene.

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.