Fort Lauderdale’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 Fort Lauderdale.
And while the city consistently ranks as one of the best places to live in Florida thanks in part to tons of entertainment and jobs, it’s not all rainbows and sunshine in Fort Lauderdale. Some neighborhoods aren’t as safe as others.
So the question arises, which Fort Lauderdale neighborhoods are the most dangerous and which are the safest?
Today, we’ll use Saturday Night Science to determine which Fort Lauderdale hoods need a little tender loving care – the sore thumbs of the Fort Lauderdale area if you will. Realistically, you can’t expect all the neighborhoods to be amazing, although Rio Vista ranks way above the rest.
We examined 51 of Fort Lauderdale’s neighborhoods to find out the most dangerous places to live. These places don’t quite measure up to Fort Lauderdale’s reputation.
Table Of Contents: Top 10 | Methodology | Summary | Table
So what’s the worst neighborhood to live in Fort Lauderdale for 2024? According to the most recent census data, Dillard Park looks to be the worst neighborhood in Fort Lauderdale.
Read on to see how we determined the places around Fort Lauderdale that need a pick-me-up. And remember, don’t blame the messenger.
For more Florida reading, check out:
The 10 Most Dangerous Neighborhoods In Fort Lauderdale For 2024
/10
Population: 1,508
Violent Crimes Per 100k: 1,139
Property Crime Per 100k: 7,852
Median Home Value: $178,267 (3rd worst)
Median Income: $40,588 (7th worst)
More on Dillard Park: Data
/10
Population: 1,015
Violent Crimes Per 100k: 1,005
Property Crime Per 100k: 6,650
Median Home Value: $214,400 (8th worst)
Median Income: $24,019 (worst)
More on Home Beautiful Park: Data
/10
Population: 1,738
Violent Crimes Per 100k: 1,213
Property Crime Per 100k: 9,267
Median Home Value: $189,650 (5th worst)
Median Income: $38,162 (6th worst)
More on Lake Aire Palm View: Data
/10
Population: 3,074
Violent Crimes Per 100k: 1,582
Property Crime Per 100k: 10,306
Median Home Value: $198,133 (7th worst)
Median Income: $26,676 (2nd worst)
More on Durrs Homeowners: Data
/10
Population: 6,355
Violent Crimes Per 100k: 1,605
Property Crime Per 100k: 9,746
Median Home Value: $140,800 (worst)
Median Income: $36,795 (5th worst)
More on Dorsey-Riverbend: Data
/10
Population: 1,642
Violent Crimes Per 100k: 1,047
Property Crime Per 100k: 10,315
Median Home Value: $307,140 (20th worst)
Median Income: $56,481 (17th worst)
More on Poinciana Park: Data
/10
Population: 1,162
Violent Crimes Per 100k: 604
Property Crime Per 100k: 4,558
Median Home Value: $198,000 (6th worst)
Median Income: $61,192 (2worst)
More on Lauderdale West: Data
/10
Population: 327
Violent Crimes Per 100k: 281
Property Crime Per 100k: 7,698
Median Home Value: $149,700 (2nd worst)
Median Income: $98,125 (44th worst)
More on Palm-Aire Village: Data
/10
Population: 4,023
Violent Crimes Per 100k: 849
Property Crime Per 100k: 5,614
Median Home Value: $292,100 (18th worst)
Median Income: $41,951 (8th worst)
More on Progresso Village: Data
/10
Population: 205
Violent Crimes Per 100k: 822
Property Crime Per 100k: 5,441
Median Home Value: $303,600 (19th worst)
Median Income: $49,648 (14th worst)
More on City View Townhome: Data
Methodology: How we determined the most dangerous Fort Lauderdale 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 Fort Lauderdale:
- 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 Fort Lauderdale, Florida 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 Fort Lauderdale.
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 Fort Lauderdale.
Skip to the end to see the list of all 51 neighborhoods ranked from worst to best.
Summary: The Worst Neighborhoods Around Fort Lauderdale
Well, there you have it — the worst of the neighborhoods in Fort Lauderdale with Dillard Park landing at the bottom of the pack.
The worst neighborhoods in Fort Lauderdale are Dillard Park, Home Beautiful Park, Lake Aire Palm View, Durrs Homeowners, Dorsey-Riverbend, Poinciana Park, Lauderdale West, Palm-Aire Village, Progresso Village, and City View Townhome.
As mentioned earlier, the neighborhoods in Fort Lauderdale aren’t all bad. Rio Vista takes the cake as the best place to live in Fort Lauderdale.
The best neighborhoods in Fort Lauderdale are Rio Vista, Downtown, Galt Mile, Lauderdale Harbours, and River Oaks.
We ranked the neighborhoods from worst to best in the chart below.
For more Florida reading, check out:
Most Dangerous Neighborhoods To Live In Fort Lauderdale For 2024?
| Rank | Neighborhood | Population | Home Value | Median Income |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Dillard Park | 1,508 | $178,267 | $40,588 |
| 2 | Home Beautiful Park | 1,015 | $214,400 | $24,019 |
| 3 | Lake Aire Palm View | 1,738 | $189,650 | $38,162 |
| 4 | Durrs Homeowners | 3,074 | $198,133 | $26,676 |
| 5 | Dorsey-Riverbend | 6,355 | $140,800 | $36,795 |
| 6 | Poinciana Park | 1,642 | $307,140 | $56,481 |
| 7 | Lauderdale West | 1,162 | $198,000 | $61,192 |
| 8 | Palm-Aire Village | 327 | $149,700 | $98,125 |
| 9 | Progresso Village | 4,023 | $292,100 | $41,951 |
| 10 | City View Townhome | 205 | $303,600 | $49,648 |
| 11 | Lauderdale Manors | 9,769 | $180,980 | $43,376 |
| 12 | Melrose Manors | 4,435 | $255,233 | $70,588 |
| 13 | North Golf Estates | 379 | $637,000 | $65,967 |
| 14 | Sunset | 3,590 | $218,467 | $69,581 |
| 15 | South Middle River | 8,204 | $260,583 | $49,570 |
| 16 | Bay Colony Club | 152 | $243,000 | $49,643 |
| 17 | Riverside Park | 4,495 | $386,600 | $34,380 |
| 18 | River Run | 920 | $369,200 | $114,676 |
| 19 | Edgewood | 3,574 | $250,333 | $78,403 |
| 20 | Bay Colony | 451 | $243,000 | $49,643 |
| 21 | Flamingo Park | 1,000 | $278,500 | $72,317 |
| 22 | Middle River Terrace | 3,725 | $386,467 | $49,516 |
| 23 | Lake Estates | 395 | $637,000 | $65,967 |
| 24 | Coral Ridge Isles | 3,673 | $426,067 | $55,075 |
| 25 | Croissant Park | 2,047 | $286,550 | $82,928 |
| 26 | Harbour Inlet | 441 | $581,600 | $118,295 |
| 27 | Coral Shores | 238 | $521,600 | $59,698 |
| 28 | Boulevard Park Isles | 716 | $409,800 | $61,092 |
| 29 | Tarpon River | 3,466 | $416,425 | $68,617 |
| 30 | Flagler Heights | 3,680 | $336,200 | $64,792 |
| 31 | Landings | 1,165 | $440,000 | $57,979 |
| 32 | Harbordale | 2,524 | $586,040 | $71,099 |
| 33 | Central Beach Alliance | 2,213 | $394,100 | $103,681 |
| 34 | Sunrise Key | 375 | $535,200 | $30,395 |
| 35 | Bermuda Riviera | 1,028 | $239,800 | $70,750 |
| 36 | Imperial Point | 7,118 | $391,840 | $78,000 |
| 37 | Seven Isles | 305 | $573,400 | $128,204 |
| 38 | Knoll Ridge | 2,247 | $406,400 | $51,607 |
| 39 | Victoria Park | 7,151 | $649,825 | $81,570 |
| 40 | Harbour Isles | 317 | $581,600 | $118,295 |
| 41 | Poinsettia Heights | 2,613 | $417,350 | $84,340 |
| 42 | Harbor Beach | 703 | $581,600 | $184,148 |
| 43 | Sailboat Bend | 2,941 | $426,800 | $79,258 |
| 44 | Coral Ridge Country Club | 5,170 | $581,583 | $97,260 |
| 45 | Lake Ridge | 3,068 | $382,000 | $70,934 |
| 46 | Coral Ridge | 4,880 | $748,025 | $95,293 |
| 47 | River Oaks | 3,672 | $429,533 | $79,550 |
| 48 | Lauderdale Harbours | 628 | $1,005,100 | $80,703 |
| 49 | Galt Mile | 2,133 | $420,867 | $83,697 |
| 50 | Downtown | 4,634 | $398,767 | $95,335 |
| 51 | Rio Vista | 2,802 | $918,400 | $130,188 |