Little Rock’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 Little Rock.
And while the city consistently ranks as one of the best places to live in Arkansas thanks in part to tons of entertainment and jobs, it’s not all rainbows and sunshine in Little Rock. Some neighborhoods aren’t as safe as others.
So the question arises, which Little Rock neighborhoods are the most dangerous and which are the safest?
Today, we’ll use Saturday Night Science to determine which Little Rock hoods need a little tender loving care – the sore thumbs of the Little Rock area if you will. Realistically, you can’t expect all the neighborhoods to be amazing, although Heights ranks way above the rest.
We examined 27 of Little Rock’s neighborhoods to find out the most dangerous places to live. These places don’t quite measure up to Little Rock’s reputation.
Table Of Contents: Top 10 | Methodology | Summary | Table
So what’s the worst neighborhood to live in Little Rock for 2024? According to the most recent census data, Wakefield looks to be the worst neighborhood in Little Rock.
Read on to see how we determined the places around Little Rock that need a pick-me-up. And remember, don’t blame the messenger.
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- Best Places To Live In Arkansas
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- Most Dangerous Places in Arkansas
The 10 Most Dangerous Neighborhoods In Little Rock For 2024
/10
Population: 3,017
Violent Crimes Per 100k: 2,803
Property Crime Per 100k: 7,360
Median Home Value: $74,850 (2nd worst)
Median Income: $33,180 (5th worst)
More on Wakefield: Data
/10
Population: 750
Violent Crimes Per 100k: 2,757
Property Crime Per 100k: 7,238
Median Home Value: $78,300 (4th worst)
Median Income: $38,607 (11th worst)
More on Big Dickinson Lake: Data
/10
Population: 3,738
Violent Crimes Per 100k: 2,422
Property Crime Per 100k: 9,323
Median Home Value: $79,650 (5th worst)
Median Income: $35,436 (8th worst)
More on 65th Street West: Data
/10
Population: 2,787
Violent Crimes Per 100k: 4,093
Property Crime Per 100k: 4,196
Median Home Value: $69,925 (worst)
Median Income: $31,969 (3rd worst)
More on South End: Data
/10
Population: 1,859
Violent Crimes Per 100k: 2,922
Property Crime Per 100k: 7,672
Median Home Value: $109,300 (11th worst)
Median Income: $34,319 (6th worst)
More on Central High: Data
/10
Population: 4,723
Violent Crimes Per 100k: 3,624
Property Crime Per 100k: 9,501
Median Home Value: $101,391 (10th worst)
Median Income: $36,465 (9th worst)
More on Stephens: Data
/10
Population: 8,070
Violent Crimes Per 100k: 4,056
Property Crime Per 100k: 7,008
Median Home Value: $83,662 (6th worst)
Median Income: $30,444 (2nd worst)
More on Oak Forest: Data
/10
Population: 8,651
Violent Crimes Per 100k: 2,250
Property Crime Per 100k: 6,469
Median Home Value: $95,686 (9th worst)
Median Income: $38,423 (10th worst)
More on Chicot West: Data
/10
Population: 1,801
Violent Crimes Per 100k: 1,610
Property Crime Per 100k: 4,303
Median Home Value: $94,080 (7th worst)
Median Income: $32,768 (4th worst)
More on East Of I-30: Data
/10
Population: 11,175
Violent Crimes Per 100k: 2,624
Property Crime Per 100k: 7,369
Median Home Value: $77,567 (3rd worst)
Median Income: $35,028 (7th worst)
More on Upper Baseline: Data
Methodology: How we determined the most dangerous Little Rock 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 Little Rock:
- 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 Little Rock, Arkansas 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 Little Rock.
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 Little Rock.
Skip to the end to see the list of all 27 neighborhoods ranked from worst to best.
Summary: The Worst Neighborhoods Around Little Rock
Well, there you have it — the worst of the neighborhoods in Little Rock with Wakefield landing at the bottom of the pack.
The worst neighborhoods in Little Rock are Wakefield, Big Dickinson Lake, 65th Street West, South End, Central High, Stephens, Oak Forest, Chicot West, East Of I-30, and Upper Baseline.
As mentioned earlier, the neighborhoods in Little Rock aren’t all bad. Heights takes the cake as the best place to live in Little Rock.
The best neighborhoods in Little Rock are Heights, Midtown, Hillcrest, River Mountain, and Rock Creek.
We ranked the neighborhoods from worst to best in the chart below.
For more Arkansas reading, check out:
Most Dangerous Neighborhoods To Live In Little Rock For 2024?
| Rank | Neighborhood | Population | Home Value | Median Income |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Wakefield | 3,017 | $74,850 | $33,180 |
| 2 | Big Dickinson Lake | 750 | $78,300 | $38,607 |
| 3 | 65th Street West | 3,738 | $79,650 | $35,436 |
| 4 | South End | 2,787 | $69,925 | $31,969 |
| 5 | Central High | 1,859 | $109,300 | $34,319 |
| 6 | Stephens | 4,723 | $101,391 | $36,465 |
| 7 | Oak Forest | 8,070 | $83,662 | $30,444 |
| 8 | Chicot West | 8,651 | $95,686 | $38,423 |
| 9 | East Of I-30 | 1,801 | $94,080 | $32,768 |
| 10 | Upper Baseline | 11,175 | $77,567 | $35,028 |
| 11 | Cloverdale Watson | 6,314 | $94,467 | $41,717 |
| 12 | Boyle Park | 4,661 | $117,640 | $40,050 |
| 13 | Downtown | 6,391 | $137,400 | $30,291 |
| 14 | West Markham | 2,565 | $139,540 | $49,271 |
| 15 | Briarwood | 2,140 | $140,250 | $48,726 |
| 16 | South Geyer Springs | 1,711 | $122,250 | $50,150 |
| 17 | John Barrow | 12,336 | $111,127 | $40,153 |
| 18 | Westwood-Pecan Lake | 4,995 | $146,400 | $45,068 |
| 19 | Walnut Valley | 7,214 | $175,340 | $50,886 |
| 20 | Otter Creek Crystal | 7,130 | $190,440 | $51,613 |
| 21 | Capital View-Stiff | 3,043 | $150,520 | $40,185 |
| 22 | Reservoir | 7,104 | $184,325 | $78,665 |
| 23 | Rock Creek | 13,859 | $246,800 | $79,200 |
| 24 | River Mountain | 13,802 | $284,525 | $96,832 |
| 25 | Hillcrest | 5,671 | $286,780 | $73,968 |
| 26 | Midtown | 9,054 | $210,583 | $67,187 |
| 27 | Heights | 5,151 | $370,000 | $81,906 |