Eugene’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 Eugene.
And while the city consistently ranks as one of the best places to live in Oregon thanks in part to tons of entertainment and jobs, it’s not all rainbows and sunshine in Eugene. Some neighborhoods aren’t as safe as others.
So the question arises, which Eugene neighborhoods are the most dangerous and which are the safest?
Today, we’ll use Saturday Night Science to determine which Eugene hoods need a little tender loving care – the sore thumbs of the Eugene area if you will. Realistically, you can’t expect all the neighborhoods to be amazing, although Crest Drive ranks way above the rest.
We examined 21 of Eugene’s neighborhoods to find out the most dangerous places to live. These places don’t quite measure up to Eugene’s reputation.
Table Of Contents: Top 10 | Methodology | Summary | Table
So what’s the worst neighborhood to live in Eugene for 2024? According to the most recent census data, West Eugene looks to be the worst neighborhood in Eugene.
Read on to see how we determined the places around Eugene that need a pick-me-up. And remember, don’t blame the messenger.
For more Oregon reading, check out:
The 10 Most Dangerous Neighborhoods In Eugene For 2024
/10
Population: 4,394
Violent Crimes Per 100k: 514
Property Crime Per 100k: 5,273
Median Home Value: $245,286 (5th worst)
Median Income: $51,736 (9th worst)
More on West Eugene: Data
/10
Population: 1,299
Violent Crimes Per 100k: 520
Property Crime Per 100k: 5,328
Median Home Value: $219,000 (2nd worst)
Median Income: $50,854 (8th worst)
More on Trainsong: Data
/10
Population: 3,610
Violent Crimes Per 100k: 469
Property Crime Per 100k: 4,807
Median Home Value: $266,267 (6th worst)
Median Income: $34,549 (3rd worst)
More on Whiteaker: Data
/10
Population: 4,437
Violent Crimes Per 100k: 499
Property Crime Per 100k: 5,109
Median Home Value: $322,367 (11th worst)
Median Income: $26,884 (2nd worst)
More on Downtown: Data
/10
Population: 26,225
Violent Crimes Per 100k: 511
Property Crime Per 100k: 5,236
Median Home Value: $147,138 (worst)
Median Income: $46,446 (7th worst)
More on Active Bethel: Data
/10
Population: 3,022
Violent Crimes Per 100k: 575
Property Crime Per 100k: 5,892
Median Home Value: $468,100 (19th worst)
Median Income: $20,050 (worst)
More on U Of O Campus: Data
/10
Population: 4,506
Violent Crimes Per 100k: 431
Property Crime Per 100k: 4,422
Median Home Value: $222,560 (3rd worst)
Median Income: $41,432 (6th worst)
More on Far West: Data
/10
Population: 6,822
Violent Crimes Per 100k: 418
Property Crime Per 100k: 4,284
Median Home Value: $292,462 (8th worst)
Median Income: $35,544 (5th worst)
More on Jefferson Westside: Data
/10
Population: 9,308
Violent Crimes Per 100k: 319
Property Crime Per 100k: 3,268
Median Home Value: $281,330 (7th worst)
Median Income: $63,726 (13th worst)
More on Churchill Area: Data
/10
Population: 14,597
Violent Crimes Per 100k: 452
Property Crime Per 100k: 4,632
Median Home Value: $241,664 (4th worst)
Median Income: $56,380 (10th worst)
More on River Road: Data
Methodology: How we determined the most dangerous Eugene neighborhoods in 2024
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 Eugene:
- 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 Eugene, Oregon 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 Eugene.
The article is an opinion based on facts and is meant as infotainment. We updated this article for 2024. This report is our time ranking the worst neighborhoods to live in Eugene.
Skip to the end to see the list of all 21 neighborhoods ranked from worst to best.
Summary: The Worst Neighborhoods Around Eugene
Well, there you have it — the worst of the neighborhoods in Eugene with West Eugene landing at the bottom of the pack.
The worst neighborhoods in Eugene are West Eugene, Trainsong, Whiteaker, Downtown, Active Bethel, U Of O Campus, Far West, Jefferson Westside, Churchill Area, and River Road.
As mentioned earlier, the neighborhoods in Eugene aren’t all bad. Crest Drive takes the cake as the best place to live in Eugene.
The best neighborhoods in Eugene are Crest Drive, Cal Young, Amazon, Friendly Area, and Laurel Hill Valley.
We ranked the neighborhoods from worst to best in the chart below.
For more Oregon reading, check out:
Most Dangerous Neighborhoods To Live In Eugene For 2024?
| Rank | Neighborhood | Population | Home Value | Median Income |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | West Eugene | 4,394 | $245,286 | $51,736 |
| 2 | Trainsong | 1,299 | $219,000 | $50,854 |
| 3 | Whiteaker | 3,610 | $266,267 | $34,549 |
| 4 | Downtown | 4,437 | $322,367 | $26,884 |
| 5 | Active Bethel | 26,225 | $147,138 | $46,446 |
| 6 | U Of O Campus | 3,022 | $468,100 | $20,050 |
| 7 | Far West | 4,506 | $222,560 | $41,432 |
| 8 | Jefferson Westside | 6,822 | $292,462 | $35,544 |
| 9 | Churchill Area | 9,308 | $281,330 | $63,726 |
| 10 | River Road | 14,597 | $241,664 | $56,380 |
| 11 | Industrial Corridor | 3,315 | $323,640 | $70,946 |
| 12 | South University | 3,884 | $518,750 | $34,684 |
| 13 | Fairmount | 4,368 | $492,350 | $58,236 |
| 14 | Harlow | 15,338 | $347,686 | $62,403 |
| 15 | Southeast | 11,883 | $315,722 | $77,774 |
| 16 | Santa Clara | 17,963 | $302,240 | $78,920 |
| 17 | Laurel Hill Valley | 591 | $444,600 | $103,576 |
| 18 | Friendly Area | 8,033 | $355,644 | $66,030 |
| 19 | Amazon | 1,618 | $369,000 | $76,480 |
| 20 | Cal Young | 23,306 | $387,740 | $69,982 |
| 21 | Crest Drive | 5,545 | $415,775 | $87,860 |