Baton Rouge’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 Baton Rouge.
And while the city consistently ranks as one of the best places to live in Louisiana thanks in part to tons of entertainment and jobs, it’s not all rainbows and sunshine in Baton Rouge. Some neighborhoods aren’t as safe as others.
So the question arises, which Baton Rouge neighborhoods are the most dangerous and which are the safest?
Today, we’ll use Saturday Night Science to determine which Baton Rouge hoods need a little tender loving care – the sore thumbs of the Baton Rouge area if you will. Realistically, you can’t expect all the neighborhoods to be amazing, although Bernard Terrace ranks way above the rest.
We examined 43 of Baton Rouge’s neighborhoods to find out the most dangerous places to live. These places don’t quite measure up to Baton Rouge’s reputation.
The Most Dangerous Neighborhoods In Baton Rouge For 2023
- Brookstown
- Victoria Gardens
- Greenville Addition
- Scotlandville Heights
- Fruit Town
- Beauregard Town
- Downtown Baton Rouge
- Melrose Place
- Scotlandville
- North Gate
So what’s the worst neighborhood to live in Baton Rouge for 2023? According to the most recent census data, Brookstown looks to be the worst neighborhood in Baton Rouge.
Read on to see how we determined the places around Baton Rouge that need a pick-me-up. And remember, don’t blame the messenger.
For more Louisiana reading, check out:
- Best Places To Live In Louisiana
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- Most Dangerous Places In Louisiana
Table Of Contents: Top 10 | Methodology | Summary | Table
The 10 Most Dangerous Neighborhoods In Baton Rouge For 2023
1. Brookstown
Population: 4,597
Median Home Value: $73,639 (10th worst)
Median Income: $26,519 (10th worst)
2. Victoria Gardens
Population: 2,489
Median Home Value: $114,660 (15th worst)
Median Income: $23,658 (6th worst)
3. Greenville Addition
Population: 708
Median Home Value: $59,254 (6th worst)
Median Income: $20,866 (4th worst)
4. Scotlandville Heights
Population: 1,225
Median Home Value: $101,496 (13th worst)
Median Income: $22,356 (5th worst)
5. Fruit Town
Population: 480
Median Home Value: $49,199 (4th worst)
Median Income: $27,986 (13th worst)
6. Beauregard Town
Population: 1,121
Median Home Value: $48,744 (2nd worst)
Median Income: $28,393 (14th worst)
7. Downtown Baton Rouge
Population: 2,739
Median Home Value: $48,744 (2nd worst)
Median Income: $28,393 (14th worst)
8. Melrose Place
Population: 3,312
Median Home Value: $68,779 (8th worst)
Median Income: $29,302 (17th worst)
9. Scotlandville
Population: 11,217
Median Home Value: $94,549 (12th worst)
Median Income: $26,450 (9th worst)
10. North Gate
Population: 356
Median Home Value: $323,750 (36th worst)
Median Income: $9,612 (worst)
Methodology: How we determined the most dangerous Baton Rouge neighborhoods in 2023
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 Baton Rouge:
- 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 Baton Rouge, Louisiana 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 Baton Rouge.
The article is an opinion based on facts and is meant as infotainment. We updated this article for 2023. This report is our time ranking the worst neighborhoods to live in Baton Rouge.
Skip to the end to see the list of all 43 neighborhoods ranked from worst to best.
Summary: The Worst Neighborhoods Around Baton Rouge
Well, there you have it — the worst of the neighborhoods in Baton Rouge with Brookstown landing at the bottom of the pack.
As mentioned earlier, the neighborhoods in Baton Rouge aren’t all bad. Bernard Terrace takes the cake as the best place to live in Baton Rouge.
We ranked the neighborhoods from worst to best in the chart below.
For more Louisiana reading, check out:
Most Dangerous Neighborhoods To Live In Baton Rouge For 2023?
| Rank | Neighborhood | Population | Home Value | Median Income |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Brookstown | 4,597 | $73,639 | $26,519 |
| 2 | Victoria Gardens | 2,489 | $114,660 | $23,658 |
| 3 | Greenville Addition | 708 | $59,254 | $20,866 |
| 4 | Scotlandville Heights | 1,225 | $101,496 | $22,356 |
| 5 | Fruit Town | 480 | $49,199 | $27,986 |
| 6 | Beauregard Town | 1,121 | $48,744 | $28,393 |
| 7 | Downtown Baton Rouge | 2,739 | $48,744 | $28,393 |
| 8 | Melrose Place | 3,312 | $68,779 | $29,302 |
| 9 | Scotlandville | 11,217 | $94,549 | $26,450 |
| 10 | North Gate | 356 | $323,750 | $9,612 |
| 11 | Contana Mall | 514 | $157,898 | $41,396 |
| 12 | Dayton | 2,911 | $45,866 | $25,377 |
| 13 | North Baton Rouge | 44,129 | $110,269 | $30,140 |
| 14 | Park Forest | 5,703 | $138,878 | $43,255 |
| 15 | Highland Farms | 3,731 | $80,471 | $19,239 |
| 16 | Villa Del Rey | 3,053 | $183,782 | $44,792 |
| 17 | Melrose Place East | 3,974 | $121,959 | $35,774 |
| 18 | Howell Park | 2,035 | $120,365 | $26,922 |
| 19 | Istrouma | 9,020 | $69,759 | $27,649 |
| 20 | Valley Park | 1,476 | $127,485 | $58,378 |
| 21 | Citiplace | 179 | $706,212 | $71,593 |
| 22 | Goodwood Homesites | 2,848 | $143,672 | $49,710 |
| 23 | Louisiana State University | 8,323 | $364,874 | $28,773 |
| 24 | The Bottom | 3,957 | $144,564 | $20,360 |
| 25 | Sherwood | 14,728 | $171,336 | $52,862 |
| 26 | Southmoor | 683 | $284,287 | $43,245 |
| 27 | Greenville Extension | 2,148 | $52,428 | $59,445 |
| 28 | Goodwood | 5,624 | $284,287 | $68,387 |
| 29 | Steele Place | 1,245 | $238,927 | $66,894 |
| 30 | Perkins | 2,003 | $156,727 | $65,319 |
| 31 | Midtown | 38,225 | $192,794 | $48,085 |
| 32 | Southdowns | 5,281 | $343,736 | $65,860 |
| 33 | Jefferson Place | 811 | $1,047,849 | $96,215 |
| 34 | Bocage | 619 | $1,047,849 | $92,642 |
| 35 | Old South Baton Rouge | 9,422 | $133,404 | $32,275 |
| 36 | Highland | 12,777 | $329,145 | $72,618 |
| 37 | Eden Park | 3,102 | $67,727 | $24,343 |
| 38 | Ogden Park | 2,251 | $223,084 | $44,692 |
| 39 | The Garden District | 8,146 | $267,110 | $50,367 |
| 40 | Broadmoor | 7,420 | $175,175 | $64,739 |
| 41 | Lake Sherwood Acres | 2,738 | $310,349 | $61,606 |
| 42 | Cedarcrest | 1,481 | $187,481 | $73,854 |
| 43 | Bernard Terrace | 3,058 | $406,314 | $70,337 |