These Are The 10 Worst Neighborhoods In Kansas City For 2018


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

Sam Sparkes, RoadSnacks
December 6, 2017 - 15,925 views
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This article is an opinion based on facts and is meant as infotainment. Don’t freak out.
Worst Neighborhoods In Kansas City
Source: Wikipedia User | CC-BY-SA-3.0

Kansas City’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 Kansas City.

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 Kansas City. Some neighborhoods aren’t as great as others.

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

Today, we’ll use science and data to determine which Kansas City hoods need a little tender loving care – the sore thumbs of the Kansas City area if you will. Realistically, you can’t expect all the neighborhoods to be amazing, although Arnour Fields ranks way above the rest.

We examined 145 of Kansas City’s neighborhoods to find out the worst places to live. These places don’t quite measure up to Kansas City’s reputation.

Here are the 10 worst neighborhoods in Kansas City according to data:

  1. South Blue Valley
  2. North Blue Ridge
  3. Marlborough East
  4. East Blue Valley
  5. Ingleside
  6. Ivanhoe Northeast
  7. Ivanhoe Southeast
  8. Norble And Gregory Ridge
  9. Central Blue Valley-Park Tower Grade
  10. Key Coalition

Read on to see how we determined the places around Kansas City 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 Kansas City.

For more reading on Missouri, check out:

How we determined the worst Kansas City hoods

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 Kansas City:

  • 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 Kansas City 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 Kansas City.

Read on below to learn more about these terrible places around Kansas City to live. Or skip to the end to see the list of all 145 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.

1. South Blue Valley

Population: 1,749
Median Income: $21,126
Median Home Value: $34,700

2. North Blue Ridge

Population: 88
Median Income: $21,607
Median Home Value: $38,000

3. Marlborough East

Population: 1,295
Median Income: $17,156
Median Home Value: $51,150

4. East Blue Valley

Population: 1,692
Median Income: $24,186
Median Home Value: $42,500

5. Ingleside

Population: 909
Median Income: $28,050
Median Home Value: $41,025

6. Ivanhoe Northeast

Population: 795
Median Income: $18,846
Median Home Value: $48,300

7. Ivanhoe Southeast

Population: 1,405
Median Income: $21,888
Median Home Value: $43,150

8. Norble And Gregory Ridge

Population: 1,754
Median Income: $32,150
Median Home Value: $40,167

9. Central Blue Valley-Park Tower Grade

Population: 1,136
Median Income: $15,201
Median Home Value: $52,750

10. Key Coalition

Population: 1,332
Median Income: $13,969
Median Home Value: $58,500

The ‘hoods around Kansas City that are really hoods

Well there you have it — the worst of the neighborhoods in Kansas City with South Blue Valley landing at the bottom of the pack.

As we mentioned earlier, the neighborhoods in Kansas City aren’t all bad. Arnour Fields takes the cake as the best place to live in Kansas City.

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

For more Missouri reading, check out:

Detailed List Of The Worst Kansas City Neighborhoods

Rank Neighborhood Population Median Income Median Home Values
1 South Blue Valley 1,749 $21,126 $34,700
2 North Blue Ridge 88 $21,607 $38,000
3 Marlborough East 1,295 $17,156 $51,150
4 East Blue Valley 1,692 $24,186 $42,500
5 Ingleside 909 $28,050 $41,025
6 Ivanhoe Northeast 795 $18,846 $48,300
7 Ivanhoe Southeast 1,405 $21,888 $43,150
8 Norble And Gregory Ridge 1,754 $32,150 $40,167
9 Central Blue Valley-Park Tower Grade 1,136 $15,201 $52,750
10 Key Coalition 1,332 $13,969 $58,500
11 Blue Valley Industrial 1,580 $27,181 $37,433
12 Hillcrest 1,302 $25,838 $42,250
13 East Community Team South 3,353 $20,793 $42,380
14 Washington Weatley 1,827 $23,831 $51,833
15 Palestine West And Oak Park Northeast 652 $28,173 $42,900
16 Sheffield 2,062 $19,626 $42,950
17 Hidden Valley 921 $20,323 $82,600
18 Manheim Park 1,424 $21,194 $46,600
19 East Community Team North 2,789 $24,775 $62,940
20 Eastwood Hills West 1,497 $26,550 $66,050
21 Marlborough Heights-Marlborough Pride 3,000 $25,381 $50,880
22 Oak Park Northwest 3,221 $21,593 $46,725
23 North Town Fork Creek 3,167 $22,473 $63,220
24 Santa Fe 2,263 $22,187 $52,250
25 Northest Industrial District 160 $50,391 $29,300
26 Pendleton Heights 3,201 $20,386 $77,200
27 Legacy East 2,056 $27,330 $94,175
28 Indipendence Plaza 1,989 $22,520 $70,480
29 Blue Hills 5,223 $28,570 $56,157
30 Ashland Ridge 1,310 $23,105 $72,700
31 Self Help Neighborhood Council 1,318 $22,266 $51,100
32 Oakwood 1,608 $23,774 $83,550
33 Richards Gebaur 1,764 $30,629 $135,367
34 Knoches Park 1,388 $23,438 $42,400
35 Oak Park Southwest 1,890 $25,250 $39,950
36 Lykins 3,649 $20,884 $57,650
37 Swope Parkway-Elmwood 2,609 $32,631 $68,300
38 Lewis Heights 769 $31,655 $94,000
39 Vineyard Northwest 884 $31,886 $45,900
40 Mount Hope 333 $22,083 $55,400
41 East Sqope Highlands 757 $31,930 $95,150
42 Palestine East 1,291 $27,362 $35,850
43 Vineyard 2,113 $32,543 $58,533
44 Foxtown East 607 $41,354 $72,300
45 Beacon Hills 650 $26,080 $90,100
46 Stanford Estates 1,671 $36,178 $89,050
47 Oldham Farms 644 $44,023 $65,400
48 Ruskin Heights 4,203 $28,780 $63,375
49 Linwood Homeowner-Ivanhoe 1,320 $19,438 $63,300
50 Riss Lake 2,329 $26,346 $97,900
51 Wendell Phillips 1,607 $19,890 $75,200
52 Eastwood Hill East 3,428 $30,486 $72,000
53 Bleheim Square-Research Hospital 1,391 $28,160 $66,500
54 Loma Vista 1,614 $27,987 $79,750
55 Oak Park Southeast 1,448 $31,586 $49,450
56 Cunningham Ridge 261 $36,100 $73,200
57 Hickman Mills South 1,449 $39,960 $82,400
58 Westside South 1,713 $38,806 $108,800
59 West Blue Valley 2,086 $23,897 $51,400
60 West Blue Township 664 $36,100 $73,200
61 North India Mound 5,256 $26,462 $59,800
62 East Meyer 4,611 $36,815 $77,080
63 South Town Fork Creek 1,151 $33,888 $45,300
64 Swope Park Campus 1,416 $30,261 $58,100
65 Broadway Gillham 857 $29,110 $115,750
66 Brown Estates 830 $48,946 $83,633
67 Ruskin Hills 2,593 $49,754 $82,400
68 Sterling Acres 1,049 $43,846 $102,600
69 Hickman Mills 4,222 $31,645 $106,975
70 Sarritt Point 4,097 $27,920 $61,683
71 Linden Hills And Indian Heights 2,201 $42,035 $129,033
72 Fairlane 5,606 $42,603 $84,125
73 South India Mound 4,470 $25,320 $58,620
74 Martin City 1,147 $42,276 $190,550
75 Kirkside 1,537 $41,563 $88,000
76 Citadel 1,368 $40,690 $83,150
77 Bannister Ares 1,489 $55,880 $112,700
78 Robandee South 1,543 $40,197 $87,900
79 Squier Park 529 $35,571 $118,800
80 Country Valley-Hawthorn Square 320 $44,483 $162,200
81 Bonne Hills 2,021 $45,932 $114,267
82 Fairwood And Robandee 3,770 $43,074 $72,675
83 North Hyde Park 1,389 $19,954 $163,800
84 Stayton Meadows 2,406 $50,227 $90,067
85 Park Farms 3,254 $45,145 $98,900
86 Westside North 1,648 $31,720 $161,850
87 Santa Fe Hills 2,175 $40,298 $107,333
88 Valentine 1,191 $35,069 $162,500
89 Hanover Place 2,341 $22,707 $144,533
90 Ward Parkway Plaza 435 $72,500 $147,200
91 Willow Creek 3,221 $37,708 $83,633
92 River Market 450 $42,500 $253,900
93 Eastern 49-63 3,169 $46,986 $103,667
94 Old Westport 1,325 $41,917 $185,900
95 Faireway Hills 2,489 $66,731 $127,400
96 Crown Center 750 $52,799 $198,233
97 Little Blue Valley 4,126 $66,161 $176,475
98 White Oak 2,583 $63,101 $111,433
99 Western Hills 1,791 $51,510 $128,950
100 Saint Catherine’S Gardens 2,886 $63,656 $126,550
101 West Waldo 1,283 $64,056 $136,250
102 Longfellow 1,958 $26,210 $178,850
103 Country Club Plaza 1,083 $51,985 $58,100
104 Waldo Homes 1,758 $51,107 $119,500
105 Mission Lake 3,670 $68,954 $174,850
106 South Hyde Park 2,042 $43,810 $140,467
107 Royal Oaks 1,783 $70,720 $141,200
108 Volker 3,395 $47,253 $159,640
109 Highview Estates 2,598 $73,609 $195,200
110 Lea Manor 2,140 $62,099 $150,333
111 Blue Vue Hills 2,503 $92,629 $134,200
112 Red Bridge North 937 $83,141 $171,700
113 Plaza Westport 957 $56,266 $170,050
114 Southmoreland 3,360 $43,232 $163,420
115 Roanoke 727 $55,472 $249,200
116 Red Ridge South 2,893 $47,602 $170,350
117 Blue Hills Estates 1,759 $53,125 $236,000
118 Timber Valley 290 $94,773 $180,100
119 Coleman Highlands 850 $75,338 $212,000
120 Westwood 917 $61,852 $215,900
121 Unity Ridge 510 $98,542 $304,400
122 Country Lane Estates 1,695 $51,917 $158,200
123 Rolling Meadows 615 $58,172 $134,500
124 Verona Hills 1,719 $96,910 $252,050
125 Birdlespur 1,370 $71,426 $177,000
126 Union Hill 735 $49,148 $248,800
127 West Plaza 3,881 $49,642 $187,120
128 Tower Homes 5,304 $54,484 $158,060
129 Central Business District-Downtown 3,817 $49,820 $176,333
130 Greenway Fields 535 $176,944 $451,850
131 Sunset Hill West 341 $250,001 $984,400
132 Western 49-63 4,399 $71,140 $194,200
133 Stanford Gardens 805 $176,944 $451,850
134 Holmes Park 1,213 $75,132 $184,500
135 Romanelli West 826 $118,188 $337,500
136 Sunset Hill 922 $145,292 $618,300
137 Central Hyde Park 1,340 $65,875 $302,950
138 Foxcroft And Glen Arbor 1,111 $123,182 $243,200
139 Ward Parkway 3,550 $79,687 $194,250
140 Wornall Homestead 696 $127,000 $286,100
141 Morningside 1,496 $87,789 $248,000
142 Oak Meyer Gardens 886 $89,861 $244,400
143 South Plaza 2,524 $48,510 $329,700
144 Armour Hills 2,511 $107,496 $237,850
145 Arnour Fields 2,061 $144,375 $394,000

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