Mesa’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 Mesa.
And while the city consistently ranks as one of the best places to live in Arizona thanks in part to tons of entertainment and jobs, it’s not all rainbows and sunshine in Mesa. Some neighborhoods aren’t as safe as others.
So the question arises, which Mesa neighborhoods are the most dangerous and which are the safest?
Today, we’ll use Saturday Night Science to determine which Mesa hoods need a little tender loving care – the sore thumbs of the Mesa area if you will. Realistically, you can’t expect all the neighborhoods to be amazing, although Lehi ranks way above the rest.
We examined 23 of Mesa’s neighborhoods to find out the most dangerous places to live. These places don’t quite measure up to Mesa’s reputation.
Table Of Contents: Top 10 | Methodology | Summary | Table
So what’s the worst neighborhood to live in Mesa for 2024? According to the most recent census data, Glenwood-Wilbur looks to be the worst neighborhood in Mesa.
Read on to see how we determined the places around Mesa that need a pick-me-up. And remember, don’t blame the messenger.
For more Arizona reading, check out:
The 10 Most Dangerous Neighborhoods In Mesa For 2024
1. Glenwood-Wilbur
Population: 284
Median Home Value: $143,043 (worst)
Median Income: $29,329 (worst)
2. Downtown
Population: 2,377
Median Home Value: $143,064 (2nd worst)
Median Income: $33,724 (2nd worst)
3. Sunland Village East
Population: 1,379
Median Home Value: $190,841 (8th worst)
Median Income: $62,094 (11th worst)
4. Rancho del Mar
Population: 500
Median Home Value: $173,034 (5th worst)
Median Income: $54,452 (9th worst)
5. Mesa Grande
Population: 8,617
Median Home Value: $148,554 (3rd worst)
Median Income: $45,524 (6th worst)
6. Crismon Creek
Population: 423
Median Home Value: $201,964 (12th worst)
Median Income: $93,977 (19th worst)
7. Superstition Springs
Population: 5,530
Median Home Value: $190,841 (8th worst)
Median Income: $53,295 (8th worst)
8. Parkwood Ranch
Population: 2,818
Median Home Value: $183,194 (7th worst)
Median Income: $76,872 (16th worst)
9. C.A.N.D.O.
Population: 2,651
Median Home Value: $172,030 (4th worst)
Median Income: $35,982 (3rd worst)
10. Heritage Park
Population: 510
Median Home Value: $214,448 (15th worst)
Median Income: $44,903 (5th worst)
Methodology: How we determined the most dangerous Mesa 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 Mesa:
- 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 Mesa, Arizona 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 Mesa.
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 Mesa.
Skip to the end to see the list of all 23 neighborhoods ranked from worst to best.
Summary: The Worst Neighborhoods Around Mesa
Well, there you have it — the worst of the neighborhoods in Mesa with Glenwood-Wilbur landing at the bottom of the pack.
The worst neighborhoods in Mesa are Glenwood-Wilbur, Downtown, Sunland Village East, Rancho del Mar, Mesa Grande, Crismon Creek, Superstition Springs, Parkwood Ranch, C.A.N.D.O., and Heritage Park.
As mentioned earlier, the neighborhoods in Mesa aren’t all bad. Lehi takes the cake as the best place to live in Mesa.
The best neighborhoods in Mesa are Lehi, Northgrove, The Groves, Dobson Woods, and Ridgeview.
We ranked the neighborhoods from worst to best in the chart below.
For more Arizona reading, check out:
Most Dangerous Neighborhoods To Live In Mesa For 2024?
| Rank | Neighborhood | Population | Home Value | Median Income |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Glenwood-Wilbur | 284 | $143,043 | $29,329 |
| 2 | Downtown | 2,377 | $143,064 | $33,724 |
| 3 | Sunland Village East | 1,379 | $190,841 | $62,094 |
| 4 | Rancho Del Mar | 500 | $173,034 | $54,452 |
| 5 | Mesa Grande | 8,617 | $148,554 | $45,524 |
| 6 | Crismon Creek | 423 | $201,964 | $93,977 |
| 7 | Superstition Springs | 5,530 | $190,841 | $53,295 |
| 8 | Parkwood Ranch | 2,818 | $183,194 | $76,872 |
| 9 | C.a.n.d.o. | 2,651 | $172,030 | $35,982 |
| 10 | Heritage Park | 510 | $214,448 | $44,903 |
| 11 | Sunland Village | 2,563 | $199,643 | $42,883 |
| 12 | North Center Street | 2,250 | $204,655 | $47,460 |
| 13 | Apache Wells | 1,445 | $209,154 | $3,007,045 |
| 14 | Red Mountain Ranch | 2,353 | $224,326 | $71,092 |
| 15 | Northeast | 4,071 | $544,266 | $95,862 |
| 16 | Marlborough Mesa | 1,524 | $182,471 | $66,121 |
| 17 | Alta Mesa | 7,971 | $239,452 | $60,862 |
| 18 | Dobson Ranch | 11,657 | $230,332 | $62,994 |
| 19 | Ridgeview | 900 | $255,609 | $88,878 |
| 20 | Dobson Woods | 3,454 | $199,495 | $72,016 |
| 21 | The Groves | 5,555 | $405,759 | $106,534 |
| 22 | Northgrove | 1,987 | $416,540 | $7,983,126 |
| 23 | Lehi | 8,424 | $369,367 | $80,903 |