The 10 Worst Neighborhoods In Madison For 2022


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

Nick Johnson, RoadSnacks
April 6, 2022 - 28,358 views
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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 the country thanks in part to a strong economy and tons of entertainment, it's not all rainbows and sunshine in Madison. Some neighborhoods aren't as great as others.

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

Today, we'll use science and data 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 Dudgeon-Monroe ranks way above the rest.

We examined 99 of Madison's neighborhoods to find out the worst places to live. These places don't quite measure up to Madison's reputation.

So what's the worst neighborhood to live in Madison for 2022? 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.

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 Madison.

For more Wisconsin reading, check out:

Worst Neighborhoods In Madison
Source: Wikipedia User Dori | GFDL

The 10 Worst Neighborhoods In Madison For 2022

1. Vera Court

Overall SnackAbility

3
/10

Population: 129
Rank Last Year: 1 (No Change)
Median Home Value: $149,000 (8th worst)
Median Income: $30,769 (8th worst)
More on Vera Court:  Data

2. East Bluff

Overall SnackAbility

5
/10

Population: 98
Rank Last Year: 2 (No Change)
Median Home Value: $164,200 (17th worst)
Median Income: $48,688 (33rd worst)
More on East Bluff:  Data

3. Mayfair Park

Overall SnackAbility

5
/10

Population: 1,079
Rank Last Year: 3 (No Change)
Median Home Value: $169,950 (24th worst)
Median Income: $37,174 (14th worst)
More on Mayfair Park:  Data

4. Worthington Park

Overall SnackAbility

4
/10

Population: 712
Rank Last Year: 5 (Up 1)
Median Home Value: $145,700 (6th worst)
Median Income: $29,219 (6th worst)
More on Worthington Park:  Data

5. Hawthorne

Overall SnackAbility

5
/10

Population: 1,120
Rank Last Year: 6 (Up 1)
Median Home Value: $152,250 (9th worst)
Median Income: $34,401 (12th worst)
More on Hawthorne:  Data

6. Nobel Park

Overall SnackAbility

4
/10

Population: 580
Rank Last Year: 7 (Up 1)
Median Home Value: $149,000 (8th worst)
Median Income: $30,769 (8th worst)
More on Nobel Park:  Data

7. Carpenter-Ridgeway

Overall SnackAbility

5
/10

Population: 1,286
Rank Last Year: 8 (Up 1)
Median Home Value: $159,250 (14th worst)
Median Income: $38,199 (19th worst)
More on Carpenter-Ridgeway:  Data

8. Bram's Addition

Overall SnackAbility

4
/10

Population: 1,081
Rank Last Year: 9 (Up 1)
Median Home Value: $59,600 (worst)
Median Income: $28,102 (5th worst)
More on Bram's Addition:  Data

9. Brittingham Apartments

Overall SnackAbility

4
/10

Population: 66
Rank Last Year: 10 (Up 1)
Median Home Value: $209,300 (52nd worst)
Median Income: $26,429 (2nd worst)
More on Brittingham Apartments:  Data

10. Park Ridge

Overall SnackAbility

4
/10

Population: 327
Rank Last Year: 4 (Down 6)
Median Home Value: $105,100 (4th worst)
Median Income: $40,880 (24th worst)
More on Park Ridge:  Data

Methodology: How we determined the worst Madison 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 Madison:

  • 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 Madison, Wisconsin 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 Madison.

Read on below to learn more about these terrible places around Madison to live. Or skip to the end to see the list of all 99 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 Madison

Well there you have it -- the worst of the neighborhoods in Madison with Vera Court landing at the bottom of the pack.

As we mentioned earlier, the neighborhoods in Madison aren't all bad. Dudgeon-Monroe takes the cake as the best place to live in Madison.

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

For more Wisconsin reading, check out:

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

Rank Neighborhood Population Home Value Median Income
1 Vera Court 129 $149,000 $30,769
2 East Bluff 98 $164,200 $48,688
3 Mayfair Park 1,079 $169,950 $37,174
4 Worthington Park 712 $145,700 $29,219
5 Hawthorne 1,120 $152,250 $34,401
6 Nobel Park 580 $149,000 $30,769
7 Carpenter-Ridgeway 1,286 $159,250 $38,199
8 Bram's Addition 1,081 $59,600 $28,102
9 Brittingham Apartments 66 $209,300 $26,429
10 Park Ridge 327 $105,100 $40,880
11 Eken Park 1,841 $158,300 $41,852
12 Clarendon Hills 177 $167,600 $37,176
13 Leopold 2,263 $98,400 $27,788
14 Burke Heights 493 $189,800 $37,026
15 Bayview 118 $209,300 $26,429
16 Moorland-Rimrock 2,073 $169,900 $43,382
17 Brentwood Village 889 $171,200 $40,905
18 Sherman Terrace 230 $96,300 $33,200
19 Norman Acres 356 $167,600 $37,176
20 Sherman 2,712 $154,267 $45,648
21 Berkley Oaks 778 $175,600 $32,070
22 Whitetail Ridge 456 $175,600 $32,070
23 East Buckeye 511 $216,200 $75,607
24 High Crossing 426 $171,100 $70,167
25 Capitol 26,162 $107,322 $26,626
26 Cherokee Park 102 $188,700 $69,398
27 Emerson East 1,535 $175,350 $43,317
28 Mendota Hills 144 $205,800 $66,979
29 Sheridan Triangle 325 $171,200 $40,905
30 Bluff Acres 3,557 $163,850 $44,698
31 Lake View Hill 1,743 $156,600 $39,728
32 Lerdahl Park 478 $219,750 $69,598
33 Burr Oaks 3,954 $205,650 $38,660
34 Broadway-Lakepoint 797 $186,900 $56,681
35 Eastmorland 2,469 $158,800 $62,229
36 Glendale 2,244 $179,233 $48,999
37 Highland Manor 410 $171,500 $55,556
38 Waunona 1,727 $186,900 $56,681
39 Lake Edge 2,267 $179,133 $51,310
40 Marbella 145 $208,100 $64,310
41 Greentree 2,033 $176,250 $65,565
42 Ridgewood 2,609 $196,050 $59,423
43 Heistand 3,482 $181,150 $45,097
44 Prairie Hills 2,660 $166,667 $60,294
45 Dunn's Marsh 4,480 $167,900 $37,268
46 Wexford Ridge 175 $267,600 $58,359
47 Rolling Meadows 2,028 $179,700 $71,252
48 Westchester Gardens 987 $191,500 $71,042
49 Sherman Village 2,275 $163,733 $58,090
50 Allied Community 4,480 $167,900 $37,268
51 Indian Springs 381 $171,500 $55,556
52 Meadowood 2,460 $195,880 $65,893
53 High Point Estates 1,198 $241,950 $69,041
54 Greenbush 2,955 $257,900 $39,294
55 Tamarack Trails Community 404 $286,300 $71,680
56 Vanchamasshe 103 $298,900 $106,806
57 Arbor Hills 1,004 $256,650 $69,910
58 Junction Ridge 691 $375,100 $83,240
59 Tenney-Lapham 4,740 $264,533 $51,115
60 North Lake Mendota 744 $233,700 $72,216
61 Elvehjem 3,609 $187,400 $79,550
62 Spring Harbor 1,884 $258,750 $70,634
63 Reston Heights 1,174 $224,100 $77,901
64 Skyview Meadows 480 $205,500 $84,526
65 Faircrest 1,115 $242,450 $72,780
66 University Apartments 852 $363,600 $39,087
67 Bay Creek 2,467 $248,950 $57,574
68 Midvale Heights Community 2,926 $239,600 $84,269
69 Heritage Heights 2,180 $198,267 $76,411
70 Oakbridge Community 976 $245,300 $71,481
71 Westhaven Trails 1,224 $217,000 $98,384
72 Mcclellan Park 2,193 $221,100 $75,385
73 Old Middleton Greenway 387 $304,750 $72,483
74 Schenk-Atwood 3,815 $232,720 $59,647
75 Blackhawk 444 $375,100 $83,240
76 Sunset Hills 203 $298,900 $106,806
77 Radio Park 203 $298,900 $106,806
78 Marquette 6,993 $277,183 $59,736
79 Sauk Creek 1,428 $275,150 $78,240
80 Wisconsin Co-Op Housing 298 $276,800 $81,250
81 Orchard Ridge Community 2,526 $225,600 $67,383
82 Schenk-Atwood-Starkweather-Yahar 5,496 $232,720 $59,647
83 Summit Woods 726 $259,000 $64,837
84 Woodland Hills 381 $334,500 $119,911
85 Walnut Grove 1,154 $286,300 $71,680
86 Sunset Village 1,741 $283,975 $80,260
87 Country Grove 864 $248,200 $101,711
88 Hill Farms-University Neighborh 3,267 $274,000 $73,024
89 Hawk's Landing 748 $425,800 $113,164
90 Parkwood Hills 1,558 $287,600 $96,877
91 Glacier Ridge 1,293 $248,200 $101,711
92 Maple-Prairie 1,656 $223,900 $71,506
93 Stonefield Woods-Ridge 183 $334,500 $119,911
94 Nakoma League 1,526 $334,433 $95,864
95 Highlands Community 594 $334,500 $119,911
96 Regent 6,315 $436,460 $65,433
97 Wexford 2,590 $247,950 $81,566
98 Westmorland 2,290 $259,200 $84,087
99 Dudgeon-Monroe 2,932 $366,567 $103,218

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 Madison.

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.

 Rankings, Worst