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Knoxville'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 Knoxville.
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 Knoxville. Some neighborhoods aren't as great as others.
So the question arises, which Knoxville neighborhoods are the worst, and which are the best?
Today, we'll use science and data to determine which Knoxville hoods need a little tender loving care - the sore thumbs of the Knoxville area if you will. Realistically, you can't expect all the neighborhoods to be amazing, although Five Points ranks way above the rest.
We examined 34 of Knoxville's neighborhoods to find out the worst places to live. These places don't quite measure up to Knoxville's reputation.
The Worst Neighborhoods In Knoxville For 2022
So what's the worst neighborhood to live in Knoxville for 2022? According to the most recent census data, Old North Knoxville looks to be the worst neighborhood in Knoxville.
Read on to see how we determined the places around Knoxville 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 Knoxville.
For more Tennessee reading, check out:
- Best Places To Live In Tennessee
- Cheapest Places To Live In Tennessee
- Most Dangerous Cities In Tennessee
The 10 Worst Neighborhoods In Knoxville For 2022
/10
Population: 868
Rank Last Year: 1 (No Change)
Median Home Value: $77,045 (7th worst)
Median Income: $21,228 (3rd worst)
More on Old North Knoxville: Data
/10
Population: 2,887
Rank Last Year: 2 (No Change)
Median Home Value: $68,199 (4th worst)
Median Income: $25,421 (8th worst)
More on Old City: Data
/10
Population: 3,224
Rank Last Year: 3 (No Change)
Median Home Value: $68,199 (4th worst)
Median Income: $25,421 (8th worst)
More on Downtown: Data
/10
Population: 1,075
Rank Last Year: 4 (No Change)
Median Home Value: $71,158 (6th worst)
Median Income: $26,871 (12th worst)
More on Old Sevier: Data
/10
Population: 818
Rank Last Year: 5 (No Change)
Median Home Value: $64,378 (3rd worst)
Median Income: $23,489 (5th worst)
More on Beaumont: Data
/10
Population: 8,686
Rank Last Year: 6 (No Change)
Median Home Value: $86,621 (9th worst)
Median Income: $27,681 (13th worst)
More on Southknoxville: Data
/10
Population: 4,628
Rank Last Year: 7 (No Change)
Median Home Value: $90,304 (10th worst)
Median Income: $39,073 (2worst)
More on Holston Hills: Data
/10
Population: 3,536
Rank Last Year: 8 (No Change)
Median Home Value: $51,011 (worst)
Median Income: $18,258 (worst)
More on Mechanicsville: Data
/10
Population: 566
Rank Last Year: 9 (No Change)
Median Home Value: $121,249 (18th worst)
Median Income: $40,770 (23rd worst)
More on Halls Crossroads: Data
/10
Population: 2,522
Rank Last Year: 10 (No Change)
Median Home Value: $98,267 (12th worst)
Median Income: $28,797 (14th worst)
More on North Hills: Data
Methodology: How we determined the worst Knoxville 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 Knoxville:
- 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 Knoxville, Tennessee 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 Knoxville.
Read on below to learn more about these terrible places around Knoxville to live. Or skip to the end to see the list of all 34 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 Knoxville
Well there you have it -- the worst of the neighborhoods in Knoxville with Old North Knoxville landing at the bottom of the pack.
As we mentioned earlier, the neighborhoods in Knoxville aren't all bad. Five Points takes the cake as the best place to live in Knoxville.
We ranked the neighborhoods from worst to best in the chart below.
For more Tennessee reading, check out:
Where Are The Worst Neighborhoods To Live In Knoxville For 2022?
| Rank | Neighborhood | Population |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Old North Knoxville | 868 |
| 2 | Old City | 2,887 |
| 3 | Downtown | 3,224 |
| 4 | Old Sevier | 1,075 |
| 5 | Beaumont | 818 |
| 6 | Southknoxville | 8,686 |
| 7 | Holston Hills | 4,628 |
| 8 | Mechanicsville | 3,536 |
| 9 | Halls Crossroads | 566 |
| 10 | North Hills | 2,522 |
| 11 | Western Heights | 2,801 |
| 12 | South Knoxville | 28,682 |
| 13 | Norwood | 29,798 |
| 14 | Burlington | 6,187 |
| 15 | Lonsdale | 13,278 |
| 16 | Lake Forest | 5,911 |
| 17 | West Knoxville | 45,979 |
| 18 | North Knoxville | 42,454 |
| 19 | Forest Heights | 957 |
| 20 | East Knoxville | 20,794 |
| 21 | Marble City | 4,216 |
| 22 | Rocky Hill | 2,135 |
| 23 | Deane Hill | 6,908 |
| 24 | Park City | 3,603 |
| 25 | Whittle Springs | 8,833 |
| 26 | Bearden | 4,215 |
| 27 | Colonial Village | 4,814 |
| 28 | Lakemoor Hills | 1,934 |
| 29 | Fountain City | 26,120 |
| 30 | Inskip | 20,491 |
| 31 | Lyons View | 759 |
| 32 | Morningside | 1,560 |
| 33 | Parkridge | 4,131 |
| 34 | Five Points | 2,647 |
