Tempe’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 Tempe.
And while the city consistently ranks as one of the best places to live in Arizona thanks in part to tons of entertainment and jobs, it’s not all rainbows and sunshine in Tempe. Some neighborhoods aren’t as safe as others.
So the question arises, which Tempe neighborhoods are the most dangerous and which are the safest?
Today, we’ll use Saturday Night Science to determine which Tempe hoods need a little tender loving care – the sore thumbs of the Tempe area if you will. Realistically, you can’t expect all the neighborhoods to be amazing, although Camelot Village ranks way above the rest.
We examined 47 of Tempe’s neighborhoods to find out the most dangerous places to live. These places don’t quite measure up to Tempe’s reputation.
Table Of Contents: Top 10 | Methodology | Summary | Table
So what’s the worst neighborhood to live in Tempe for 2025? According to the most recent census data, Knoell Gardens looks to be the worst neighborhood in Tempe.
Read on to see how we determined the places around Tempe that need a pick-me-up. And remember, don’t blame the messenger.
For more Arizona reading, check out:
The 10 Most Dangerous Neighborhoods In Tempe For 2025
/10
Population: 153
Violent Crimes Per 100k: 700
Property Crime Per 100k: 4,951
Median Home Value: $158,100 (worst)
Median Income: $47,108 (13th worst)
More on Knoell Gardens: Data
/10
Population: 1,607
Violent Crimes Per 100k: 1,467
Property Crime Per 100k: 10,021
Median Home Value: $187,500 (7th worst)
Median Income: $39,608 (2nd worst)
More on University Heights: Data
/10
Population: 443
Violent Crimes Per 100k: 2,729
Property Crime Per 100k: 9,914
Median Home Value: $238,500 (16th worst)
Median Income: $91,988 (39th worst)
More on Superstition: Data
/10
Population: 3,878
Violent Crimes Per 100k: 701
Property Crime Per 100k: 7,361
Median Home Value: $199,600 (8th worst)
Median Income: $51,009 (14th worst)
More on Pepperwood: Data
/10
Population: 481
Violent Crimes Per 100k: 1,382
Property Crime Per 100k: 4,185
Median Home Value: $273,500 (24th worst)
Median Income: $46,019 (10th worst)
More on Mitchell Park East: Data
/10
Population: 1,031
Violent Crimes Per 100k: 1,231
Property Crime Per 100k: 11,005
Median Home Value: $238,500 (16th worst)
Median Income: $89,602 (36th worst)
More on Tempe Gardens: Data
/10
Population: 2,225
Violent Crimes Per 100k: 951
Property Crime Per 100k: 11,926
Median Home Value: $256,850 (2worst)
Median Income: $72,091 (29th worst)
More on Kiwanis Park: Data
Population: 3,864
Violent Crimes Per 100k: 1,017
Property Crime Per 100k: 6,583
Median Home Value: $182,350 (6th worst)
Median Income: $39,922 (4th worst)
More on Sunset: Data
/10
Population: 564
Violent Crimes Per 100k: 532
Property Crime Per 100k: 3,765
Median Home Value: $273,500 (24th worst)
Median Income: $46,019 (10th worst)
More on Clark Park: Data
/10
Population: 778
Violent Crimes Per 100k: 1,476
Property Crime Per 100k: 7,056
Median Home Value: $268,000 (22nd worst)
Median Income: $72,250 (30th worst)
More on Mcclintock: Data
Methodology: How we determined the most dangerous Tempe 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 Tempe:
- 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 Tempe, Arizona 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 Tempe.
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 Tempe.
Skip to the end to see the list of all 47 neighborhoods ranked from worst to best.
Summary: The Worst Neighborhoods Around Tempe
Well, there you have it — the worst of the neighborhoods in Tempe with Knoell Gardens landing at the bottom of the pack.
The worst neighborhoods in Tempe are Knoell Gardens, University Heights, Superstition, Pepperwood, Mitchell Park East, Tempe Gardens, Kiwanis Park, Sunset, Clark Park, and McClintock.
As mentioned earlier, the neighborhoods in Tempe aren’t all bad. Camelot Village takes the cake as the best place to live in Tempe.
The best neighborhoods in Tempe are Camelot Village, Raintree, Tally Ho Farms North, Optimist Park Sw, and Broadmor.
We ranked the neighborhoods from worst to best in the chart below.
For more Arizona reading, check out:
Most Dangerous Neighborhoods To Live In Tempe For 2025?
| Rank | Neighborhood | Population | Home Value | Median Income |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Knoell Gardens | 153 | $158,100 | $47,108 |
| 2 | University Heights | 1,607 | $187,500 | $39,608 |
| 3 | Superstition | 443 | $238,500 | $91,988 |
| 4 | Pepperwood | 3,878 | $199,600 | $51,009 |
| 5 | Mitchell Park East | 481 | $273,500 | $46,019 |
| 6 | Tempe Gardens | 1,031 | $238,500 | $89,602 |
| 7 | Kiwanis Park | 2,225 | $256,850 | $72,091 |
| 8 | Sunset | 3,864 | $182,350 | $39,922 |
| 9 | Clark Park | 564 | $273,500 | $46,019 |
| 10 | Mcclintock | 778 | $268,000 | $72,250 |
| 11 | Ntna-Cavalier Hills | 657 | $229,500 | $44,412 |
| 12 | Bell De Mar Crossing | 128 | $248,100 | $59,792 |
| 13 | Ntna-College | 2,884 | $161,900 | $43,822 |
| 14 | Ntna-West Rio | 778 | $229,500 | $44,412 |
| 15 | Ntna-Canal Park | 768 | $220,600 | $61,250 |
| 16 | Rural-Geneva | 1,502 | $285,700 | $65,878 |
| 17 | Alameda-Campus | 742 | $317,700 | $47,083 |
| 18 | Baseline-Hardy | 941 | $176,900 | $51,713 |
| 19 | Meyer Park | 3,701 | $255,100 | $72,310 |
| 20 | Alegre Community | 4,067 | $241,450 | $39,840 |
| 21 | East Rio | 229 | $208,100 | $120,602 |
| 22 | Mach 8 | 561 | $249,400 | $53,333 |
| 23 | Escalante | 5,628 | $163,633 | $43,906 |
| 24 | University Estates | 216 | $429,100 | $60,750 |
| 25 | Brentwood-Cavalier | 737 | $317,700 | $47,083 |
| 26 | Riverside | 1,640 | $369,200 | $39,430 |
| 27 | Daley Park | 366 | $429,100 | $60,750 |
| 28 | University Park | 426 | $429,100 | $60,750 |
| 29 | Ntna-Indian Bend | 1,988 | $167,200 | $56,129 |
| 30 | Maple-Ash | 481 | $429,100 | $60,750 |
| 31 | Cyprus Southwest | 348 | $298,300 | $84,042 |
| 32 | Holdeman | 2,081 | $293,750 | $57,613 |
| 33 | Tempe Royal Estates | 3,394 | $238,200 | $73,053 |
| 34 | Wood Park | 1,272 | $219,000 | $56,556 |
| 35 | Estate La Colina | 621 | $409,200 | $112,105 |
| 36 | Hughes Acres | 1,395 | $285,700 | $65,878 |
| 37 | Gililland | 2,014 | $293,750 | $57,613 |
| 38 | Optimist Park Nw | 1,485 | $290,850 | $90,894 |
| 39 | Dava-Lakeshore | 1,508 | $281,100 | $86,116 |
| 40 | Evergreen | 1,186 | $302,650 | $81,029 |
| 41 | Optimist Park Ne | 1,439 | $290,600 | $101,935 |
| 42 | Optimist Park Se | 1,087 | $290,600 | $101,935 |
| 43 | Broadmor | 1,045 | $370,700 | $91,818 |
| 44 | Optimist Park Sw | 1,576 | $291,100 | $104,779 |
| 45 | Tally Ho Farms North | 415 | $633,100 | $166,052 |
| 46 | Raintree | 523 | $633,100 | $166,052 |
| 47 | Camelot Village | 1,536 | $367,700 | $98,625 |