The 10 Worst Neighborhoods in Baltimore

Baltimore is a city that’s nothing if not diverse. You want hipster? You’ve got it. Family friendly? No problem. Affluent? Take your pick. Crime riddled ghetto? Yes, ma’am.

The city’s economy may be booming, the property market may be flourishing, and the list of attractions may be increasing with each passing day, but venture into some of its less well-advertised areas, and you’re unlikely to leave with a positive impression. Here, we take a look at the 10 very worst neighborhoods in Baltimore in 2019.

10. Brooklyn-Curtis Bay

First up is Brooklyn-Curtis Bay, a neighborhood that’s in need of some serious improvement. Local residents stand a 1 in 9 chance of becoming a victim of a crime, a figure that’s getting worse with each passing year.

The unemployment rate is a staggeringly high 14% (208% higher than the US national average), while the median household income is a disappointingly low $30,643. On the plus side, just $66,250 will get you a single-family home in the neighborhood… but would you really want to risk it?

9. Madison-Eastend

It may be affordable, but thanks to a crime rate that’s increasing by 7% a year, an unemployment rate that’s 114% higher than the national US average, a minuscule median income of $28,589, and a dismal 65% high school graduation rate, we doubt too many of Madison Eastend’s 4,383 residents are counting their lucky stars about the low cost of housing.

8. West Baltimore

In fairness, the amenities available to the 52,160 residents of West Baltimore are actually fairly decent. Unfortunately, that’s where the good news ends. The median home value may be just $78,008, but with most residents struggling to bring home more than $28,589, owning a property here is still way beyond most people’s means.

The crime rate, meanwhile, is frankly appalling, with 1 in 9 standing a chance of becoming a victim of either a property or violent crime… to add insult to injury, that a rate that’s getting worse each year, with year on year crime at 7%. Unemployment is also a major issue, while the school system is so poor, only 65% of students graduate.

7. Berea Area

According to Area Vibes, the cost of living in Berea Area is 19% less than the US average, while the cost of property is a whopping 77% lower. Before you start excitedly flicking through property listings, take a step back and consider why that is: amenities are almost nonexistent, the crime rate is appalling (305% higher than the US average, with 11,128 crimes per 100K people), the median income is 34% lower than the US average at $36631, and the high school graduation rate is just 66%. So, yes – it may be cheap, but with stats like that, would you really want to live here?

6. Pulaski

Pulaski fares slightly better than others when it comes to the affluence of its residents, with a mean income that, at $41,800, is still below the national average, but not by quite as much as some of our other neighborhoods.

Crime is where it really falls down (1 in 9 residents stand a chance of becoming a victim of a crime, with more than 11,000 crimes per 100k people (a whopping 305% higher than the national average). The school system is in dire straits, too, with only 66% of students (20% less than the national average) graduating high school.

5. Greenmount East

11,041 residents choose to live in Greenmount East, although it’s hard to understand why. The average median income is a tiny $28,740, while the unemployment rate is a whopping 13% (170% higher than the US national).

The crime rate is so high (267% higher than the national average, in fact) that your chance of becoming a victim of either a property or violent crime stand at an unfathomable 1 in 10, while school test scores are among the lowest in the nation.

4. Orangeville

If you have $37,160 going spare, you may want to consider investing in a property in Orangeville. For less money than the average US citizen brings home in wages, you can buy a prime chunk of real estate in a neighborhood where the unemployment rate is 8.4%, your chances of becoming a victim of crime is 1 in 14, the median income is 39% lower than the US average, and high school grad rates are 32% lower than elsewhere. Tempted? Thought not.

3. Monument Street Area

There’s a reason houses in Monument Street Area are 18% less expensive than the US national average. Not only is the crime rate 132% higher than the US average (giving residents a 1 in 16 chance of becoming a victim of either a property or violent crime), it’s increasing by a frightening 7% each year.

At $28,677, the median household income is 48% lower than the US average, while the unemployment rate is 131% higher. The one good thing (well, we say good…)? You can buy a home here for the tiny price of $14,650.

2. Dundalk Cityside

Fancy living in a neighborhood where the crime rate per 100 is 11,539 (320 times higher than the US average), where your chances of becoming a victim are 1 in 9, where 10.9% of residents don’t have a job (and those that do earn only $31,725), where the amenities are anything but bountiful, where the streets are dirty and the school test scores are 86% lower than the national average? Then you’ll feel right at home in Dundalk Cityside, the 2nd worst neighborhood in Baltimore.

1.Fairfield

If you see a 1/10 rating on Home Snacks (or indeed, anywhere else), you know the neighborhood in question is anything but rainbows and sunshine. Unlike most parts of Baltimore, the amenities are, at best, sketchy; at worst, non-existent. Crime is disturbingly high (and on the rise), while the median income has nosedived to an all-time low of $29,271 (almost half the national average). Its only saving grace is the fact it’s so small, only 530 have to call it home.

You can also read:

• The 10 Worst Neighborhoods in NYC
• The 10 Worst Neighborhoods in Philadelphia
• The 10 Worst Neighborhoods in Detroit
• The 20 Worst Places to Live in Massachusetts