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 2021. This is our fifth time ranking the worst neighborhoods to live in Oakland.
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Oakland'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 Oakland.
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 Oakland. Some neighborhoods aren't as great as others.
So the question arises, which Oakland neighborhoods are the worst, and which are the best?
Today, we'll use science and data to determine which Oakland hoods need a little tender loving care - the sore thumbs of the Oakland area if you will. Realistically, you can't expect all the neighborhoods to be amazing, although Piedmont ranks way above the rest.
We examined 128 of Oakland's neighborhoods to find out the worst places to live. These places don't quite measure up to Oakland's reputation.
So what's the worst neighborhood to live in Oakland for 2021? According to the most recent census data, North Kennedy Tract looks to be the worst neighborhood in Oakland.
Read on to see how we determined the places around Oakland 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 Oakland.
For more California reading, check out:
The 10 Worst Neighborhoods In Oakland For 2021
Population: 2,132
Rank Last Year: 2 (No Change)
Median Home Value: $169,150 (7th worst)
Median Income: $55,169 (67th worst)
More on Coliseum Industrial: Data

Population: 925
Rank Last Year: 3 (No Change)
Median Home Value: $75,167 (worst)
Median Income: $48,681 (52nd worst)
More on Oakland Airport: Data
Oakland International Airport station is a Bay Area Rapid Transit station on the Coliseum-Oakland International Airport line in Oakland, California, United States. This station is on the system's Automated Guideway Transit spur line, which carries passengers between Oakland International Airport and Oakland Coliseum Station.
Population: 3,052
Rank Last Year: 5 (No Change)
Median Home Value: $181,950 (10th worst)
Median Income: $27,462 (6th worst)
More on Fitchburg: Data
Population: 4,071
Rank Last Year: 7 (No Change)
Median Home Value: $210,667 (14th worst)
Median Income: $23,739 (3rd worst)
More on Coliseum: Data
Population: 2,274
Rank Last Year: 10 (Up 1)
Median Home Value: $325,257 (47th worst)
Median Income: $60,700 (72nd worst)
More on Acorn-Acorn Industrial: Data
The 'hoods around Oakland that are really hoods
Well there you have it -- the worst of the neighborhoods in Oakland with North Kennedy Tract landing at the bottom of the pack.
As we mentioned earlier, the neighborhoods in Oakland aren't all bad. Piedmont takes the cake as the best place to live in Oakland.
We ranked the neighborhoods from worst to best in the chart below.
For more California reading, check out:
Where Are The Worst Neighborhoods To Live In Oakland For 2021?
Rank |
Neighborhood |
Population |
Home Value |
Median Income |
1 |
North Kennedy Tract |
1,111 |
$263,100 |
$28,664 |
2 |
Coliseum Industrial |
2,132 |
$169,150 |
$55,169 |
3 |
Oakland Airport |
925 |
$75,167 |
$48,681 |
4 |
Fruitvale Station |
839 |
$128,550 |
$49,010 |
5 |
Fitchburg |
3,052 |
$181,950 |
$27,462 |
6 |
Eastmont |
3,020 |
$178,867 |
$29,571 |
7 |
Coliseum |
4,071 |
$210,667 |
$23,739 |
8 |
Woodland |
2,165 |
$235,600 |
$30,444 |
9 |
Acorn-Acorn Industrial |
2,274 |
$325,257 |
$60,700 |
10 |
South Stonehurst |
771 |
$144,500 |
$38,208 |
11 |
Brookfield Village |
3,470 |
$210,825 |
$42,306 |
12 |
Hawthorne |
3,744 |
$233,940 |
$32,136 |
13 |
Melrose |
437 |
$259,800 |
$61,857 |
14 |
Arrowhead Marsh |
285 |
$281,700 |
$46,908 |
15 |
Civic Center |
1,654 |
$313,300 |
$38,523 |
16 |
South Kennedy Tract |
1,893 |
$138,150 |
$63,505 |
17 |
Columbia Gardens |
600 |
$225,500 |
$48,681 |
18 |
Produce And Waterfront |
1,348 |
$177,500 |
$73,646 |
19 |
North Stonehurst |
4,056 |
$184,350 |
$38,959 |
20 |
Hoover-Foster |
4,061 |
$233,600 |
$25,849 |
21 |
Peralta-Laney |
753 |
$314,933 |
$73,646 |
22 |
Highland |
3,778 |
$275,120 |
$37,110 |
23 |
Frick |
3,469 |
$326,050 |
$46,120 |
24 |
Iveywood |
2,986 |
$236,260 |
$48,900 |
25 |
Northgate |
1,882 |
$281,850 |
$43,984 |
26 |
East Peralta |
1,839 |
$322,667 |
$49,177 |
27 |
Lockwood Tevis |
2,794 |
$220,050 |
$50,903 |
28 |
Prescott |
5,560 |
$350,950 |
$41,625 |
29 |
Seminary |
5,800 |
$204,500 |
$26,779 |
30 |
Webster |
3,681 |
$220,250 |
$38,476 |
31 |
Ralph Bunche |
2,623 |
$466,175 |
$37,539 |
32 |
Oak Center |
3,948 |
$421,617 |
$28,166 |
33 |
Pill Hill |
2,034 |
$432,900 |
$42,064 |
34 |
Cox |
3,396 |
$263,800 |
$45,160 |
35 |
Elmhurst Park |
3,144 |
$332,833 |
$42,830 |
36 |
Foothill Square |
1,432 |
$316,300 |
$55,385 |
37 |
Hegenberger |
3,043 |
$163,867 |
$33,348 |
38 |
Bancroft Business-Havenscourt |
6,963 |
$241,371 |
$46,110 |
39 |
Rancho San Antonio |
5,831 |
$338,940 |
$32,020 |
40 |
Lakewide |
3,396 |
$162,220 |
$50,495 |
41 |
Downtown |
4,124 |
$360,280 |
$30,079 |
42 |
Oak Tree |
3,262 |
$312,600 |
$36,584 |
43 |
Tuxedo |
2,659 |
$348,950 |
$46,400 |
44 |
Fremont |
5,889 |
$207,800 |
$39,414 |
45 |
Castlemont |
5,820 |
$243,650 |
$42,814 |
46 |
Chinatown |
3,425 |
$429,833 |
$21,261 |
47 |
San Pablo Gateway |
2,704 |
$436,133 |
$31,740 |
48 |
South Prescott |
424 |
$572,400 |
$65,625 |
49 |
Reservoir Hill-Meadow Brook |
5,292 |
$329,143 |
$39,638 |
50 |
Waverly |
865 |
$335,900 |
$21,426 |
51 |
Mcclymonds |
2,905 |
$389,333 |
$41,590 |
52 |
Saint Elizabeth |
5,809 |
$248,975 |
$38,008 |
53 |
Las Palmas |
2,735 |
$276,750 |
$50,164 |
54 |
Merritt |
3,208 |
$334,125 |
$40,135 |
55 |
Clawson |
2,579 |
$441,400 |
$70,344 |
56 |
Jefferson |
3,814 |
$292,475 |
$50,640 |
57 |
Toler Heights |
2,864 |
$402,400 |
$48,208 |
58 |
Durant Manor |
3,093 |
$263,900 |
$65,014 |
59 |
Dimond |
1,681 |
$379,100 |
$57,704 |
60 |
Arroyo Viejo |
5,738 |
$253,060 |
$49,866 |
61 |
Mosswood |
2,434 |
$549,150 |
$70,251 |
62 |
Fairfax |
2,070 |
$407,050 |
$47,497 |
63 |
Peralta-Hacienda |
2,486 |
$348,300 |
$47,859 |
64 |
Patten |
2,830 |
$373,033 |
$40,999 |
65 |
Lynn-Highland Park |
3,096 |
$451,950 |
$47,757 |
66 |
Fairfax Business-Wentworth-Holland |
2,338 |
$293,750 |
$44,870 |
67 |
Sobrante Park |
3,500 |
$241,000 |
$47,978 |
68 |
Highland Terrace |
4,662 |
$309,120 |
$38,727 |
69 |
Eastmont Hills |
4,355 |
$409,375 |
$82,510 |
70 |
Oakland Ave-Harrison St |
5,568 |
$311,460 |
$54,560 |
71 |
Clinton |
9,195 |
$360,144 |
$37,709 |
72 |
Laurel |
1,608 |
$384,600 |
$52,193 |
73 |
Longfellow |
5,884 |
$346,333 |
$54,054 |
74 |
Old City-Produce And Waterfront |
2,153 |
$448,040 |
$76,119 |
75 |
Bartlett |
1,238 |
$347,050 |
$56,976 |
76 |
Upper Peralta Creek-Bartlett |
3,256 |
$371,600 |
$48,575 |
77 |
Santa Fe |
3,431 |
$623,820 |
$47,396 |
78 |
Millsmont |
4,652 |
$344,850 |
$62,267 |
79 |
Allendale |
4,647 |
$403,700 |
$45,974 |
80 |
Paradise Park |
2,017 |
$496,967 |
$60,938 |
81 |
Golden Gate |
1,690 |
$515,275 |
$65,466 |
82 |
School |
2,185 |
$411,750 |
$55,693 |
83 |
Golf Links |
1,482 |
$447,750 |
$93,839 |
84 |
Ivy Hill |
3,548 |
$410,050 |
$46,775 |
85 |
Upper Dimond |
3,378 |
$594,400 |
$84,149 |
86 |
Sausal Creek |
3,807 |
$390,920 |
$50,204 |
87 |
Skyline-Hillcrest Estates |
921 |
$667,400 |
$123,204 |
88 |
Leona Heights |
930 |
$487,300 |
$87,500 |
89 |
Sequoyah |
4,320 |
$512,200 |
$89,887 |
90 |
Harrington |
3,984 |
$293,267 |
$51,479 |
91 |
Temescal |
4,262 |
$600,733 |
$83,410 |
92 |
Upper Laurel |
5,205 |
$536,125 |
$72,640 |
93 |
Mountain View Cemetery |
973 |
$967,200 |
$142,303 |
94 |
Rockridge |
3,648 |
$1,010,625 |
$135,013 |
95 |
Shafter |
3,472 |
$780,767 |
$66,422 |
96 |
Lincoln Highlands |
2,445 |
$566,840 |
$103,683 |
97 |
Crestmont |
1,062 |
$699,300 |
$153,438 |
98 |
Maxwell Park |
6,327 |
$455,033 |
$84,936 |
99 |
Bushrod |
6,888 |
$612,055 |
$61,782 |
100 |
Piedmont Avenue |
7,331 |
$515,600 |
$83,140 |
101 |
Lakeshore |
3,265 |
$710,875 |
$98,515 |
102 |
Gaskill |
1,856 |
$475,550 |
$65,612 |
103 |
Grand Lake |
5,102 |
$285,940 |
$70,607 |
104 |
Bella Vista |
1,492 |
$390,550 |
$74,890 |
105 |
Lake Merritt |
613 |
$441,200 |
$82,630 |
106 |
Caballo Hills |
2,543 |
$607,367 |
$111,303 |
107 |
Chabot Park |
4,058 |
$608,700 |
$123,481 |
108 |
Hiller Highlands |
447 |
$966,450 |
$161,756 |
109 |
Claremont |
1,097 |
$1,310,967 |
$168,916 |
110 |
Adams Point |
9,378 |
$399,700 |
$72,591 |
111 |
Oakmore |
4,022 |
$775,900 |
$108,764 |
112 |
Montclair Business |
229 |
$805,700 |
$150,230 |
113 |
Joaquin Miller Park |
681 |
$916,900 |
$165,444 |
114 |
Redwood Heights |
5,238 |
$630,583 |
$111,928 |
115 |
Cleveland Heights |
7,587 |
$552,700 |
$66,969 |
116 |
Glen Highlands |
1,473 |
$820,400 |
$148,452 |
117 |
Glenview |
5,284 |
$660,467 |
$104,749 |
118 |
Woodminster |
1,530 |
$762,550 |
$170,156 |
119 |
Piedmont Pines |
2,892 |
$847,925 |
$162,407 |
120 |
Shepherd Canyon |
1,863 |
$804,000 |
$156,631 |
121 |
Panoramic Hill |
1,751 |
$1,074,100 |
$177,417 |
122 |
Merriwood |
3,273 |
$842,920 |
$147,649 |
123 |
Forestland |
1,954 |
$795,200 |
$137,947 |
124 |
Montclair |
4,011 |
$839,425 |
$154,178 |
125 |
Trestle Glen |
3,819 |
$927,900 |
$173,536 |
126 |
Fairview Park |
3,894 |
$826,367 |
$100,433 |
127 |
Upper Rockridge |
5,996 |
$1,233,143 |
$182,758 |
128 |
Piedmont |
10,992 |
$1,604,023 |
$204,144 |
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