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 Millbrook 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 2024? 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 2024
/10
Population: 590
Violent Crimes Per 100k: 3,294
Property Crime Per 100k: 6,698
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: 3,335
Property Crime Per 100k: 7,780
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: 946
Property Crime Per 100k: 2,153
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: 1,559
Property Crime Per 100k: 4,508
Median Home Value: $112,833 (6th worst)
Median Income: $44,480 (6th worst)
More on Oakdale: Data
/10
Population: 3,424
Violent Crimes Per 100k: 967
Property Crime Per 100k: 2,320
Median Home Value: $98,940 (4th worst)
Median Income: $37,390 (3rd worst)
More on Madison Area: Data
/10
Population: 213
Violent Crimes Per 100k: 1,122
Property Crime Per 100k: 1,693
Median Home Value: $158,400 (15th worst)
Median Income: $35,821 (worst)
More on Auburn Hill: Data
/10
Population: 2,019
Violent Crimes Per 100k: 686
Property Crime Per 100k: 2,579
Median Home Value: $108,150 (5th worst)
Median Income: $53,517 (16th worst)
More on Fuller Avenue: Data
/10
Population: 16,637
Violent Crimes Per 100k: 1,223
Property Crime Per 100k: 3,565
Median Home Value: $137,400 (12th worst)
Median Income: $46,842 (8th worst)
More on West Grand: Data
/10
Population: 899
Violent Crimes Per 100k: 1,290
Property Crime Per 100k: 4,974
Median Home Value: $207,300 (25th worst)
Median Income: $46,503 (7th worst)
More on South Hill: Data
/10
Population: 3,599
Violent Crimes Per 100k: 717
Property Crime Per 100k: 2,190
Median Home Value: $121,400 (7th worst)
Median Income: $51,944 (14th worst)
More on John Ball Park: Data
Methodology: How we determined the most dangerous Grand Rapids 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 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 2024. 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, Madison Area, Auburn Hill, Fuller Avenue, West Grand, South Hill, and John Ball Park.
As mentioned earlier, the neighborhoods in Grand Rapids aren’t all bad. Millbrook takes the cake as the best place to live in Grand Rapids.
The best neighborhoods in Grand Rapids are Millbrook, Ottawa Hills, East Hills, Eastown, and Ridgemoor.
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 2024?
| 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 | Madison Area | 3,424 | $98,940 | $37,390 |
| 6 | Auburn Hill | 213 | $158,400 | $35,821 |
| 7 | Fuller Avenue | 2,019 | $108,150 | $53,517 |
| 8 | West Grand | 16,637 | $137,400 | $46,842 |
| 9 | South Hill | 899 | $207,300 | $46,503 |
| 10 | John Ball Park | 3,599 | $121,400 | $51,944 |
| 11 | Garfield Park | 17,372 | $94,325 | $50,192 |
| 12 | Swan | 5,037 | $173,950 | $49,516 |
| 13 | South East End | 4,401 | $142,933 | $51,873 |
| 14 | Heartside | 3,513 | $256,700 | $41,543 |
| 15 | Baxter | 2,872 | $134,267 | $57,251 |
| 16 | Alger Heights | 4,344 | $136,233 | $57,904 |
| 17 | Belknap Lookout | 4,731 | $217,267 | $54,761 |
| 18 | Highland Park | 3,324 | $131,500 | $56,041 |
| 19 | Heritage Hill | 3,739 | $238,709 | $50,454 |
| 20 | Midtown | 3,870 | $186,875 | $52,263 |
| 21 | Creston | 26,114 | $150,367 | $59,171 |
| 22 | Norteast Citizens Action | 11,383 | $213,238 | $72,959 |
| 23 | Fulton Heights | 1,034 | $180,800 | $88,668 |
| 24 | Eastgate | 701 | $179,400 | $69,995 |
| 25 | Cherry Run | 739 | $163,000 | $76,768 |
| 26 | Michgan Oaks | 1,776 | $178,800 | $67,069 |
| 27 | Westside Connection | 11,928 | $169,860 | $67,886 |
| 28 | Ridgemoor | 2,640 | $237,600 | $68,114 |
| 29 | Eastown | 4,843 | $248,925 | $78,280 |
| 30 | East Hills | 3,683 | $175,650 | $58,922 |
| 31 | Ottawa Hills | 800 | $333,700 | $70,679 |
| 32 | Millbrook | 6,637 | $188,000 | $70,289 |
