The 10 Worst Neighborhoods In New York City For 2022


We used data and science to identify the neighborhoods in New York City that are the real pits.

The city of New York is not all Broadway, Times Square, and the Statue of Liberty: the Big Apple has some pretty scary neighborhoods and RoadSnacks is here to tell you just where they are located.

But first, we need to tell you how we got our hands on the top ten list of the worst neighborhoods in NYC for 2022. In order to determine New York City's worst neighborhoods, we had to give each neighborhood an actual concrete score: we call this a neighborhood's overall 'Snackability'. To get this score, we looked at the latest census data on income levels, unemployment rates, crime, and home prices for 121 New York City neighborhoods with over 0 residents. Incidentally, this is our ninth time ranking NYC's worst neighborhoods, so trust us when we say that these are the worst of the worst.

People, the places that made our list can't seem to stay out of the news.for the wrong reasons. The locals in the Brownsville neighborhood apparently think it's okay to shoot police officers and the Mott Haven neighborhood is currently experiencing an uptick in violent crimes. And for some reason, most of NYC's worst neighborhoods are centered around the Bronx.

Funny thing, however, NYC's list of worst neighborhoods and cheapest places to live had no overlapping. We consider this a win. You don't have to sacrifice your safety if you're on a budget.

So, want to know where New York City's worst neighborhoods are located? Keep reading.

HomeSnacks is not your just your average website. We've been researching and ranking states and cities based on all types of criteria since 2015. We've had more than 50 million people read our published articles and we've been featured in hundreds of media outlets for our rankings, including this feature by the Hudson Valley Post So, yes we know what we're talking about.

So, what's the worst neighborhood in New York City for 2022? That would be Hunts Point.

To see what other NYC neighborhoods made this list, take a look below; and if you can't find what you're looking for there, head to the bottom.

For more New York reading, check out:

Worst Neighborhoods In New York City

The 10 Worst Neighborhoods In New York City For 2022

Where's the worst hood in New York City? Hunts Point is. Located in the Bronx, right along the East River, this ghetto little area of about 22,864 people takes the prize as being the worst place you can live in our nation's biggest city.

The aggravated assault rate an insane hundred and fifty-one people per hundred thousand, and the arrest rate for rape has gone up by a factor of five. And more than 1 in 100 people here has been arrested and found guilty.

Like the rest of the city, for now, overall crime has gone down, but we'll see what happens when the NYPD backs off. I mean can you imagine?

There's a lot of homeless here too, and the homeless shelters are in terrible shape. Residents here have sort of tried - they've at least fought off plans to open more strip clubs in the area. And many complained about the crime for ages, but no one's really done anything. In fact, while other New York City boroughs have gentrified and improved crime rates, the Bronx has been kinda neglected.

About 30 percent of Bronx County residents live below the poverty line, the largest share of any of New York's 62 jurisdictions. And the Bronx remains one of the largest outdoor shooting ranges in the nation.

Overall SnackAbility

6
/10

Population: 22,864
Rank Last Year: 1 (No Change)
Median Home Value: $73,592 (7th worst)
Median Income: $26,421 (3rd worst)
More on Hunts Point:  Data

Hunts Point New York, NY

Source: Public domain

Okay, a couple more quick bus trips and we can finally head home. We've seen a lot already, but Mott Haven is a true ghetto New York City hood.

Mott Haven is about as deep into the South Bronx that you can get - right across the River from East Harlem.

This hood is famous for its murder rate. You can certainly find a methadone clinic here, and it's probably not a top choice for where to raise a family. Back in 2016, a poor lady was murdered by a machete after trying to be nice to her neighbor. They called it the Murder in the 4-0. That's because Mott Haven is in the NYPD 40th precinct.

People make about $24,839 a year here, and in NYC that's like making $25 a year.

Gangs, shootings, doesn't matter what time of day you're out there. The projects here are notoriously deplorable. The Mitchel houses have nearly 2,000 apartments spaced out over 10 buildings. You know what's going on inside. Or, you don't know, but come on, you know.

You'll notice that many of these last worst hoods are in the Bronx. This is New York's 14th congressional district. Represented by AOC.

Overall SnackAbility

5
/10

Population: 70,301
Rank Last Year: 2 (No Change)
Median Home Value: $64,148 (5th worst)
Median Income: $24,839 (worst)
More on Mott Haven:  Data

Mott Haven New York, NY

Source: Public domain

We aren't going very far, so we'll just take the bus. It's been a long trip, and boy these dogs are barking. We're in Tremont, which is right next to Crotona, which is also a horrible hood, making this whole part of the middle of the Bronx one big mess.

In Tremont, there have been over five hundred combined cases of theft and assault in the last six months. And, the worst part, is there's hardly been any arrests. Not even for vandalism. That's not surprising. The cops are just letting things go here. Drugs and sex crimes are commonplace as well.

Overall SnackAbility

5
/10

Population: 106,094
Rank Last Year: 3 (No Change)
Median Home Value: $91,264 (8th worst)
Median Income: $26,821 (4th worst)
More on Tremont:  Data

Tremont New York, NY

Source: Public domain

Off we go. This D train isn't so bad. They clearly just cleaned it. This is the Fordham neighborhood of the Bronx.

You have a one in thirty-three chance of becoming a victim of some kind if you live or stay in Fordham. Home prices are $62,184 for a reason - and the 4th lowest of all NYC neighborhoods. That's like buying a home in Nebraska, but this is far from Nebraska, pal.

You can sorta walk around here in the daytime and not feel like you're gonna get robbed - at least that was before the NYPD shrunk in size. But at night, it's like zombieland with all the drugged out people and the filth.

If you live in Fordham, you can go to the zoo for fun. But this place is kinda a zoo already, so you don't really even have to do that.

Overall SnackAbility

5
/10

Population: 64,594
Rank Last Year: 4 (No Change)
Median Home Value: $62,184 (4th worst)
Median Income: $29,604 (7th worst)
More on Fordham:  Data

Fordham New York, NY

Source: Public domain

Located in the northwest part of the Bronx, Woodlawn-Nordwood sits on the outer edges of New York City. A little further along the road will take you to Yonkers and points north. The area also stands as the number 5 worst neighborhood in New York.

The 10,349 residents of the area often struggle to make ends meet. The economy is relatively healthy, but much of the locals' median income of $63,730 gets eaten up by a high standard of living. The median home value stands at $230,318.

Woodlawn-Nordwood isn't without its charms. It serves as home to many examples of unique architecture, such as the stunning St. Brendan's Church. For a sample of old-time New York, you can also head to Valentine--Varian House, which dates back to 1758.

Overall SnackAbility

8
/10

Population: 10,349
Rank Last Year: 5 (No Change)
Median Home Value: $230,318 (19th worst)
Median Income: $63,730 (49th worst)
More on Woodlawn-Nordwood:  Data

Woodlawn-Nordwood New York, NY

High Bridge is a neighborhood in the Bronx, bordered on one side by the Cross-Bronx Expressway and on another by the Harlem River. It also counts as one of the worst locations to call home in all of New York City.

The economy offers little opportunity for the neighborhood's 77,016 inhabitants. The median income sits at just $28,626 - not a lot to live on in the Big Apple. The unemployment rate runs 7.5%. Like much of the area, crime is a major concern as well.

There are highlights to the neighborhood. It contains many stunning examples of Art Deco architecture, including the Park Plaza Apartments, situated along Jerome Avenue.

Overall SnackAbility

5
/10

Population: 77,016
Rank Last Year: 6 (No Change)
Median Home Value: $40,602 (worst)
Median Income: $28,626 (6th worst)
More on High Bridge:  Data

High Bridge New York, NY

Source: Public domain

Bedford Park is a diverse neighborhood located in the northwestern part of the Bronx, between Norwood and Fordham. Sections of the area are considered trendy, but a weak economy for the rest of the 91,627 residents makes this one of the hardest sections in New York City to live in.

A lack of good-paying jobs makes Bedford Park a difficult place to put down roots. The unemployment rate sits at a lofty 8.9%. While Bedford Park is more affordable than much of the rest of the city, residents struggle to make ends meet with a median income of $38,675.

Still, there are reasons to seek out Bedford Park. It features many lovely tree-lined neighborhoods and has its share of attractions. For example, you can check out the New York Botanical Gardens.

Overall SnackAbility

6
/10

Population: 91,627
Rank Last Year: 7 (No Change)
Median Home Value: $59,843 (3rd worst)
Median Income: $38,675 (11th worst)
More on Bedford Park:  Data

Bedford Park New York, NY

Source: Public domain

Back on the subway we go. We're on the 3 train, just minding our own business. Worried about how safe it will be when we arrive.

We're here. This is the Rockaway Ave Station in Brooklyn. We're in Brownsville.

This neighborhood is down near Crown Heights, East Flatbush and East New York.

Brownsville is one of the few neighborhoods in New York that has remained relatively untouched by gentrification. The buildings in this area are older and the crime rate's lower than its peak in 2012 when Time magazine called it one of the most dangerous hoods in the whole city.

Brownsville's getting a little better. The hope is that gentrification will reach deep into this neighborhood. Since the Barclays Center was built in Brooklyn, neighborhoods have improved. When gentrification does take hold in Brownsville, that's just going to push the poor people here up to the Bronx, into Westchester County into areas like Mt. Vernon, or even send them far away into places like South Philly.

Train's leaving. I'm sure we'll be back to Brooklyn at some point.

Overall SnackAbility

8.5
/10

Population: 114,519
Rank Last Year: 8 (No Change)
Median Home Value: $276,505 (22nd worst)
Median Income: $43,390 (15th worst)
More on Brownsville:  Data

Brownsville New York, NY

Source: Public domain

Okay here we are on the 6 train on our way to our ninth stop. That guy over there is totally giving me the creeps. Hopefully he doesn't get off at our stop.

And here it is. Our ninth stop is in Soundview. We're in the South Bronx. Soundview is a neighborhood which is roughly bordered by the Cross-Bronx Expressway, White Plains Road, Lacombe Avenue and the Bronx River.

The first housing project constructed in the Bronx was here back in 1941. Now, there's ten public housing units here - and more than 140 public housing buildings. In the 70s, white flight helped this area fall into rapid decay, and the crack epidemic made it even more terrible in the late 80s.

Now a few years ago, Sound View may have been in our top 5 list of New York's worst neighborhoods, but they've kinda cleaned this place up a little bit. It's been gentrified some and some middle class folks have moved in - the people who want to stay in the Bronx, but don't want to be in the worst hoods. The places we'll talk about in a bit.

But the crime is still really high here. If you search News12 for mentions of Soundview, you'll find article after article highlighting various attacks and robberies and thefts. And this goes back only a few weeks.

Overall SnackAbility

8
/10

Population: 99,574
Rank Last Year: 9 (No Change)
Median Home Value: $198,512 (15th worst)
Median Income: $35,677 (10th worst)
More on Soundview:  Data

Soundview New York, NY

Source: Public domain

We're on the 5 train now. People are really starting to get on our nerves. At least no one's breakdancing.

Hey our stop. We're in the South Bronx neighborhood.

This place is beat up. Incomes here are about $28,038 a year here, which is like what people in rural Kansas, but this is New York City, so you can imagine how much the population struggles in the South Bronx neighborhood.

It's like parts of Harlem right across the river - lots of drug use and prostitutes, drug dealers. You can't take your shoes off and walk on the sidewalks here cause of what you might step on or in. It's not uncommon to hop out and get some chicken nuggets and see someone shooting up in the bathroom.

They aren't even trying here in South Bronx. Let's get out of here before we get jacked.

Overall SnackAbility

6
/10

Population: 212,530
Rank Last Year: 10 (No Change)
Median Home Value: $125,828 (11th worst)
Median Income: $28,038 (5th worst)
More on South Bronx:  Data

South Bronx New York, NY

Methodology: How we determined the worst New York City 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 New York City:

  • 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 New York City, New York 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 New York City.

Read on below to learn more about these terrible places around New York City to live. Or skip to the end to see the list of all 121 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 New York City

Well there you have it -- the worst of the neighborhoods in New York City with Hunts Point landing at the bottom of the pack.

As we mentioned earlier, the neighborhoods in New York City aren't all bad. Carnegie Hill takes the cake as the best place to live in New York City.

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

For more New York reading, check out:

Where Are The Worst Neighborhoods To Live In New York City For 2022?

Rank Neighborhood Population Home Value Median Income
1 Hunts Point 22,864 $73,592 $26,421
2 Mott Haven 70,301 $64,148 $24,839
3 Tremont 106,094 $91,264 $26,821
4 Fordham 64,594 $62,184 $29,604
5 Woodlawn-Nordwood 10,349 $230,318 $63,730
6 High Bridge 77,016 $40,602 $28,626
7 Bedford Park 91,627 $59,843 $38,675
8 Brownsville 114,519 $276,505 $43,390
9 Soundview 99,574 $198,512 $35,677
10 South Bronx 212,530 $125,828 $28,038
11 Williams Bridge 56,005 $239,389 $43,368
12 University Heights 51,091 $53,827 $32,542
13 East Brooklyn 147,562 $354,964 $40,728
14 Union Port 39,750 $285,142 $47,945
15 Morris Heights 60,047 $70,778 $26,278
16 Wakefield-Williamsbridge 108,756 $330,776 $51,245
17 Parkchester 78,551 $223,630 $48,567
18 Morris Park 40,356 $334,795 $57,355
19 Kings Bridge 36,668 $127,395 $54,734
20 East Harlem 51,347 $204,443 $32,744
21 Bushwick 125,346 $340,935 $45,238
22 Steinway 55 $335,250 $62,031
23 Jamaica 147,527 $364,635 $57,389
24 Eastchester 19,282 $295,090 $69,654
25 Inwood 50,749 $187,272 $47,582
26 Harlem 144,705 $321,025 $46,218
27 Clifton 23,109 $338,353 $60,148
28 Country Club 52,418 $244,659 $61,099
29 Howland Hook 3,871 $157,420 $64,184
30 The Rockaways 119,512 $297,562 $63,514
31 Washington Heights 174,779 $93,493 $46,288
32 Lower East Side 84,794 $208,014 $49,246
33 Yorkville 56,751 $330,640 $46,148
34 Hamilton Heights 68,351 $125,019 $43,433
35 New Brighton 47,378 $328,144 $68,125
36 Williamsburg 133,674 $357,174 $53,643
37 Bedford-Stuyvesant 234,457 $467,116 $44,779
38 Port Richmond 16,779 $319,659 $55,390
39 Springfield Gardens 40,129 $337,841 $68,252
40 Flushing 81,947 $423,546 $47,960
41 Throggs Neck 40,546 $356,028 $73,315
42 Corona 368 $516,150 $49,118
43 Saintalbans 73,668 $395,594 $71,773
44 Astoria-Long Island City 126,283 $397,118 $57,906
45 Bloomfield-Chelsea-Travis 10,884 $374,558 $75,810
46 Mariners Harbor 33,993 $316,042 $70,893
47 Canarsie 147,157 $445,675 $69,844
48 Tottensville 15,609 $399,725 $78,173
49 Queens Village 58,979 $410,906 $73,128
50 Jackson Heights 130,565 $394,683 $52,815
51 Glendale 34,313 $449,020 $69,037
52 Nkew Gardens 90,685 $376,981 $67,182
53 Baychester 24,338 $417,404 $69,222
54 East Village 64,040 $316,136 $70,370
55 Riverdale 27,645 $358,962 $86,341
56 Maspeth 31,365 $529,295 $61,497
57 City Island 3,527 $478,025 $84,445
58 Woodside 52,454 $415,645 $53,882
59 Sunny Side 60,580 $410,644 $67,936
60 Sunset Park 106,699 $583,673 $43,202
61 Ridgewood 78,633 $428,957 $58,599
62 Laurelton 45,771 $388,498 $85,256
63 Woodhaven-Richmond Hill 121,346 $461,136 $62,501
64 Fort Green 120,941 $663,709 $71,767
65 Clinton 33,065 $440,668 $90,686
66 Utopia 87,853 $507,017 $71,438
67 Richmondtown 38,728 $481,561 $79,373
68 Chinatown 10,742 $482,185 $69,168
69 Oakwood 26,947 $387,661 $83,626
70 Greenwood 17,838 $623,373 $76,603
71 Gravesend-Sheepshead Bay 255,533 $545,099 $58,223
72 Midland Beach 21,674 $419,240 $82,585
73 Great Kills 17,149 $404,414 $92,004
74 South Beach 27,404 $420,253 $80,005
75 Mapleton-Flatlands 206,460 $610,874 $56,352
76 Bay Ridge 77,029 $631,372 $64,284
77 Ettingville 34,729 $458,711 $87,429
78 Bensonhurst 115,043 $592,801 $53,204
79 Dyker Heights 41,520 $719,727 $64,341
80 Middle Village 37,029 $538,043 $76,088
81 Boerum Hill 22,666 $977,361 $104,198
82 Rosebank 404 $427,800 $82,109
83 Auburndale 38,856 $571,353 $73,129
84 Douglastown-Little Neck 82,321 $518,824 $83,053
85 Ardon Heights 23,582 $408,846 $87,757
86 Forest Hills 110,212 $444,362 $73,556
87 Spuyten Duyvil 14,641 $346,294 $92,579
88 Westerleigh-Castleton 29,688 $449,604 $85,305
89 West Village 22,307 $889,319 $117,237
90 Charlestown-Richmond Valley 1,829 $565,767 $82,504
91 Queensboro Hill 75,376 $521,976 $57,190
92 Carroll Gardens 25,576 $1,045,698 $115,860
93 Clearview 28,704 $555,508 $81,878
94 Midtown 62,515 $719,059 $116,728
95 Annandale 9,989 $523,892 $95,729
96 Chelsea 60,915 $858,245 $112,319
97 Borough Park 155,256 $707,817 $44,528
98 Central Park 2,162 $1,015,795 $101,158
99 Soho 12,909 $1,084,884 $126,708
100 Little Italy 9,408 $831,964 $91,061
101 Morningside Heights 39,804 $448,387 $77,589
102 Rossville 10,650 $484,917 $86,343
103 Gramercy 87,783 $505,980 $111,522
104 Whitestone 81 $858,000 $86,250
105 Garment District 4,769 $485,571 $120,573
106 Tribeca 16,173 $1,501,667 $186,416
107 Murray Hill 25,332 $650,646 $117,763
108 Todt Hill 17,577 $617,667 $93,023
109 Prince's Bay 8,501 $554,529 $95,068
110 Downtown 11,972 $765,956 $110,356
111 Financial District 31,087 $957,860 $158,605
112 Woodrow 9,310 $538,175 $104,778
113 Huguenot 11,608 $632,833 $100,754
114 Greenwich Village 47,962 $951,089 $121,594
115 Upper West Side 204,475 $821,117 $121,502
116 Cobble Hill 10,281 $1,258,134 $131,817
117 Park Slope 77,662 $951,201 $115,042
118 Upper East Side 194,024 $916,352 $131,996
119 Battery Park 13,570 $754,550 $169,476
120 North Sutton Area 17,279 $763,965 $147,814
121 Carnegie Hill 14,743 $1,741,686 $171,603

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 New York City.
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.