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San Jose'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 San Jose.
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 San Jose. Some neighborhoods aren't as great as others.
So the question arises, which San Jose neighborhoods are the worst, and which are the best?
Today, we'll use science and data to determine which San Jose hoods need a little tender loving care - the sore thumbs of the San Jose area if you will. Realistically, you can't expect all the neighborhoods to be amazing, although West San Jose ranks way above the rest.
We examined 18 of San Jose's neighborhoods to find out the worst places to live. These places don't quite measure up to San Jose's reputation.
The Worst Neighborhoods In San Jose For 2021
So what's the worst neighborhood to live in San Jose for 2021? According to the most recent census data, Buena Vista looks to be the worst neighborhood in San Jose.
Read on to see how we determined the places around San Jose 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 San Jose.
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 San Jose For 2021
/10
Population: 55,586
Rank Last Year: 2 (No Change)
Median Home Value: $409,460 (2nd worst)
Median Income: $56,502 (2nd worst)
More on Fairgrounds: Data
/10
Population: 25,144
Rank Last Year: 4 (No Change)
Median Home Value: $349,464 (worst)
Median Income: $104,535 (12th worst)
More on North San Jose: Data
The North San Jose Innovation District is a northern district of San Jose, California. The area is home to numerous headquarters and campuses of high tech companies and an important innovation hub for Silicon Valley.
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Population: 38,948
Rank Last Year: 6 (No Change)
Median Home Value: $497,323 (7th worst)
Median Income: $77,166 (7th worst)
More on Alum Rock-East Foothills: Data
/10
Population: 41,443
Rank Last Year: 8 (No Change)
Median Home Value: $469,583 (5th worst)
Median Income: $73,072 (5th worst)
More on Edenvale-Seven Trees: Data
/10
Population: 13,514
Rank Last Year: 10 (No Change)
Median Home Value: $728,821 (13th worst)
Median Income: $95,382 (9th worst)
More on Rose Garden: Data
Rose Garden, also known as Rosegarden, is a historic residential and cultural neighborhood in San Jose, California, near Downtown San Jose.
How we determined the worst San Jose 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 San Jose:
- 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 San Jose, 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 San Jose.
Read on below to learn more about these terrible places around San Jose to live. Or skip to the end to see the list of all 18 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 San Jose that are really hoods
Well there you have it -- the worst of the neighborhoods in San Jose with Buena Vista landing at the bottom of the pack.
As we mentioned earlier, the neighborhoods in San Jose aren't all bad. West San Jose takes the cake as the best place to live in San Jose.
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 San Jose For 2021?
Rank | Neighborhood | Population |
---|---|---|
1 | Buena Vista | 1,423 |
2 | Fairgrounds | 55,586 |
3 | East San Jose | 114,567 |
4 | North San Jose | 25,144 |
5 | Downtown | 87,113 |
6 | Alum Rock-East Foothills | 38,948 |
7 | Burbank | 5,274 |
8 | Edenvale-Seven Trees | 41,443 |
9 | North Valley | 78,071 |
10 | Rose Garden | 13,514 |
11 | Santa Teresa | 55,095 |
12 | Evergreen | 76,963 |
13 | Berryessa | 34,515 |
14 | Willow Glen | 74,025 |
15 | Blossom Valley | 70,687 |
16 | Cambrian Park | 71,889 |
17 | Almaden Valley | 41,132 |
18 | West San Jose | 99,862 |