Birmingham’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 Birmingham.
And while the city consistently ranks as one of the best places to live in Alabama thanks in part to tons of entertainment and jobs, it’s not all rainbows and sunshine in Birmingham. Some neighborhoods aren’t as safe as others.
So the question arises, which Birmingham neighborhoods are the most dangerous and which are the safest?
Today, we’ll use Saturday Night Science to determine which Birmingham hoods need a little tender loving care – the sore thumbs of the Birmingham area if you will. Realistically, you can’t expect all the neighborhoods to be amazing, although Red Mountain ranks way above the rest.
We examined 21 of Birmingham’s neighborhoods to find out the most dangerous places to live. These places don’t quite measure up to Birmingham’s reputation.
The Most Dangerous Neighborhoods In Birmingham For 2023
- Airport Highlands
- Penfield Park
- Airport Hills
- East Birmingham
- Evergreen
- Norwood
- Druid Hills
- Glen Iris
- Five Points South
- Woodlawn
So what’s the worst neighborhood to live in Birmingham for 2023? According to the most recent census data, Airport Highlands looks to be the worst neighborhood in Birmingham.
Read on to see how we determined the places around Birmingham that need a pick-me-up. And remember, don’t blame the messenger.
For more Alabama reading, check out:
Table Of Contents: Top 10 | Methodology | Summary | Table
The 10 Most Dangerous Neighborhoods In Birmingham For 2023
1. Airport Highlands
Population: 307
Median Home Value: $70,342 (6th worst)
Median Income: $23,306 (3rd worst)
2. Penfield Park
Population: 692
Median Home Value: $154,974 (20th worst)
Median Income: $24,441 (4th worst)
3. Airport Hills
Population: 5,760
Median Home Value: $119,811 (16th worst)
Median Income: $35,514 (16th worst)
4. East Birmingham
Population: 5,794
Median Home Value: $73,206 (7th worst)
Median Income: $31,530 (13th worst)
5. Evergreen
Population: 1,610
Median Home Value: $80,795 (11th worst)
Median Income: $25,508 (7th worst)
6. Norwood
Population: 4,121
Median Home Value: $66,344 (3rd worst)
Median Income: $28,856 (10th worst)
7. Druid Hills
Population: 2,001
Median Home Value: $58,004 (worst)
Median Income: $15,826 (worst)
8. Glen Iris
Population: 4,598
Median Home Value: $140,333 (18th worst)
Median Income: $24,667 (5th worst)
9. Five Points South
Population: 12,236
Median Home Value: $114,391 (15th worst)
Median Income: $27,449 (9th worst)
10. Woodlawn
Population: 11,023
Median Home Value: $73,338 (8th worst)
Median Income: $38,389 (18th worst)
Methodology: How we determined the most dangerous Birmingham 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 Birmingham:
- 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 Birmingham, Alabama 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 Birmingham.
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 Birmingham.
Skip to the end to see the list of all 21 neighborhoods ranked from worst to best.
Summary: The Worst Neighborhoods Around Birmingham
Well, there you have it — the worst of the neighborhoods in Birmingham with Airport Highlands landing at the bottom of the pack.
As mentioned earlier, the neighborhoods in Birmingham aren’t all bad. Red Mountain takes the cake as the best place to live in Birmingham.
We ranked the neighborhoods from worst to best in the chart below.
For more Alabama reading, check out:
Most Dangerous Neighborhoods To Live In Birmingham For 2023?
| Rank | Neighborhood | Population | Home Value | Median Income |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Airport Highlands | 307 | $70,342 | $23,306 |
| 2 | Penfield Park | 692 | $154,974 | $24,441 |
| 3 | Airport Hills | 5,760 | $119,811 | $35,514 |
| 4 | East Birmingham | 5,794 | $73,206 | $31,530 |
| 5 | Evergreen | 1,610 | $80,795 | $25,508 |
| 6 | Norwood | 4,121 | $66,344 | $28,856 |
| 7 | Druid Hills | 2,001 | $58,004 | $15,826 |
| 8 | Glen Iris | 4,598 | $140,333 | $24,667 |
| 9 | Five Points South | 12,236 | $114,391 | $27,449 |
| 10 | Woodlawn | 11,023 | $73,338 | $38,389 |
| 11 | Maple Grove | 2,365 | $98,412 | $36,125 |
| 12 | Northside | 16,674 | $67,003 | $29,887 |
| 13 | Titusville | 4,329 | $73,534 | $21,709 |
| 14 | Woodland Park | 507 | $85,767 | $25,121 |
| 15 | West End | 12,821 | $96,290 | $26,227 |
| 16 | Fountain Heights | 8,923 | $68,273 | $32,496 |
| 17 | Brownsville Heights | 1,071 | $154,974 | $47,821 |
| 18 | Central City | 417 | $63,154 | $52,107 |
| 19 | Smithfield | 7,317 | $77,460 | $29,602 |
| 20 | Southside | 18,410 | $123,783 | $34,863 |
| 21 | Red Mountain | 11,498 | $343,155 | $75,381 |