The 10 Worst Neighborhoods In Indianapolis For 2022


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

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Indianapolis'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 Indianapolis.

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

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

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

We examined 26 of Indianapolis's neighborhoods to find out the worst places to live. These places don't quite measure up to Indianapolis's reputation.

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

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

For more Indiana reading, check out:

Worst Neighborhoods In Indianapolis
Source: Public domain

The 10 Worst Neighborhoods In Indianapolis For 2022

Overall SnackAbility

3
/10

Population: 4,853
Rank Last Year: 1 (No Change)
Median Home Value: $76,140 (6th worst)
Median Income: $20,135 (2nd worst)
More on Bos:  Data

#1 Worst Neighborhood In Indianapolis

Overall SnackAbility

2
/10

Population: 199
Rank Last Year: 2 (No Change)
Median Home Value: $122,226 (12th worst)
Median Income: $378 (worst)
More on Concord:  Data

#2 Worst Neighborhood In Indianapolis

Overall SnackAbility

8
/10

Population: 7
Rank Last Year: 3 (No Change)
Median Home Value: $201,083 (17th worst)
Median Income: $71,339 (23rd worst)
More on Foxwood:  Data

#3 Worst Neighborhood In Indianapolis

Overall SnackAbility

4
/10

Population: 11,421
Rank Last Year: 4 (No Change)
Median Home Value: $85,365 (10th worst)
Median Income: $44,605 (16th worst)
More on Far Eastside:  Data

#4 Worst Neighborhood In Indianapolis

Overall SnackAbility

5
/10

Population: 5,352
Rank Last Year: 5 (No Change)
Median Home Value: $71,996 (4th worst)
Median Income: $39,330 (13th worst)
More on Near North:  Data

#5 Worst Neighborhood In Indianapolis

Overall SnackAbility

4
/10

Population: 16,238
Rank Last Year: 6 (No Change)
Median Home Value: $53,428 (worst)
Median Income: $30,536 (7th worst)
More on West Indianapolis:  Data

#6 Worst Neighborhood In Indianapolis

Overall SnackAbility

4
/10

Population: 10,141
Rank Last Year: 7 (No Change)
Median Home Value: $77,593 (8th worst)
Median Income: $24,851 (4th worst)
More on Martindale:  Data

#7 Worst Neighborhood In Indianapolis

Overall SnackAbility

4
/10

Population: 30,609
Rank Last Year: 8 (No Change)
Median Home Value: $76,454 (7th worst)
Median Income: $26,548 (5th worst)
More on United Northeast:  Data

#8 Worst Neighborhood In Indianapolis

Overall SnackAbility

4
/10

Population: 18,138
Rank Last Year: 9 (No Change)
Median Home Value: $64,058 (3rd worst)
Median Income: $28,850 (6th worst)
More on United Northwest:  Data

#9 Worst Neighborhood In Indianapolis

Overall SnackAbility

4
/10

Population: 27,239
Rank Last Year: 10 (No Change)
Median Home Value: $61,476 (2nd worst)
Median Income: $31,634 (9th worst)
More on Westside:  Data

#10 Worst Neighborhood In Indianapolis

Methodology: How we determined the worst Indianapolis 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 Indianapolis:

  • 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 Indianapolis, Indiana 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 Indianapolis.

Read on below to learn more about these terrible places around Indianapolis to live. Or skip to the end to see the list of all 26 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 Indianapolis

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

As we mentioned earlier, the neighborhoods in Indianapolis aren't all bad. Lockerble Square takes the cake as the best place to live in Indianapolis.

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

For more Indiana reading, check out:

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

Rank Neighborhood Population Home Value Median Income
1 Bos 4,853 $76,140 $20,135
2 Concord 199 $122,226 $378
3 Foxwood 7 $201,083 $71,339
4 Far Eastside 11,421 $85,365 $44,605
5 Near North 5,352 $71,996 $39,330
6 West Indianapolis 16,238 $53,428 $30,536
7 Martindale 10,141 $77,593 $24,851
8 United Northeast 30,609 $76,454 $26,548
9 United Northwest 18,138 $64,058 $28,850
10 Westside 27,239 $61,476 $31,634
11 Fountain Square 450 $107,135 $24,006
12 Southeast 26,972 $78,282 $31,306
13 Kingpark 10,091 $193,161 $41,700
14 Reserve At Spring Mill 56 $204,420 $140,861
15 Indy East 43,511 $73,301 $32,375
16 Pogue's Run 370 $157,128 $35,354
17 Green Pastures 6 $218,130 $66,250
18 Meridian Meadows 54 $218,130 $66,250
19 Fletcher Place 2,888 $216,744 $63,442
20 Mapelton 8,280 $151,149 $41,727
21 Cornerstone Place 30 $218,130 $77,256
22 Lexington Farms 276 $243,046 $68,727
23 Orchard Estates 24 $243,046 $91,552
24 Irvington 5,534 $136,339 $50,475
25 Riley 20,609 $417,719 $46,378
26 Lockerble Square 978 $419,768 $35,767

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 Indianapolis.

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.