Raleigh’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 Raleigh.
And while the city consistently ranks as one of the best places to live in North Carolina thanks in part to tons of entertainment and jobs, it’s not all rainbows and sunshine in Raleigh. Some neighborhoods aren’t as safe as others.
So the question arises, which Raleigh neighborhoods are the most dangerous and which are the safest?
Today, we’ll use Saturday Night Science to determine which Raleigh hoods need a little tender loving care – the sore thumbs of the Raleigh area if you will. Realistically, you can’t expect all the neighborhoods to be amazing, although Glenwood ranks way above the rest.
We examined 18 of Raleigh’s neighborhoods to find out the most dangerous places to live. These places don’t quite measure up to Raleigh’s reputation.
Table Of Contents: Top 10 | Methodology | Summary | Table
So what’s the worst neighborhood to live in Raleigh for 2025? According to the most recent census data, South looks to be the worst neighborhood in Raleigh.
Read on to see how we determined the places around Raleigh that need a pick-me-up. And remember, don’t blame the messenger.
For more North Carolina reading, check out:
- Best Places To Live In North Carolina
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- Most Dangerous Cities In North Carolina
The 10 Most Dangerous Neighborhoods In Raleigh For 2025
/10
Population: 17,197
Violent Crimes Per 100k: 948
Property Crime Per 100k: 3,632
Median Home Value: $131,456 (2nd worst)
Median Income: $42,477 (3rd worst)
More on South: Data
/10
Population: 22,629
Violent Crimes Per 100k: 897
Property Crime Per 100k: 3,526
Median Home Value: $132,067 (3rd worst)
Median Income: $38,691 (2nd worst)
More on Southwest: Data
/10
Population: 28,074
Violent Crimes Per 100k: 653
Property Crime Per 100k: 3,113
Median Home Value: $124,092 (worst)
Median Income: $43,932 (4th worst)
More on Southeast: Data
/10
Population: 87,424
Violent Crimes Per 100k: 605
Property Crime Per 100k: 3,360
Median Home Value: $154,814 (4th worst)
Median Income: $56,500 (6th worst)
More on Northeast: Data
/10
Population: 7,209
Violent Crimes Per 100k: 1,664
Property Crime Per 100k: 4,813
Median Home Value: $235,712 (6th worst)
Median Income: $34,998 (worst)
More on South Central: Data
/10
Population: 37,998
Violent Crimes Per 100k: 512
Property Crime Per 100k: 2,435
Median Home Value: $161,100 (5th worst)
Median Income: $49,446 (5th worst)
More on West: Data
/10
Population: 11,598
Violent Crimes Per 100k: 1,766
Property Crime Per 100k: 4,257
Median Home Value: $372,057 (10th worst)
Median Income: $62,387 (7th worst)
More on East Raleigh: Data
/10
Population: 7,434
Violent Crimes Per 100k: 2,744
Property Crime Per 100k: 7,081
Median Home Value: $407,400 (12th worst)
Median Income: $69,122 (10th worst)
More on Central: Data
/10
Population: 81,974
Violent Crimes Per 100k: 269
Property Crime Per 100k: 1,975
Median Home Value: $279,428 (8th worst)
Median Income: $78,719 (11th worst)
More on Northwest: Data
/10
Population: 9,886
Violent Crimes Per 100k: 778
Property Crime Per 100k: 4,292
Median Home Value: $324,617 (9th worst)
Median Income: $68,103 (9th worst)
More on Falls Of Neuse: Data
Methodology: How we determined the most dangerous Raleigh 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 Raleigh:
- 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 Raleigh, North Carolina 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 Raleigh.
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 Raleigh.
Skip to the end to see the list of all 18 neighborhoods ranked from worst to best.
Summary: The Worst Neighborhoods Around Raleigh
Well, there you have it — the worst of the neighborhoods in Raleigh with South landing at the bottom of the pack.
The worst neighborhoods in Raleigh are South, Southwest, Southeast, Northeast, South Central, West, East Raleigh, Central, Northwest, and Falls Of Neuse.
As mentioned earlier, the neighborhoods in Raleigh aren’t all bad. Glenwood takes the cake as the best place to live in Raleigh.
The best neighborhoods in Raleigh are Glenwood, Wade, Five Points, Hillsborough, and Six Forks.
We ranked the neighborhoods from worst to best in the chart below.
For more North Carolina reading, check out:
- Richest Cities In North Carolina
- Safest Cities in North Carolina
- Worst Places To Live In North Carolina
Most Dangerous Neighborhoods To Live In Raleigh For 2025?
| Rank | Neighborhood | Population | Home Value | Median Income |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | South | 17,197 | $131,456 | $42,477 |
| 2 | Southwest | 22,629 | $132,067 | $38,691 |
| 3 | Southeast | 28,074 | $124,092 | $43,932 |
| 4 | Northeast | 87,424 | $154,814 | $56,500 |
| 5 | South Central | 7,209 | $235,712 | $34,998 |
| 6 | West | 37,998 | $161,100 | $49,446 |
| 7 | East Raleigh | 11,598 | $372,057 | $62,387 |
| 8 | Central | 7,434 | $407,400 | $69,122 |
| 9 | Northwest | 81,974 | $279,428 | $78,719 |
| 10 | Falls Of Neuse | 9,886 | $324,617 | $68,103 |
| 11 | North | 76,649 | $266,389 | $80,005 |
| 12 | North Central | 5,599 | $425,040 | $105,066 |
| 13 | Mordecai | 3,022 | $450,000 | $96,375 |
| 14 | Six Forks | 11,821 | $398,357 | $87,769 |
| 15 | Hillsborough | 16,059 | $494,338 | $66,214 |
| 16 | Five Points | 8,669 | $593,800 | $148,413 |
| 17 | Wade | 9,237 | $672,878 | $125,326 |
| 18 | Glenwood | 8,325 | $665,475 | $165,486 |