The 10 Worst Neighborhoods In Rochester For 2022


We used data and science to identify the neighborhoods in Rochester that are the real pits.

RoadSnacks is reader-supported. When you click through real estate links on our site, we earn an affiliate commission. Learn more.

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 the country thanks in part to a strong economy and tons of entertainment, it's not all rainbows and sunshine in Rochester. Some neighborhoods aren't as great as others.

So the question arises, which Rochester neighborhoods are the worst, and which are the best?

Today, we'll use science and data 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 Park Avenue ranks way above the rest.

We examined 31 of Rochester's neighborhoods to find out the worst places to live. These places don't quite measure up to Rochester's reputation.

So what's the worst neighborhood to live in Rochester for 2022? 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.

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 Rochester.

For more New York reading, check out:

Worst Neighborhoods In Rochester

The 10 Worst Neighborhoods In Rochester For 2022

Overall SnackAbility

2
/10

Population: 514
Rank Last Year: 1 (No Change)
Median Home Value: $62,567 (10th worst)
Median Income: $18,122 (2nd worst)
More on Best:  Data

Overall SnackAbility

3
/10

Population: 2,575
Rank Last Year: 3 (Up 1)
Median Home Value: $55,550 (8th worst)
Median Income: $20,658 (7th worst)
More on Charles House:  Data

Overall SnackAbility

3
/10

Population: 6,838
Rank Last Year: 4 (Up 1)
Median Home Value: $27,756 (worst)
Median Income: $16,813 (worst)
More on Upper Falls:  Data

Overall SnackAbility

3
/10

Population: 3,302
Rank Last Year: 5 (Up 1)
Median Home Value: $39,343 (3rd worst)
Median Income: $21,620 (8th worst)
More on Dutchtown:  Data

Overall SnackAbility

4
/10

Population: 2,522
Rank Last Year: 6 (Up 1)
Median Home Value: $96,980 (20th worst)
Median Income: $18,939 (3rd worst)
More on Mayor's Heights:  Data

Overall SnackAbility

3
/10

Population: 3,378
Rank Last Year: 7 (Up 1)
Median Home Value: $46,800 (7th worst)
Median Income: $20,220 (6th worst)
More on South Marketview Heights:  Data

Overall SnackAbility

3
/10

Population: 9,016
Rank Last Year: 7 (No Change)
Median Home Value: $39,692 (4th worst)
Median Income: $27,936 (11th worst)
More on Lyell-Otis:  Data

Overall SnackAbility

3
/10

Population: 3,471
Rank Last Year: 10 (Up 2)
Median Home Value: $41,380 (5th worst)
Median Income: $19,068 (4th worst)
More on Plymouth-Exchange:  Data

Overall SnackAbility

4
/10

Population: 755
Rank Last Year: 9 (No Change)
Median Home Value: $147,750 (28th worst)
Median Income: $19,618 (5th worst)
More on Susan B Anthony:  Data

Overall SnackAbility

4
/10

Population: 4,523
Rank Last Year: 11 (Up 1)
Median Home Value: $43,871 (6th worst)
Median Income: $22,632 (10th worst)
More on Genesee-Jefferson:  Data

Methodology: How we determined the worst Rochester 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 Rochester:

  • 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 Rochester, 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 Rochester.

Read on below to learn more about these terrible places around Rochester to live. Or skip to the end to see the list of all 31 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 Rochester

Well there you have it -- the worst of the neighborhoods in Rochester with Best landing at the bottom of the pack.

As we mentioned earlier, the neighborhoods in Rochester aren't all bad. Park Avenue takes the cake as the best place to live in Rochester.

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 Rochester For 2022?

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 6,838 $27,756 $16,813
4 Dutchtown 3,302 $39,343 $21,620
5 Mayor's Heights 2,522 $96,980 $18,939
6 South Marketview Heights 3,378 $46,800 $20,220
7 Lyell-Otis 9,016 $39,692 $27,936
8 Plymouth-Exchange 3,471 $41,380 $19,068
9 Susan B Anthony 755 $147,750 $19,618
10 Genesee-Jefferson 4,523 $43,871 $22,632
11 North Marketview Heights 4,924 $39,200 $22,091
12 Strong 4,446 $72,875 $48,747
13 Beechwood 8,913 $65,964 $30,428
14 Maplewood 17,663 $70,009 $34,491
15 Central Business District 4,457 $56,250 $35,651
16 Highland 5,792 $85,320 $37,308
17 Northland-Lyceum 4,774 $72,580 $34,388
18 Atlantic-University 1,762 $102,100 $39,538
19 South Wedge 3,406 $117,900 $36,400
20 Charlotte 6,806 $90,714 $36,917
21 Pearl-Meigs-Monroe 3,036 $91,433 $35,997
22 19th Ward 20,696 $69,691 $36,499
23 Swillburg 1,889 $99,420 $45,023
24 East Avenue 6,623 $134,240 $46,852
25 Culver-Winton 7,664 $99,225 $51,785
26 Ellwanger-Barry 3,991 $117,657 $49,988
27 Corn Hill 2,460 $165,533 $37,973
28 Browncroft 3,392 $123,550 $59,790
29 Cobbs Hill 1,495 $178,800 $83,062
30 Homestead Heights 4,022 $79,700 $52,330
31 Park Avenue 6,881 $159,055 $57,052

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 Rochester.

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.