Madison’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 Madison.
And while the city consistently ranks as one of the best places to live in Wisconsin thanks in part to tons of entertainment and jobs, it’s not all rainbows and sunshine in Madison. Some neighborhoods aren’t as safe as others.
So the question arises, which Madison neighborhoods are the most dangerous and which are the safest?
Today, we’ll use Saturday Night Science to determine which Madison hoods need a little tender loving care – the sore thumbs of the Madison area if you will. Realistically, you can’t expect all the neighborhoods to be amazing, although Regent ranks way above the rest.
We examined 84 of Madison’s neighborhoods to find out the most dangerous places to live. These places don’t quite measure up to Madison’s reputation.
Table Of Contents: Top 10 | Methodology | Summary | Table
So what’s the worst neighborhood to live in Madison for 2025? According to the most recent census data, Vera Court looks to be the worst neighborhood in Madison.
Read on to see how we determined the places around Madison that need a pick-me-up. And remember, don’t blame the messenger.
For more Wisconsin reading, check out:
- Best Places To Live In Wisconsin
- Cheapest Places To Live In Wisconsin
- Most Dangerous Cities In Wisconsin
The 10 Most Dangerous Neighborhoods In Madison For 2025
/10
Population: 145
Violent Crimes Per 100k: 3,386
Property Crime Per 100k: 8,098
Median Home Value: $174,200 (14th worst)
Median Income: $40,985 (12th worst)
More on Vera Court: Data
/10
Population: 177
Violent Crimes Per 100k: 440
Property Crime Per 100k: 3,407
Median Home Value: $167,600 (9th worst)
Median Income: $37,176 (7th worst)
More on Clarendon Hills: Data
/10
Population: 118
Violent Crimes Per 100k: 407
Property Crime Per 100k: 3,158
Median Home Value: $209,300 (34th worst)
Median Income: $26,429 (2nd worst)
More on Bayview: Data
/10
Population: 842
Violent Crimes Per 100k: 1,199
Property Crime Per 100k: 12,969
Median Home Value: $199,750 (26th worst)
Median Income: $44,282 (16th worst)
More on Mayfair Park: Data
/10
Population: 230
Violent Crimes Per 100k: 474
Property Crime Per 100k: 2,553
Median Home Value: $96,300 (worst)
Median Income: $33,200 (4th worst)
More on Sherman Terrace: Data
/10
Population: 364
Violent Crimes Per 100k: 1,199
Property Crime Per 100k: 8,710
Median Home Value: $201,500 (27th worst)
Median Income: $50,500 (2worst)
More on Park Ridge: Data
/10
Population: 270
Violent Crimes Per 100k: 420
Property Crime Per 100k: 3,257
Median Home Value: $164,800 (6th worst)
Median Income: $40,732 (11th worst)
More on Norman Acres: Data
/10
Population: 1,260
Violent Crimes Per 100k: 425
Property Crime Per 100k: 3,294
Median Home Value: $166,300 (8th worst)
Median Income: $30,342 (3rd worst)
More on Dunn’s Marsh: Data
/10
Population: 2,111
Violent Crimes Per 100k: 917
Property Crime Per 100k: 7,398
Median Home Value: $174,950 (16th worst)
Median Income: $42,750 (15th worst)
More on Eken Park: Data
/10
Population: 1,063
Violent Crimes Per 100k: 460
Property Crime Per 100k: 3,563
Median Home Value: $110,500 (3rd worst)
Median Income: $41,699 (14th worst)
More on Berkley Oaks: Data
Methodology: How we determined the most dangerous Madison neighborhoods in 2025
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 plugged the following criteria into Saturday Night Science to get the worst neighborhoods in Madison:
- High crime (Estimated)
- 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)
Then, we ranked each neighborhood in Madison, Wisconsin for each of these criteria from worst to best.
Next, we averaged the individual rankings for each criterion into a “Worst Score.”
The neighborhood with the lowest “Worst Score” ranks as the most dangerous neighborhood of Madison.
The article is an opinion based on facts and is meant as infotainment. We updated this article for 2025. This report is our time ranking the worst neighborhoods to live in Madison.
Skip to the end to see the list of all 84 neighborhoods ranked from worst to best.
Summary: The Worst Neighborhoods Around Madison
Well, there you have it — the worst of the neighborhoods in Madison with Vera Court landing at the bottom of the pack.
The worst neighborhoods in Madison are Vera Court, Clarendon Hills, Bayview, Mayfair Park, Sherman Terrace, Park Ridge, Norman Acres, Dunn’s Marsh, Eken Park, and Berkley Oaks.
As mentioned earlier, the neighborhoods in Madison aren’t all bad. Regent takes the cake as the best place to live in Madison.
The best neighborhoods in Madison are Regent, Blackhawk, Dudgeon-Monroe, Hawk’s Landing, and Midvale Heights Community.
We ranked the neighborhoods from worst to best in the chart below.
For more Wisconsin reading, check out:
Most Dangerous Neighborhoods To Live In Madison For 2025?
| Rank | Neighborhood | Population | Home Value | Median Income |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Vera Court | 145 | $174,200 | $40,985 |
| 2 | Clarendon Hills | 177 | $167,600 | $37,176 |
| 3 | Bayview | 118 | $209,300 | $26,429 |
| 4 | Mayfair Park | 842 | $199,750 | $44,282 |
| 5 | Sherman Terrace | 230 | $96,300 | $33,200 |
| 6 | Park Ridge | 364 | $201,500 | $50,500 |
| 7 | Norman Acres | 270 | $164,800 | $40,732 |
| 8 | Dunn’s Marsh | 1,260 | $166,300 | $30,342 |
| 9 | Eken Park | 2,111 | $174,950 | $42,750 |
| 10 | Berkley Oaks | 1,063 | $110,500 | $41,699 |
| 11 | Nobel Park | 653 | $174,200 | $40,985 |
| 12 | Leopold | 1,472 | $109,400 | $33,371 |
| 13 | Marbella | 145 | $208,100 | $64,310 |
| 14 | Hawthorne | 1,244 | $171,700 | $52,579 |
| 15 | Broadway-Lakepoint | 797 | $186,900 | $56,681 |
| 16 | Eastmorland | 2,469 | $158,800 | $62,229 |
| 17 | Worthington Park | 651 | $167,700 | $44,375 |
| 18 | Bram’s Addition | 1,539 | $180,100 | $33,788 |
| 19 | Sheridan Triangle | 377 | $190,600 | $46,466 |
| 20 | High Point Estates | 1,056 | $268,233 | $80,900 |
| 21 | Sherman | 2,875 | $175,967 | $54,565 |
| 22 | Brittingham Apartments | 45 | $292,100 | $23,235 |
| 23 | Burr Oaks | 3,696 | $165,500 | $45,865 |
| 24 | East Bluff | 121 | $207,500 | $69,516 |
| 25 | Rolling Meadows | 2,046 | $197,850 | $74,734 |
| 26 | Bluff Acres | 3,043 | $164,800 | $52,563 |
| 27 | Allied Community | 4,480 | $167,900 | $37,268 |
| 28 | Schenk-Atwood-Starkweather-Yahar | 2,206 | $202,750 | $67,254 |
| 29 | Indian Springs | 381 | $171,500 | $55,556 |
| 30 | Brentwood Village | 1,034 | $190,600 | $46,466 |
| 31 | Junction Ridge | 1,793 | $241,850 | $90,054 |
| 32 | East Buckeye | 506 | $254,600 | $97,778 |
| 33 | Tamarack Trails Community | 361 | $308,500 | $94,248 |
| 34 | Waunona | 1,596 | $208,150 | $55,919 |
| 35 | Emerson East | 1,537 | $183,700 | $68,885 |
| 36 | Lake Edge | 2,196 | $209,933 | $74,321 |
| 37 | Greentree | 1,765 | $235,850 | $72,622 |
| 38 | Glendale | 2,287 | $209,067 | $67,380 |
| 39 | Lake View Hill | 2,091 | $190,850 | $55,250 |
| 40 | Whitetail Ridge | 480 | $210,300 | $52,750 |
| 41 | Prairie Hills | 3,081 | $226,050 | $62,680 |
| 42 | Heritage Heights | 2,180 | $198,267 | $76,411 |
| 43 | Ridgewood | 2,651 | $233,200 | $53,236 |
| 44 | Skyview Meadows | 725 | $230,500 | $81,042 |
| 45 | Westhaven Trails | 1,524 | $236,650 | $87,812 |
| 46 | Bay Creek | 2,490 | $300,250 | $66,551 |
| 47 | Elvehjem | 3,357 | $224,850 | $78,383 |
| 48 | Marquette | 5,461 | $298,833 | $71,139 |
| 49 | Oakbridge Community | 1,326 | $234,500 | $75,496 |
| 50 | Capitol | 31,387 | $428,850 | $39,062 |
| 51 | Meadowood | 2,734 | $238,200 | $68,768 |
| 52 | Orchard Ridge Community | 3,327 | $255,225 | $56,321 |
| 53 | Greenbush | 2,818 | $334,900 | $59,184 |
| 54 | Sunset Hills | 203 | $298,900 | $106,806 |
| 55 | Heistand | 3,209 | $235,100 | $58,059 |
| 56 | University Apartments | 840 | $412,500 | $40,139 |
| 57 | Sauk Creek | 1,497 | $271,500 | $89,212 |
| 58 | Faircrest | 1,245 | $268,250 | $80,758 |
| 59 | Reston Heights | 1,452 | $252,950 | $105,851 |
| 60 | Sherman Village | 2,390 | $207,500 | $72,214 |
| 61 | Spring Harbor | 1,797 | $282,100 | $81,466 |
| 62 | Hill Farms-University Neighborh | 3,267 | $274,000 | $73,024 |
| 63 | Woodland Hills | 432 | $358,200 | $101,008 |
| 64 | Schenk-Atwood | 4,789 | $272,680 | $81,000 |
| 65 | Old Middleton Greenway | 665 | $350,350 | $83,362 |
| 66 | Summit Woods | 537 | $288,000 | $105,845 |
| 67 | Walnut Grove | 937 | $308,500 | $94,248 |
| 68 | Nakoma League | 1,572 | $288,000 | $143,179 |
| 69 | Sunset Village | 1,770 | $317,767 | $84,373 |
| 70 | Parkwood Hills | 1,647 | $209,700 | $110,640 |
| 71 | Tenney-Lapham | 4,879 | $371,140 | $67,453 |
| 72 | Stone Meadows | 2,838 | $262,900 | $104,056 |
| 73 | Glacier Ridge | 1,014 | $278,900 | $143,886 |
| 74 | Vilas | 2,690 | $393,950 | $66,756 |
| 75 | Maple-Prairie | 1,778 | $273,700 | $77,938 |
| 76 | Stonefield Woods-Ridge | 232 | $358,200 | $146,254 |
| 77 | Highlands Community | 674 | $358,200 | $101,008 |
| 78 | Wexford | 2,590 | $247,950 | $81,566 |
| 79 | Mcclellan Park | 3,778 | $297,850 | $89,852 |
| 80 | Midvale Heights Community | 3,223 | $306,200 | $106,276 |
| 81 | Hawk’s Landing | 1,738 | $421,750 | $128,683 |
| 82 | Dudgeon-Monroe | 2,898 | $423,567 | $110,367 |
| 83 | Blackhawk | 1,265 | $573,400 | $124,493 |
| 84 | Regent | 6,221 | $474,740 | $81,822 |