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Memphis'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 Memphis.
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 Memphis. Some neighborhoods aren't as great as others.
So the question arises, which Memphis neighborhoods are the worst, and which are the best?
Today, we'll use science and data to determine which Memphis hoods need a little tender loving care - the sore thumbs of the Memphis area if you will. Realistically, you can't expect all the neighborhoods to be amazing, although Windyke-Southwind ranks way above the rest.
We examined 13 of Memphis's neighborhoods to find out the worst places to live. These places don't quite measure up to Memphis's reputation.
The Worst Neighborhoods In Memphis For 2022
So what's the worst neighborhood to live in Memphis for 2022? According to the most recent census data, Shelby Forest-Frayser looks to be the worst neighborhood in Memphis.
Read on to see how we determined the places around Memphis 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 Memphis.
For more Tennessee reading, check out:
- Best Places To Live In Tennessee
- Cheapest Places To Live In Tennessee
- Most Dangerous Cities In Tennessee
The 5 Worst Neighborhoods In Memphis For 2022
/10
Population: 34,652
Rank Last Year: 1 (No Change)
Median Home Value: $52,119 (worst)
Median Income: $24,694 (worst)
More on Shelby Forest-Frayser: Data
/10
Population: 48,441
Rank Last Year: 2 (No Change)
Median Home Value: $56,744 (3rd worst)
Median Income: $25,786 (2nd worst)
More on Downtown: Data
/10
Population: 39,436
Rank Last Year: 2 (No Change)
Median Home Value: $61,991 (4th worst)
Median Income: $34,723 (6th worst)
More on Parkway Village-Oakhaven: Data
/10
Population: 88,153
Rank Last Year: 4 (No Change)
Median Home Value: $69,690 (6th worst)
Median Income: $34,319 (4th worst)
More on White Haven-Coro Lake: Data
/10
Population: 33,880
Rank Last Year: 5 (No Change)
Median Home Value: $54,679 (2nd worst)
Median Income: $29,979 (3rd worst)
More on Berclair-Highland Heights: Data
Methodology: How we determined the worst Memphis 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 Memphis:
- 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 Memphis, 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 Memphis.
Read on below to learn more about these terrible places around Memphis to live. Or skip to the end to see the list of all 13 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 Memphis
Well there you have it -- the worst of the neighborhoods in Memphis with Shelby Forest-Frayser landing at the bottom of the pack.
As we mentioned earlier, the neighborhoods in Memphis aren't all bad. Windyke-Southwind takes the cake as the best place to live in Memphis.
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 Memphis For 2022?
| Rank | Neighborhood | Population |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Shelby Forest-Frayser | 34,652 |
| 2 | Downtown | 48,441 |
| 3 | Parkway Village-Oakhaven | 39,436 |
| 4 | White Haven-Coro Lake | 88,153 |
| 5 | Berclair-Highland Heights | 33,880 |
| 6 | Midtown | 62,752 |
| 7 | Raleigh | 54,460 |
| 8 | Hickory Ridge-South Riverdale | 92,024 |
| 9 | East Memphis-Colonial-Yorkshire | 107,753 |
| 10 | River Oaks-Kirby-Balmoral | 42,038 |
| 11 | Eads-Fisherville | 14,121 |
| 12 | Cordova-Appling | 83,223 |
| 13 | Windyke-Southwind | 10,884 |
