The 10 Worst Neighborhoods In Grand Rapids For 2022


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

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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 the country thanks in part to a strong economy and tons of entertainment, it's not all rainbows and sunshine in Grand Rapids. Some neighborhoods aren't as great as others.

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

Today, we'll use science and data 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 Michgan Oaks ranks way above the rest.

We examined 32 of Grand Rapids's neighborhoods to find out the worst places to live. These places don't quite measure up to Grand Rapids's reputation.

So what's the worst neighborhood to live in Grand Rapids for 2022? 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.

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 Grand Rapids.

For more Michigan reading, check out:

Worst Neighborhoods In Grand Rapids

The 10 Worst Neighborhoods In Grand Rapids For 2022

Overall SnackAbility

1
/10

Population: 457
Rank Last Year: 1 (No Change)
Median Home Value: $50,400 (worst)
Median Income: $18,681 (worst)
More on Black Hills:  Data

Overall SnackAbility

3
/10

Population: 3,964
Rank Last Year: 2 (No Change)
Median Home Value: $75,778 (5th worst)
Median Income: $30,508 (4th worst)
More on South East Community:  Data

Overall SnackAbility

4
/10

Population: 3,249
Rank Last Year: 4 (Up 1)
Median Home Value: $67,125 (3rd worst)
Median Income: $27,014 (2nd worst)
More on Madison Area:  Data

Overall SnackAbility

4
/10

Population: 2,519
Rank Last Year: 3 (Down 1)
Median Home Value: $83,425 (6th worst)
Median Income: $33,986 (7th worst)
More on Oakdale:  Data

Overall SnackAbility

4
/10

Population: 6,573
Rank Last Year: 5 (No Change)
Median Home Value: $55,380 (2nd worst)
Median Income: $30,715 (5th worst)
More on Roosevelt Park:  Data

Overall SnackAbility

5
/10

Population: 2,355
Rank Last Year: 6 (No Change)
Median Home Value: $98,800 (12th worst)
Median Income: $32,854 (6th worst)
More on Baxter:  Data

Overall SnackAbility

6
/10

Population: 761
Rank Last Year: 7 (No Change)
Median Home Value: $95,100 (9th worst)
Median Income: $43,048 (16th worst)
More on South Hill:  Data

Overall SnackAbility

5
/10

Population: 16,114
Rank Last Year: 7 (No Change)
Median Home Value: $69,967 (4th worst)
Median Income: $35,081 (8th worst)
More on Garfield Park:  Data

Overall SnackAbility

6
/10

Population: 16,104
Rank Last Year: 9 (No Change)
Median Home Value: $92,481 (8th worst)
Median Income: $36,317 (9th worst)
More on West Grand:  Data

Overall SnackAbility

5
/10

Population: 2,004
Rank Last Year: 10 (No Change)
Median Home Value: $103,225 (15th worst)
Median Income: $42,868 (15th worst)
More on Fuller Avenue:  Data

Methodology: How we determined the worst Grand Rapids 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 Grand Rapids:

  • 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 Grand Rapids, Michigan 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 Grand Rapids.

Read on below to learn more about these terrible places around Grand Rapids to live. Or skip to the end to see the list of all 32 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 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.

As we mentioned earlier, the neighborhoods in Grand Rapids aren't all bad. Michgan Oaks takes the cake as the best place to live in Grand Rapids.

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

For more Michigan reading, check out:

Where Are The Worst Neighborhoods To Live In Grand Rapids For 2022?

Rank Neighborhood Population Home Value Median Income
1 Black Hills 457 $50,400 $18,681
2 South East Community 3,964 $75,778 $30,508
3 Madison Area 3,249 $67,125 $27,014
4 Oakdale 2,519 $83,425 $33,986
5 Roosevelt Park 6,573 $55,380 $30,715
6 Baxter 2,355 $98,800 $32,854
7 South Hill 761 $95,100 $43,048
8 Garfield Park 16,114 $69,967 $35,081
9 West Grand 16,104 $92,481 $36,317
10 Fuller Avenue 2,004 $103,225 $42,868
11 Swan 4,793 $99,886 $39,084
12 John Ball Park 3,923 $96,150 $46,033
13 Auburn Hill 175 $128,900 $29,333
14 South East End 4,933 $102,429 $41,723
15 Highland Park 3,339 $89,775 $40,522
16 Fulton Heights 1,169 $136,800 $61,838
17 Belknap Lookout 4,699 $154,833 $51,441
18 Heartside 3,007 $220,350 $40,313
19 Alger Heights 4,188 $103,900 $49,986
20 Eastgate 1,783 $134,767 $55,292
21 Heritage Hill 3,370 $174,950 $43,151
22 Midtown 3,926 $96,925 $47,443
23 Ottawa Hills 794 $162,800 $56,521
24 Creston 25,177 $110,833 $48,193
25 Cherry Run 665 $137,000 $66,020
26 Millbrook 5,914 $115,040 $47,338
27 Norteast Citizens Action 10,743 $173,675 $58,311
28 East Hills 4,048 $147,900 $42,667
29 Westside Connection 11,538 $131,722 $56,785
30 Eastown 5,495 $153,925 $59,200
31 Ridgemoor 2,764 $184,033 $66,714
32 Michgan Oaks 1,776 $178,800 $67,069

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 Grand Rapids.

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.