Rochester’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 Rochester.
And while the city consistently ranks as one of the best places to live in New York thanks in part to tons of entertainment and jobs, it’s not all rainbows and sunshine in Rochester. Some neighborhoods aren’t as safe as others.
So the question arises, which Rochester neighborhoods are the most dangerous and which are the safest?
Today, we’ll use Saturday Night Science to determine which Rochester hoods need a little tender loving care – the sore thumbs of the Rochester area if you will. Realistically, you can’t expect all the neighborhoods to be amazing, although Park Avenue ranks way above the rest.
We examined 32 of Rochester’s neighborhoods to find out the most dangerous places to live. These places don’t quite measure up to Rochester’s reputation.
Table Of Contents: Top 10 | Methodology | Summary | Table
So what’s the worst neighborhood to live in Rochester for 2024? According to the most recent census data, Best looks to be the worst neighborhood in Rochester.
Read on to see how we determined the places around Rochester that need a pick-me-up. And remember, don’t blame the messenger.
For more New York reading, check out:
The 10 Most Dangerous Neighborhoods In Rochester For 2024
/10
Population: 514
Violent Crimes Per 100k: 2,568
Property Crime Per 100k: 10,615
Median Home Value: $62,567 (10th worst)
Median Income: $18,122 (worst)
More on Best: Data
/10
Population: 2,575
Violent Crimes Per 100k: 2,416
Property Crime Per 100k: 5,810
Median Home Value: $55,550 (9th worst)
Median Income: $20,658 (6th worst)
More on Charles House: Data
/10
Population: 6,300
Violent Crimes Per 100k: 1,544
Property Crime Per 100k: 5,714
Median Home Value: $30,600 (worst)
Median Income: $20,382 (5th worst)
More on Upper Falls: Data
/10
Population: 3,516
Violent Crimes Per 100k: 1,485
Property Crime Per 100k: 5,277
Median Home Value: $49,100 (7th worst)
Median Income: $22,697 (10th worst)
More on Dutchtown: Data
/10
Population: 3,378
Violent Crimes Per 100k: 2,009
Property Crime Per 100k: 4,272
Median Home Value: $46,800 (6th worst)
Median Income: $20,220 (4th worst)
More on South Marketview Heights: Data
/10
Population: 755
Violent Crimes Per 100k: 999
Property Crime Per 100k: 4,196
Median Home Value: $147,750 (25th worst)
Median Income: $19,618 (3rd worst)
More on Susan B Anthony: Data
Population: 7,542
Violent Crimes Per 100k: 2,487
Property Crime Per 100k: 7,389
Median Home Value: $46,075 (5th worst)
Median Income: $22,720 (11th worst)
More on Edgerton: Data
/10
Population: 3,471
Violent Crimes Per 100k: 1,304
Property Crime Per 100k: 2,992
Median Home Value: $41,380 (3rd worst)
Median Income: $19,068 (2nd worst)
More on Plymouth-Exchange: Data
/10
Population: 2,406
Violent Crimes Per 100k: 2,841
Property Crime Per 100k: 4,536
Median Home Value: $102,625 (17th worst)
Median Income: $22,113 (8th worst)
More on Mayor’s Heights: Data
/10
Population: 4,523
Violent Crimes Per 100k: 1,793
Property Crime Per 100k: 3,580
Median Home Value: $43,871 (4th worst)
Median Income: $22,632 (9th worst)
More on Genesee-Jefferson: Data
Methodology: How we determined the most dangerous Rochester 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 Rochester:
- 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 Rochester, New York 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 Rochester.
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 Rochester.
Skip to the end to see the list of all 32 neighborhoods ranked from worst to best.
Summary: The Worst Neighborhoods Around Rochester
Well, there you have it — the worst of the neighborhoods in Rochester with Best landing at the bottom of the pack.
The worst neighborhoods in Rochester are Best, Charles House, Upper Falls, Dutchtown, South Marketview Heights, Susan B Anthony, Edgerton, Plymouth-Exchange, Mayor’s Heights, and Genesee-Jefferson.
As mentioned earlier, the neighborhoods in Rochester aren’t all bad. Park Avenue takes the cake as the best place to live in Rochester.
The best neighborhoods in Rochester are Park Avenue, Ellwanger-Barry, Cobbs Hill, Browncroft, and Culver-Winton.
We ranked the neighborhoods from worst to best in the chart below.
For more New York reading, check out:
- Richest Cities In New York
- Safest Places In New York According To Science
- Worst Places To Live In New York State
Most Dangerous Neighborhoods To Live In Rochester For 2024?
| Rank | Neighborhood | Population | Home Value | Median Income |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Best | 514 | $62,567 | $18,122 |
| 2 | Charles House | 2,575 | $55,550 | $20,658 |
| 3 | Upper Falls | 6,300 | $30,600 | $20,382 |
| 4 | Dutchtown | 3,516 | $49,100 | $22,697 |
| 5 | South Marketview Heights | 3,378 | $46,800 | $20,220 |
| 6 | Susan B Anthony | 755 | $147,750 | $19,618 |
| 7 | Edgerton | 7,542 | $46,075 | $22,720 |
| 8 | Plymouth-Exchange | 3,471 | $41,380 | $19,068 |
| 9 | Mayor’s Heights | 2,406 | $102,625 | $22,113 |
| 10 | Genesee-Jefferson | 4,523 | $43,871 | $22,632 |
| 11 | Lyell-Otis | 8,670 | $52,625 | $30,686 |
| 12 | North Marketview Heights | 4,924 | $39,200 | $22,091 |
| 13 | Highland | 5,403 | $142,467 | $44,419 |
| 14 | Pearl-Meigs-Monroe | 3,322 | $108,733 | $35,344 |
| 15 | Beechwood | 7,623 | $64,670 | $37,591 |
| 16 | Atlantic-University | 1,874 | $137,933 | $38,480 |
| 17 | Maplewood | 18,384 | $76,412 | $43,339 |
| 18 | Northland-Lyceum | 5,565 | $91,180 | $45,906 |
| 19 | Charlotte | 5,134 | $102,383 | $37,386 |
| 20 | South Wedge | 3,650 | $146,540 | $48,928 |
| 21 | 19th Ward | 19,116 | $81,181 | $47,842 |
| 22 | Strong | 4,246 | $153,350 | $54,846 |
| 23 | Central Business District | 5,015 | $245,350 | $53,569 |
| 24 | Swillburg | 1,776 | $135,950 | $44,152 |
| 25 | Homestead Heights | 3,495 | $72,300 | $61,461 |
| 26 | Corn Hill | 2,395 | $206,300 | $39,924 |
| 27 | East Avenue | 6,890 | $226,500 | $54,360 |
| 28 | Culver-Winton | 7,013 | $114,312 | $62,846 |
| 29 | Browncroft | 3,413 | $130,250 | $85,448 |
| 30 | Cobbs Hill | 1,469 | $230,200 | $106,229 |
| 31 | Ellwanger-Barry | 4,276 | $164,000 | $63,772 |
| 32 | Park Avenue | 6,372 | $261,650 | $62,473 |