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Seattle'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 Seattle.
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 Seattle. Some neighborhoods aren't as great as others.
So the question arises, which Seattle neighborhoods are the worst, and which are the best?
Today, we'll use science and data to determine which Seattle hoods need a little tender loving care - the sore thumbs of the Seattle area if you will. Realistically, you can't expect all the neighborhoods to be amazing, although Laurelhurst ranks way above the rest.
We examined 78 of Seattle's neighborhoods to find out the worst places to live. These places don't quite measure up to Seattle's reputation.
The Worst Neighborhoods In Seattle For 2021
So what's the worst neighborhood to live in Seattle for 2021? According to the most recent census data, South Park looks to be the worst neighborhood in Seattle.
Read on to see how we determined the places around Seattle 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 Seattle.
For more Washington reading, check out:
- Best Places To Live In Washington
- Cheapest Places To Live In Washington
- Most Dangerous Cities In Washington
The 10 Worst Neighborhoods In Seattle For 2021
/10
Population: 2,000
Rank Last Year: 2 (No Change)
Median Home Value: $314,817 (8th worst)
Median Income: $64,669 (17th worst)
More on Georgetown: Data
/10
Population: 703
Rank Last Year: 4 (No Change)
Median Home Value: $396,900 (25th worst)
Median Income: $66,250 (18th worst)
More on Sand Point: Data
/10
Population: 6,231
Rank Last Year: 6 (No Change)
Median Home Value: $280,467 (3rd worst)
Median Income: $52,981 (6th worst)
More on South Delridge: Data
/10
Population: 15,358
Rank Last Year: 8 (No Change)
Median Home Value: $334,780 (11th worst)
Median Income: $61,016 (13th worst)
More on Rainier Beach: Data
/10
Population: 3,508
Rank Last Year: 10 (No Change)
Median Home Value: $335,700 (12th worst)
Median Income: $76,727 (28th worst)
More on Riverview: Data
How we determined the worst Seattle 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 Seattle:
- 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 Seattle, Washington 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 Seattle.
Read on below to learn more about these terrible places around Seattle to live. Or skip to the end to see the list of all 78 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 Seattle that are really hoods
Well there you have it -- the worst of the neighborhoods in Seattle with South Park landing at the bottom of the pack.
As we mentioned earlier, the neighborhoods in Seattle aren't all bad. Laurelhurst takes the cake as the best place to live in Seattle.
We ranked the neighborhoods from worst to best in the chart below.
For more Washington reading, check out:
#1 on my ten worst articles read this year. White people doesn’t equal better neighborhood.
If that were true people wouldn’t care when whites don’t want to let anyone else into their neighborhood. Face it, we set the standard.
Assuming “better” doesn’t mean high property values, low crime, little blight/graffiti, and proximity to decent restaurants and retail.
Lol this is the lamest article I’ve ever read. You just listed the best neighborhoods in Seattle.
Racist and classist article. I live in the Bryant/Wedgwood area (both ranking high on this list) and it’s extremely white and boring with lack of access to most things that make living in this expensive city “worth it”. And Laurelhurst?? There isn’t anything to do or see in Laurelhurst.
Seattle as a whole is a bad neighborhood.