Tempe’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 Tempe.
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 Tempe. Some neighborhoods aren’t as safe as others.
So the question arises, which Tempe neighborhoods are the most dangerous and which are the safest?
Today, we’ll use Saturday Night Science to determine which Tempe hoods need a little tender loving care – the sore thumbs of the Tempe area if you will. Realistically, you can’t expect all the neighborhoods to be amazing, although Camelot Village ranks way above the rest.
We examined 45 of Tempe’s neighborhoods to find out the most dangerous places to live. These places don’t quite measure up to Tempe’s reputation.
Table Of Contents: Top 10 | Methodology | Summary | Table
So what’s the worst neighborhood to live in Tempe for 2024? According to the most recent census data, Knoell Gardens looks to be the worst neighborhood in Tempe.
Read on to see how we determined the places around Tempe 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 Tempe For 2024
/10
Population: 153
Violent Crimes Per 100k: 797
Property Crime Per 100k: 5,164
Median Home Value: $158,100 (worst)
Median Income: $47,108 (12th worst)
More on Knoell Gardens: Data
/10
Population: 3,878
Violent Crimes Per 100k: 999
Property Crime Per 100k: 9,254
Median Home Value: $199,600 (7th worst)
Median Income: $51,009 (13th worst)
More on Pepperwood: Data
/10
Population: 481
Violent Crimes Per 100k: 1,182
Property Crime Per 100k: 4,410
Median Home Value: $273,500 (22nd worst)
Median Income: $46,019 (8th worst)
More on Mitchell Park East: Data
/10
Population: 1,607
Violent Crimes Per 100k: 774
Property Crime Per 100k: 5,012
Median Home Value: $187,500 (6th worst)
Median Income: $39,608 (2nd worst)
More on University Heights: Data
/10
Population: 2,225
Violent Crimes Per 100k: 1,309
Property Crime Per 100k: 13,242
Median Home Value: $256,850 (19th worst)
Median Income: $72,091 (28th worst)
More on Kiwanis Park: Data
/10
Population: 5,628
Violent Crimes Per 100k: 2,340
Property Crime Per 100k: 8,424
Median Home Value: $163,633 (3rd worst)
Median Income: $43,906 (5th worst)
More on Escalante: Data
/10
Population: 564
Violent Crimes Per 100k: 566
Property Crime Per 100k: 3,665
Median Home Value: $273,500 (22nd worst)
Median Income: $46,019 (8th worst)
More on Clark Park: Data
/10
Population: 4,067
Violent Crimes Per 100k: 2,388
Property Crime Per 100k: 7,355
Median Home Value: $241,450 (15th worst)
Median Income: $39,840 (3rd worst)
More on Alegre Community: Data
/10
Population: 561
Violent Crimes Per 100k: 1,305
Property Crime Per 100k: 11,442
Median Home Value: $249,400 (17th worst)
Median Income: $53,333 (15th worst)
More on Mach 8: Data
/10
Population: 426
Violent Crimes Per 100k: 1,355
Property Crime Per 100k: 4,608
Median Home Value: $429,100 (42nd worst)
Median Income: $60,750 (22nd worst)
More on University Park: Data
Methodology: How we determined the most dangerous Tempe 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 Tempe:
- 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 Tempe, 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 Tempe.
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 Tempe.
Skip to the end to see the list of all 45 neighborhoods ranked from worst to best.
Summary: The Worst Neighborhoods Around Tempe
Well, there you have it — the worst of the neighborhoods in Tempe with Knoell Gardens landing at the bottom of the pack.
The worst neighborhoods in Tempe are Knoell Gardens, Pepperwood, Mitchell Park East, University Heights, Kiwanis Park, Escalante, Clark Park, Alegre Community, Mach 8, and University Park.
As mentioned earlier, the neighborhoods in Tempe aren’t all bad. Camelot Village takes the cake as the best place to live in Tempe.
The best neighborhoods in Tempe are Camelot Village, Raintree, Tally Ho Farms North, Broadmor, and Optimist Park Se.
We ranked the neighborhoods from worst to best in the chart below.
For more Arizona reading, check out:
Most Dangerous Neighborhoods To Live In Tempe For 2024?
| Rank | Neighborhood | Population | Home Value | Median Income |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Knoell Gardens | 153 | $158,100 | $47,108 |
| 2 | Pepperwood | 3,878 | $199,600 | $51,009 |
| 3 | Mitchell Park East | 481 | $273,500 | $46,019 |
| 4 | University Heights | 1,607 | $187,500 | $39,608 |
| 5 | Kiwanis Park | 2,225 | $256,850 | $72,091 |
| 6 | Escalante | 5,628 | $163,633 | $43,906 |
| 7 | Clark Park | 564 | $273,500 | $46,019 |
| 8 | Alegre Community | 4,067 | $241,450 | $39,840 |
| 9 | Mach 8 | 561 | $249,400 | $53,333 |
| 10 | University Park | 426 | $429,100 | $60,750 |
| 11 | Ntna-College | 2,884 | $161,900 | $43,822 |
| 12 | Mcclintock | 778 | $268,000 | $72,250 |
| 13 | Rural-Geneva | 1,502 | $285,700 | $65,878 |
| 14 | Bell De Mar Crossing | 128 | $248,100 | $59,792 |
| 15 | Alameda-Campus | 742 | $317,700 | $47,083 |
| 16 | Ntna-Cavalier Hills | 657 | $229,500 | $44,412 |
| 17 | Ntna-Canal Park | 768 | $220,600 | $61,250 |
| 18 | Superstition | 443 | $238,500 | $91,988 |
| 19 | Wood Park | 1,272 | $219,000 | $56,556 |
| 20 | Ntna-West Rio | 778 | $229,500 | $44,412 |
| 21 | Tempe Gardens | 1,031 | $238,500 | $89,602 |
| 22 | University Estates | 216 | $429,100 | $60,750 |
| 23 | Meyer Park | 3,701 | $255,100 | $72,310 |
| 24 | Daley Park | 366 | $429,100 | $60,750 |
| 25 | Cyprus Southwest | 348 | $298,300 | $84,042 |
| 26 | Riverside | 1,640 | $369,200 | $39,430 |
| 27 | Maple-Ash | 481 | $429,100 | $60,750 |
| 28 | Baseline-Hardy | 941 | $176,900 | $51,713 |
| 29 | Hughes Acres | 1,395 | $285,700 | $65,878 |
| 30 | Ntna-Indian Bend | 1,988 | $167,200 | $56,129 |
| 31 | Optimist Park Nw | 1,485 | $290,850 | $90,894 |
| 32 | Tempe Royal Estates | 3,394 | $238,200 | $73,053 |
| 33 | Estate La Colina | 621 | $409,200 | $112,105 |
| 34 | Brentwood-Cavalier | 737 | $317,700 | $47,083 |
| 35 | Gililland | 2,014 | $293,750 | $57,613 |
| 36 | Dava-Lakeshore | 1,508 | $281,100 | $86,116 |
| 37 | Evergreen | 1,186 | $302,650 | $81,029 |
| 38 | Holdeman | 2,081 | $293,750 | $57,613 |
| 39 | Optimist Park Sw | 1,576 | $291,100 | $104,779 |
| 40 | Optimist Park Ne | 1,439 | $290,600 | $101,935 |
| 41 | Optimist Park Se | 1,087 | $290,600 | $101,935 |
| 42 | Broadmor | 1,045 | $370,700 | $91,818 |
| 43 | Tally Ho Farms North | 415 | $633,100 | $166,052 |
| 44 | Raintree | 523 | $633,100 | $166,052 |
| 45 | Camelot Village | 1,536 | $367,700 | $98,625 |