The 10 Worst Neighborhoods In Tempe For 2022


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

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

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

Today, we'll use science and data 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 Alta Mira ranks way above the rest.

We examined 55 of Tempe's neighborhoods to find out the worst places to live. These places don't quite measure up to Tempe's reputation.

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

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 Tempe.

For more Arizona reading, check out:

Worst Neighborhoods In Tempe

The 10 Worst Neighborhoods In Tempe For 2022

Overall SnackAbility

4
/10

Population: 284
Rank Last Year: 1 (No Change)
Median Home Value: $83,100 (worst)
Median Income: $42,286 (12th worst)
More on Knoell Gardens:  Data

Overall SnackAbility

5
/10

Population: 2,335
Rank Last Year: 2 (No Change)
Median Home Value: $117,233 (2nd worst)
Median Income: $32,763 (6th worst)
More on Escalante:  Data

Overall SnackAbility

6
/10

Population: 852
Rank Last Year: 3 (No Change)
Median Home Value: $198,100 (22nd worst)
Median Income: $42,156 (10th worst)
More on Mitchell Park West:  Data

Overall SnackAbility

5
/10

Population: 561
Rank Last Year: 4 (No Change)
Median Home Value: $159,800 (8th worst)
Median Income: $19,850 (2nd worst)
More on University Heights:  Data

Overall SnackAbility

6
/10

Population: 738
Rank Last Year: 5 (No Change)
Median Home Value: $198,100 (22nd worst)
Median Income: $42,156 (10th worst)
More on Marilyn Ann:  Data

Overall SnackAbility

8
/10

Population: 3,156
Rank Last Year: 6 (No Change)
Median Home Value: $153,350 (7th worst)
Median Income: $49,605 (19th worst)
More on Pepperwood:  Data

Overall SnackAbility

8
/10

Population: 1,874
Rank Last Year: 7 (No Change)
Median Home Value: $163,500 (11th worst)
Median Income: $53,920 (26th worst)
More on Kiwanis Park:  Data

Overall SnackAbility

6
/10

Population: 652
Rank Last Year: 9 (Up 1)
Median Home Value: $198,950 (24th worst)
Median Income: $52,110 (24th worst)
More on Mitchell Park East:  Data

Overall SnackAbility

6
/10

Population: 838
Rank Last Year: 8 (Down 1)
Median Home Value: $187,500 (16th worst)
Median Income: $23,309 (4th worst)
More on Hudson Manor:  Data

Overall SnackAbility

8.5
/10

Population: 4,260
Rank Last Year: 10 (No Change)
Median Home Value: $134,400 (4th worst)
Median Income: $44,277 (14th worst)
More on Wood Park:  Data

Methodology: How we determined the worst Tempe 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 Tempe:

  • 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 Tempe, Arizona 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 Tempe.

Read on below to learn more about these terrible places around Tempe to live. Or skip to the end to see the list of all 55 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 Tempe

Well there you have it -- the worst of the neighborhoods in Tempe with Knoell Gardens landing at the bottom of the pack.

As we mentioned earlier, the neighborhoods in Tempe aren't all bad. Alta Mira takes the cake as the best place to live in Tempe.

We ranked the neighborhoods from worst to best in the chart below.

For more Arizona reading, check out:

Where Are The Worst Neighborhoods To Live In Tempe For 2022?

Rank Neighborhood Population Home Value Median Income
1 Knoell Gardens 284 $83,100 $42,286
2 Escalante 2,335 $117,233 $32,763
3 Mitchell Park West 852 $198,100 $42,156
4 University Heights 561 $159,800 $19,850
5 Marilyn Ann 738 $198,100 $42,156
6 Pepperwood 3,156 $153,350 $49,605
7 Kiwanis Park 1,874 $163,500 $53,920
8 Mitchell Park East 652 $198,950 $52,110
9 Hudson Manor 838 $187,500 $23,309
10 Wood Park 4,260 $134,400 $44,277
11 Gililland 2,035 $192,500 $37,640
12 Meyer Park 4,026 $160,700 $44,950
13 Clark Park 510 $200,600 $37,895
14 Rural-Geneva 1,078 $192,750 $51,310
15 Evergreen 1,223 $221,800 $65,312
16 Estate La Colina 586 $327,400 $83,304
17 Cyprus Southwest 1,972 $174,100 $50,680
18 Alameda-Campus 495 $240,500 $76,500
19 Holdeman 2,018 $192,500 $37,640
20 Bell De Mar Crossing 463 $204,000 $59,900
21 University Park 2,069 $395,300 $16,875
22 Ntna-College 2,884 $161,900 $43,822
23 Alegre Community 1,790 $137,500 $20,854
24 Baseline-Hardy 5,619 $128,166 $50,023
25 Mcclintock 1,112 $190,900 $74,833
26 Maple-Ash 965 $367,367 $47,372
27 Mach 8 1,825 $175,800 $57,459
28 Ntna-Canal Park 768 $220,600 $61,250
29 Ntna-Cavalier Hills 657 $229,500 $44,412
30 Kyrene-Superstition 1,456 $143,600 $52,838
31 Ntna-West Rio 778 $229,500 $44,412
32 Shalimar 633 $225,000 $68,125
33 Optimist Park Nw 1,150 $206,450 $64,094
34 Riverside 1,763 $266,300 $28,919
35 Hughes Acres 1,054 $192,750 $51,310
36 Optimist Park Ne 1,308 $220,550 $74,281
37 Brentwood-Cavalier 492 $240,500 $76,500
38 Optimist Park Sw 1,122 $217,400 $67,821
39 Duskfire Ii 362 $286,800 $86,932
40 Tempe Royal Estates 3,827 $208,050 $61,256
41 Ntna-Indian Bend 1,988 $167,200 $56,129
42 Sunburst Farms 512 $601,200 $153,250
43 Optimist Park Se 985 $245,600 $88,194
44 Warner Estates 508 $601,200 $153,250
45 University Estates 289 $294,300 $78,125
46 Corona Del Sol 237 $565,200 $138,571
47 Daley Park 495 $294,300 $78,125
48 Dava-Lakeshore 1,124 $173,500 $80,292
49 Mission Ridge 195 $565,200 $138,571
50 Tally Ho Farms 583 $463,700 $141,518
51 Raintree 437 $579,500 $160,833
52 Tally Ho Farms North 490 $579,500 $160,833
53 Camelot Village 1,544 $324,200 $71,100
54 Sandahl 861 $375,400 $126,957
55 Alta Mira 1,433 $341,650 $105,512

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 Tempe.

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.