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Little Rock'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 Little Rock.
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 Little Rock. Some neighborhoods aren't as great as others.
So the question arises, which Little Rock neighborhoods are the worst, and which are the best?
Today, we'll use science and data to determine which Little Rock hoods need a little tender loving care - the sore thumbs of the Little Rock area if you will. Realistically, you can't expect all the neighborhoods to be amazing, although Heights ranks way above the rest.
We examined 27 of Little Rock's neighborhoods to find out the worst places to live. These places don't quite measure up to Little Rock's reputation.
The Worst Neighborhoods In Little Rock For 2022
So what's the worst neighborhood to live in Little Rock for 2022? According to the most recent census data, Central High looks to be the worst neighborhood in Little Rock.
Read on to see how we determined the places around Little Rock 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 Little Rock.
For more Arkansas reading, check out:
- Best Places To Live In Arkansas
- Cheapest Places To Live In Arkansas
- Most Dangerous Places in Arkansas
The 10 Worst Neighborhoods In Little Rock For 2022
/10
Population: 2,212
Rank Last Year: 1 (No Change)
Median Home Value: $63,350 (3rd worst)
Median Income: $26,625 (2nd worst)
More on Central High: Data
/10
Population: 5,308
Rank Last Year: 2 (No Change)
Median Home Value: $83,875 (9th worst)
Median Income: $26,543 (worst)
More on Stephens: Data
/10
Population: 3,738
Rank Last Year: 3 (No Change)
Median Home Value: $79,650 (8th worst)
Median Income: $35,436 (11th worst)
More on 65th Street West: Data
/10
Population: 9,140
Rank Last Year: 4 (No Change)
Median Home Value: $75,057 (7th worst)
Median Income: $26,702 (3rd worst)
More on Upper Baseline: Data
/10
Population: 4,024
Rank Last Year: 5 (No Change)
Median Home Value: $67,000 (4th worst)
Median Income: $30,114 (7th worst)
More on Wakefield: Data
/10
Population: 3,232
Rank Last Year: 6 (No Change)
Median Home Value: $70,520 (5th worst)
Median Income: $31,557 (9th worst)
More on East Of I-30: Data
/10
Population: 7,364
Rank Last Year: 7 (No Change)
Median Home Value: $61,427 (worst)
Median Income: $28,045 (5th worst)
More on Oak Forest: Data
/10
Population: 3,594
Rank Last Year: 8 (No Change)
Median Home Value: $62,900 (2nd worst)
Median Income: $26,956 (4th worst)
More on South End: Data
/10
Population: 956
Rank Last Year: 9 (No Change)
Median Home Value: $74,100 (6th worst)
Median Income: $28,528 (6th worst)
More on Big Dickinson Lake: Data
/10
Population: 8,651
Rank Last Year: 10 (No Change)
Median Home Value: $95,686 (11th worst)
Median Income: $38,423 (14th worst)
More on Chicot West: Data
Methodology: How we determined the worst Little Rock 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 Little Rock:
- 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 Little Rock, Arkansas 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 Little Rock.
Read on below to learn more about these terrible places around Little Rock to live. Or skip to the end to see the list of all 27 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 Little Rock
Well there you have it -- the worst of the neighborhoods in Little Rock with Central High landing at the bottom of the pack.
As we mentioned earlier, the neighborhoods in Little Rock aren't all bad. Heights takes the cake as the best place to live in Little Rock.
We ranked the neighborhoods from worst to best in the chart below.
For more Arkansas reading, check out:
Where Are The Worst Neighborhoods To Live In Little Rock For 2022?
| Rank | Neighborhood | Population |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Central High | 2,212 |
| 2 | Stephens | 5,308 |
| 3 | 65th Street West | 3,738 |
| 4 | Upper Baseline | 9,140 |
| 5 | Wakefield | 4,024 |
| 6 | East Of I-30 | 3,232 |
| 7 | Oak Forest | 7,364 |
| 8 | South End | 3,594 |
| 9 | Big Dickinson Lake | 956 |
| 10 | Chicot West | 8,651 |
| 11 | Boyle Park | 4,809 |
| 12 | Westwood-Pecan Lake | 4,658 |
| 13 | Cloverdale Watson | 5,944 |
| 14 | Downtown | 6,391 |
| 15 | South Geyer Springs | 2,070 |
| 16 | John Barrow | 12,652 |
| 17 | Walnut Valley | 8,177 |
| 18 | Briarwood | 2,590 |
| 19 | Otter Creek Crystal | 6,834 |
| 20 | West Markham | 2,904 |
| 21 | Capital View-Stiff | 3,043 |
| 22 | Rock Creek | 14,605 |
| 23 | Reservoir | 6,622 |
| 24 | Midtown | 8,858 |
| 25 | Hillcrest | 6,212 |
| 26 | River Mountain | 13,353 |
| 27 | Heights | 5,610 |
