Grand Rapids’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 Grand Rapids.
And while the city consistently ranks as one of the best places to live in Michigan thanks in part to tons of entertainment and jobs, it’s not all rainbows and sunshine in Grand Rapids. Some neighborhoods aren’t as safe as others.
So the question arises, which Grand Rapids neighborhoods are the most dangerous and which are the safest?
Today, we’ll use Saturday Night Science to determine which Grand Rapids hoods need a little tender loving care – the sore thumbs of the Grand Rapids area if you will. Realistically, you can’t expect all the neighborhoods to be amazing, although Ottawa Hills ranks way above the rest.
We examined 32 of Grand Rapids’s neighborhoods to find out the most dangerous places to live. These places don’t quite measure up to Grand Rapids’s reputation.
Table Of Contents: Top 10 | Methodology | Summary | Table
So what’s the worst neighborhood to live in Grand Rapids for 2025? According to the most recent census data, Black Hills looks to be the worst neighborhood in Grand Rapids.
Read on to see how we determined the places around Grand Rapids that need a pick-me-up. And remember, don’t blame the messenger.
For more Michigan reading, check out:
- Best Places To Live In Michigan
- Cheapest Places To Live In Michigan
- Most Dangerous Places in Michigan
The 10 Most Dangerous Neighborhoods In Grand Rapids For 2025
/10
Population: 590
Violent Crimes Per 100k: 3,059
Property Crime Per 100k: 6,342
Median Home Value: $65,100 (worst)
Median Income: $49,188 (9th worst)
More on Black Hills: Data
/10
Population: 4,161
Violent Crimes Per 100k: 3,809
Property Crime Per 100k: 9,973
Median Home Value: $121,911 (8th worst)
Median Income: $36,130 (2nd worst)
More on South East Community: Data
/10
Population: 6,380
Violent Crimes Per 100k: 1,168
Property Crime Per 100k: 3,145
Median Home Value: $90,740 (2nd worst)
Median Income: $40,341 (4th worst)
More on Roosevelt Park: Data
/10
Population: 2,354
Violent Crimes Per 100k: 2,000
Property Crime Per 100k: 6,358
Median Home Value: $112,833 (6th worst)
Median Income: $44,480 (6th worst)
More on Oakdale: Data
/10
Population: 3,599
Violent Crimes Per 100k: 937
Property Crime Per 100k: 4,158
Median Home Value: $121,400 (7th worst)
Median Income: $51,944 (14th worst)
More on John Ball Park: Data
/10
Population: 16,637
Violent Crimes Per 100k: 1,419
Property Crime Per 100k: 4,191
Median Home Value: $137,400 (12th worst)
Median Income: $46,842 (8th worst)
More on West Grand: Data
/10
Population: 2,019
Violent Crimes Per 100k: 816
Property Crime Per 100k: 3,369
Median Home Value: $108,150 (5th worst)
Median Income: $53,517 (16th worst)
More on Fuller Avenue: Data
/10
Population: 3,424
Violent Crimes Per 100k: 1,100
Property Crime Per 100k: 2,682
Median Home Value: $98,940 (4th worst)
Median Income: $37,390 (3rd worst)
More on Madison Area: Data
/10
Population: 17,372
Violent Crimes Per 100k: 1,043
Property Crime Per 100k: 3,485
Median Home Value: $94,325 (3rd worst)
Median Income: $50,192 (11th worst)
More on Garfield Park: Data
/10
Population: 213
Violent Crimes Per 100k: 1,105
Property Crime Per 100k: 1,597
Median Home Value: $158,400 (15th worst)
Median Income: $35,821 (worst)
More on Auburn Hill: Data
Methodology: How we determined the most dangerous Grand Rapids 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 Grand Rapids:
- 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 Grand Rapids, Michigan 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 Grand Rapids.
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 Grand Rapids.
Skip to the end to see the list of all 32 neighborhoods ranked from worst to best.
Summary: The Worst Neighborhoods Around Grand Rapids
Well, there you have it — the worst of the neighborhoods in Grand Rapids with Black Hills landing at the bottom of the pack.
The worst neighborhoods in Grand Rapids are Black Hills, South East Community, Roosevelt Park, Oakdale, John Ball Park, West Grand, Fuller Avenue, Madison Area, Garfield Park, and Auburn Hill.
As mentioned earlier, the neighborhoods in Grand Rapids aren’t all bad. Ottawa Hills takes the cake as the best place to live in Grand Rapids.
The best neighborhoods in Grand Rapids are Ottawa Hills, Millbrook, Eastown, East Hills, and Westside Connection.
We ranked the neighborhoods from worst to best in the chart below.
For more Michigan reading, check out:
Most Dangerous Neighborhoods To Live In Grand Rapids For 2025?
| Rank | Neighborhood | Population | Home Value | Median Income |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Black Hills | 590 | $65,100 | $49,188 |
| 2 | South East Community | 4,161 | $121,911 | $36,130 |
| 3 | Roosevelt Park | 6,380 | $90,740 | $40,341 |
| 4 | Oakdale | 2,354 | $112,833 | $44,480 |
| 5 | John Ball Park | 3,599 | $121,400 | $51,944 |
| 6 | West Grand | 16,637 | $137,400 | $46,842 |
| 7 | Fuller Avenue | 2,019 | $108,150 | $53,517 |
| 8 | Madison Area | 3,424 | $98,940 | $37,390 |
| 9 | Garfield Park | 17,372 | $94,325 | $50,192 |
| 10 | Auburn Hill | 213 | $158,400 | $35,821 |
| 11 | South East End | 4,401 | $142,933 | $51,873 |
| 12 | Swan | 5,037 | $173,950 | $49,516 |
| 13 | South Hill | 899 | $207,300 | $46,503 |
| 14 | Alger Heights | 4,344 | $136,233 | $57,904 |
| 15 | Belknap Lookout | 4,731 | $217,267 | $54,761 |
| 16 | Heartside | 3,513 | $256,700 | $41,543 |
| 17 | Heritage Hill | 3,739 | $238,709 | $50,454 |
| 18 | Baxter | 2,872 | $134,267 | $57,251 |
| 19 | Norteast Citizens Action | 11,383 | $213,238 | $72,959 |
| 20 | Highland Park | 3,324 | $131,500 | $56,041 |
| 21 | Fulton Heights | 1,034 | $180,800 | $88,668 |
| 22 | Midtown | 3,870 | $186,875 | $52,263 |
| 23 | Creston | 26,114 | $150,367 | $59,171 |
| 24 | Eastgate | 701 | $179,400 | $69,995 |
| 25 | Cherry Run | 739 | $163,000 | $76,768 |
| 26 | Ridgemoor | 2,640 | $237,600 | $68,114 |
| 27 | Michgan Oaks | 1,776 | $178,800 | $67,069 |
| 28 | Westside Connection | 11,928 | $169,860 | $67,886 |
| 29 | East Hills | 3,683 | $175,650 | $58,922 |
| 30 | Eastown | 4,843 | $248,925 | $78,280 |
| 31 | Millbrook | 6,637 | $188,000 | $70,289 |
| 32 | Ottawa Hills | 800 | $333,700 | $70,679 |