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Riverside'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 Riverside.
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 Riverside. Some neighborhoods aren't as great as others.
So the question arises, which Riverside neighborhoods are the worst, and which are the best?
Today, we'll use science and data to determine which Riverside hoods need a little tender loving care - the sore thumbs of the Riverside area if you will. Realistically, you can't expect all the neighborhoods to be amazing, although Orangecrest ranks way above the rest.
We examined 28 of Riverside's neighborhoods to find out the worst places to live. These places don't quite measure up to Riverside's reputation.
The Worst Neighborhoods In Riverside For 2021
So what's the worst neighborhood to live in Riverside for 2021? According to the most recent census data, Hunter Industrial Park looks to be the worst neighborhood in Riverside.
Read on to see how we determined the places around Riverside 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 Riverside.
For more California reading, check out:
- Best Places To Live In California
- Cheapest Places To Live In California
- Most Dangerous Cities In California
The 10 Worst Neighborhoods In Riverside For 2021
/10
Population: 5,679
Rank Last Year: 1 (No Change)
Median Home Value: $140,071 (2nd worst)
Median Income: $43,003 (2nd worst)
More on Hunter Industrial Park: Data
/10
Population: 18,761
Rank Last Year: 2 (No Change)
Median Home Value: $137,785 (worst)
Median Income: $41,778 (worst)
More on University: Data
/10
Population: 15,851
Rank Last Year: 3 (No Change)
Median Home Value: $194,519 (4th worst)
Median Income: $53,294 (9th worst)
More on Eastside: Data
/10
Population: 10,620
Rank Last Year: 4 (No Change)
Median Home Value: $211,008 (7th worst)
Median Income: $51,283 (6th worst)
More on Downtown: Data
/10
Population: 12,300
Rank Last Year: 5 (No Change)
Median Home Value: $196,489 (5th worst)
Median Income: $46,568 (3rd worst)
More on Arlington: Data
/10
Population: 4,036
Rank Last Year: 7 (Up 1)
Median Home Value: $206,580 (6th worst)
Median Income: $47,177 (4th worst)
More on Casablanca: Data
/10
Population: 8,824
Rank Last Year: 8 (Up 1)
Median Home Value: $229,940 (13th worst)
Median Income: $62,907 (15th worst)
More on Northside: Data
/10
Population: 244
Rank Last Year: 6 (Down 2)
Median Home Value: $153,550 (3rd worst)
Median Income: $59,818 (14th worst)
More on Sycamore Canyon Park: Data
/10
Population: 14,443
Rank Last Year: 12 (Up 3)
Median Home Value: $240,823 (14th worst)
Median Income: $54,135 (10th worst)
More on Magnolia Center: Data
/10
Population: 12,524
Rank Last Year: 9 (No Change)
Median Home Value: $274,850 (17th worst)
Median Income: $71,682 (18th worst)
More on La Sierra South: Data
How we determined the worst Riverside hoods in 2021
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 Riverside:
- 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 Riverside, California 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 Riverside.
Read on below to learn more about these terrible places around Riverside to live. Or skip to the end to see the list of all 28 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.
The 'hoods around Riverside that are really hoods
Well there you have it -- the worst of the neighborhoods in Riverside with Hunter Industrial Park landing at the bottom of the pack.
As we mentioned earlier, the neighborhoods in Riverside aren't all bad. Orangecrest takes the cake as the best place to live in Riverside.
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 Riverside For 2021?
| Rank | Neighborhood | Population |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Hunter Industrial Park | 5,679 |
| 2 | University | 18,761 |
| 3 | Eastside | 15,851 |
| 4 | Downtown | 10,620 |
| 5 | Arlington | 12,300 |
| 6 | Casablanca | 4,036 |
| 7 | Northside | 8,824 |
| 8 | Sycamore Canyon Park | 244 |
| 9 | Magnolia Center | 14,443 |
| 10 | La Sierra South | 12,524 |
| 11 | La Sierra Acres | 11,211 |
| 12 | Arlington Heights | 4,600 |
| 13 | Grand | 6,845 |
| 14 | Arlington South | 4,657 |
| 15 | La Sierra | 36,203 |
| 16 | Canyon Springs | 3,041 |
| 17 | Arlanza | 23,378 |
| 18 | Airport | 10,548 |
| 19 | Ramona | 26,130 |
| 20 | La Sierra Hills | 6,096 |
| 21 | Presidential Park | 5,172 |
| 22 | Wood Streets | 6,979 |
| 23 | Canyon Crest | 16,329 |
| 24 | Mission Grove | 10,116 |
| 25 | Hawarden Hills | 2,610 |
| 26 | Alessandro Heights | 3,412 |
| 27 | Victoria | 9,762 |
| 28 | Orangecrest | 18,304 |
