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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.
The Worst Neighborhoods In Rochester For 2022
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:
- Best Places To Live In New York
- Cheapest Places To Live In New York
- Most Dangerous Places In New York
The 10 Worst Neighborhoods In Rochester For 2022
/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
/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
/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
/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
/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
/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
/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
/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
/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
/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:
- Richest Cities In New York
- Safest Places In New York According To Science
- Worst Places To Live In New York State
Where Are The Worst Neighborhoods To Live In Rochester For 2022?
| Rank | Neighborhood | Population |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Best | 514 |
| 2 | Charles House | 2,575 |
| 3 | Upper Falls | 6,838 |
| 4 | Dutchtown | 3,302 |
| 5 | Mayor's Heights | 2,522 |
| 6 | South Marketview Heights | 3,378 |
| 7 | Lyell-Otis | 9,016 |
| 8 | Plymouth-Exchange | 3,471 |
| 9 | Susan B Anthony | 755 |
| 10 | Genesee-Jefferson | 4,523 |
| 11 | North Marketview Heights | 4,924 |
| 12 | Strong | 4,446 |
| 13 | Beechwood | 8,913 |
| 14 | Maplewood | 17,663 |
| 15 | Central Business District | 4,457 |
| 16 | Highland | 5,792 |
| 17 | Northland-Lyceum | 4,774 |
| 18 | Atlantic-University | 1,762 |
| 19 | South Wedge | 3,406 |
| 20 | Charlotte | 6,806 |
| 21 | Pearl-Meigs-Monroe | 3,036 |
| 22 | 19th Ward | 20,696 |
| 23 | Swillburg | 1,889 |
| 24 | East Avenue | 6,623 |
| 25 | Culver-Winton | 7,664 |
| 26 | Ellwanger-Barry | 3,991 |
| 27 | Corn Hill | 2,460 |
| 28 | Browncroft | 3,392 |
| 29 | Cobbs Hill | 1,495 |
| 30 | Homestead Heights | 4,022 |
| 31 | Park Avenue | 6,881 |
