Rochester’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 Rochester.
And while the city consistently ranks as one of the best places to live in New York thanks in part to tons of entertainment and jobs, it’s not all rainbows and sunshine in Rochester. Some neighborhoods aren’t as safe as others.
So the question arises, which Rochester neighborhoods are the most dangerous and which are the safest?
Today, we’ll use Saturday Night Science to determine which Rochester hoods need a little tender loving care – the sore thumbs of the Rochester area if you will. Realistically, you can’t expect all the neighborhoods to be amazing, although Ellwanger-Barry ranks way above the rest.
We examined 33 of Rochester’s neighborhoods to find out the most dangerous places to live. These places don’t quite measure up to Rochester’s reputation.
Table Of Contents: Top 10 | Methodology | Summary | Table
So what’s the worst neighborhood to live in Rochester for 2025? According to the most recent census data, Best looks to be the worst neighborhood in Rochester.
Read on to see how we determined the places around Rochester that need a pick-me-up. And remember, don’t blame the messenger.
For more New York reading, check out:
- Best Places To Live In New York
- Cheapest Places To Live In New York
- Most Dangerous Places In New York
The 10 Most Dangerous Neighborhoods In Rochester For 2025
/10
Population: 514
Violent Crimes Per 100k: 1,013
Property Crime Per 100k: 7,025
Median Home Value: $62,567 (10th worst)
Median Income: $18,122 (worst)
More on Best: Data
/10
Population: 2,575
Violent Crimes Per 100k: 2,183
Property Crime Per 100k: 8,695
Median Home Value: $55,550 (9th worst)
Median Income: $20,658 (6th worst)
More on Charles House: Data
/10
Population: 6,300
Violent Crimes Per 100k: 1,514
Property Crime Per 100k: 9,275
Median Home Value: $30,600 (worst)
Median Income: $20,382 (5th worst)
More on Upper Falls: Data
/10
Population: 3,516
Violent Crimes Per 100k: 1,260
Property Crime Per 100k: 7,533
Median Home Value: $49,100 (7th worst)
Median Income: $22,697 (10th worst)
More on Dutchtown: Data
/10
Population: 3,378
Violent Crimes Per 100k: 1,816
Property Crime Per 100k: 6,386
Median Home Value: $46,800 (6th worst)
Median Income: $20,220 (4th worst)
More on South Marketview Heights: Data
/10
Population: 755
Violent Crimes Per 100k: 903
Property Crime Per 100k: 6,510
Median Home Value: $147,750 (26th worst)
Median Income: $19,618 (3rd worst)
More on Susan B Anthony: Data
Population: 7,542
Violent Crimes Per 100k: 2,101
Property Crime Per 100k: 10,463
Median Home Value: $46,075 (5th worst)
Median Income: $22,720 (11th worst)
More on Edgerton: Data
/10
Population: 2,406
Violent Crimes Per 100k: 2,691
Property Crime Per 100k: 7,263
Median Home Value: $102,625 (17th worst)
Median Income: $22,113 (8th worst)
More on Mayor’s Heights: Data
/10
Population: 3,471
Violent Crimes Per 100k: 1,178
Property Crime Per 100k: 4,484
Median Home Value: $41,380 (3rd worst)
Median Income: $19,068 (2nd worst)
More on Plymouth-Exchange: Data
/10
Population: 8,670
Violent Crimes Per 100k: 1,140
Property Crime Per 100k: 5,795
Median Home Value: $52,625 (8th worst)
Median Income: $30,686 (12th worst)
More on Lyell-Otis: Data
Methodology: How we determined the most dangerous Rochester 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 Rochester:
- 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 Rochester, New York 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 Rochester.
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 Rochester.
Skip to the end to see the list of all 33 neighborhoods ranked from worst to best.
Summary: The Worst Neighborhoods Around Rochester
Well, there you have it — the worst of the neighborhoods in Rochester with Best landing at the bottom of the pack.
The worst neighborhoods in Rochester are Best, Charles House, Upper Falls, Dutchtown, South Marketview Heights, Susan B Anthony, Edgerton, Mayor’s Heights, Plymouth-Exchange, and Lyell-Otis.
As mentioned earlier, the neighborhoods in Rochester aren’t all bad. Ellwanger-Barry takes the cake as the best place to live in Rochester.
The best neighborhoods in Rochester are Ellwanger-Barry, Park Avenue, Cobbs Hill, Browncroft, and East Avenue.
We ranked the neighborhoods from worst to best in the chart below.
For more New York reading, check out:
- Richest Cities In New York
- Safest Places In New York According To Science
- Worst Places To Live In New York State
Most Dangerous Neighborhoods To Live In Rochester For 2025?
| Rank | Neighborhood | Population | Home Value | Median Income |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Best | 514 | $62,567 | $18,122 |
| 2 | Charles House | 2,575 | $55,550 | $20,658 |
| 3 | Upper Falls | 6,300 | $30,600 | $20,382 |
| 4 | Dutchtown | 3,516 | $49,100 | $22,697 |
| 5 | South Marketview Heights | 3,378 | $46,800 | $20,220 |
| 6 | Susan B Anthony | 755 | $147,750 | $19,618 |
| 7 | Edgerton | 7,542 | $46,075 | $22,720 |
| 8 | Mayor’s Heights | 2,406 | $102,625 | $22,113 |
| 9 | Plymouth-Exchange | 3,471 | $41,380 | $19,068 |
| 10 | Lyell-Otis | 8,670 | $52,625 | $30,686 |
| 11 | Genesee-Jefferson | 4,523 | $43,871 | $22,632 |
| 12 | North Marketview Heights | 4,924 | $39,200 | $22,091 |
| 13 | Highland | 5,403 | $142,467 | $44,419 |
| 14 | Pearl-Meigs-Monroe | 3,322 | $108,733 | $35,344 |
| 15 | Beechwood | 7,623 | $64,670 | $37,591 |
| 16 | Charlotte | 5,134 | $102,383 | $37,386 |
| 17 | Maplewood | 18,384 | $76,412 | $43,339 |
| 18 | Atlantic-University | 1,874 | $137,933 | $38,480 |
| 19 | Northland-Lyceum | 5,565 | $91,180 | $45,906 |
| 20 | Strong | 4,246 | $153,350 | $54,846 |
| 21 | South Wedge | 3,650 | $146,540 | $48,928 |
| 22 | 19th Ward | 19,116 | $81,181 | $47,842 |
| 23 | Central Business District | 5,015 | $245,350 | $53,569 |
| 24 | Corn Hill | 2,395 | $206,300 | $39,924 |
| 25 | Genesee Valley Park | 55 | $106,800 | $73,884 |
| 26 | Swillburg | 1,776 | $135,950 | $44,152 |
| 27 | Homestead Heights | 3,495 | $72,300 | $61,461 |
| 28 | Culver-Winton | 7,013 | $114,312 | $62,846 |
| 29 | East Avenue | 6,890 | $226,500 | $54,360 |
| 30 | Browncroft | 3,413 | $130,250 | $85,448 |
| 31 | Cobbs Hill | 1,469 | $230,200 | $106,229 |
| 32 | Park Avenue | 6,372 | $261,650 | $62,473 |
| 33 | Ellwanger-Barry | 4,276 | $164,000 | $63,772 |