Knoxville’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 Knoxville.
And while the city consistently ranks as one of the best places to live in Tennessee thanks in part to tons of entertainment and jobs, it’s not all rainbows and sunshine in Knoxville. Some neighborhoods aren’t as safe as others.
So the question arises, which Knoxville neighborhoods are the most dangerous and which are the safest?
Today, we’ll use Saturday Night Science to determine which Knoxville hoods need a little tender loving care – the sore thumbs of the Knoxville area if you will. Realistically, you can’t expect all the neighborhoods to be amazing, although Five Points ranks way above the rest.
We examined 34 of Knoxville’s neighborhoods to find out the most dangerous places to live. These places don’t quite measure up to Knoxville’s reputation.
Table Of Contents: Top 10 | Methodology | Summary | Table
So what’s the worst neighborhood to live in Knoxville for 2025? According to the most recent census data, Old North Knoxville looks to be the worst neighborhood in Knoxville.
Read on to see how we determined the places around Knoxville that need a pick-me-up. And remember, don’t blame the messenger.
For more Tennessee reading, check out:
- Best Places To Live In Tennessee
- Cheapest Places To Live In Tennessee
- Most Dangerous Cities In Tennessee
The 10 Most Dangerous Neighborhoods In Knoxville For 2025
/10
Population: 868
Median Home Value: $77,045 (7th worst)
Median Income: $21,228 (3rd worst)
More on Old North Knoxville: Data
/10
Population: 2,887
Median Home Value: $68,199 (4th worst)
Median Income: $25,421 (8th worst)
More on Old City: Data
3. Downtown
Population: 3,224
Median Home Value: $68,199 (4th worst)
Median Income: $25,421 (8th worst)
/10
Population: 1,075
Median Home Value: $71,158 (6th worst)
Median Income: $26,871 (12th worst)
More on Old Sevier: Data
/10
Population: 818
Median Home Value: $64,378 (3rd worst)
Median Income: $23,489 (5th worst)
More on Beaumont: Data
6. SouthKnoxville
Population: 8,686
Median Home Value: $86,621 (9th worst)
Median Income: $27,681 (13th worst)
7. Holston Hills
Population: 4,628
Median Home Value: $90,304 (10th worst)
Median Income: $39,073 (2worst)
/10
Population: 3,536
Median Home Value: $51,011 (worst)
Median Income: $18,258 (worst)
More on Mechanicsville: Data
9. Halls Crossroads
Population: 566
Median Home Value: $121,249 (18th worst)
Median Income: $40,770 (23rd worst)
10. North Hills
Population: 2,522
Median Home Value: $98,267 (12th worst)
Median Income: $28,797 (14th worst)
Methodology: How we determined the most dangerous Knoxville neighborhoods in 2025
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 Knoxville:
- 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 Knoxville, Tennessee 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 Knoxville.
The article is an opinion based on facts and is meant as infotainment. We updated this article for 2025. This report is our time ranking the worst neighborhoods to live in Knoxville.
Skip to the end to see the list of all 34 neighborhoods ranked from worst to best.
Summary: The Worst Neighborhoods Around Knoxville
Well, there you have it — the worst of the neighborhoods in Knoxville with Old North Knoxville landing at the bottom of the pack.
The worst neighborhoods in Knoxville are Old North Knoxville, Old City, Downtown, Old Sevier, Beaumont, SouthKnoxville, Holston Hills, Mechanicsville, Halls Crossroads, and North Hills.
As mentioned earlier, the neighborhoods in Knoxville aren’t all bad. Five Points takes the cake as the best place to live in Knoxville.
The best neighborhoods in Knoxville are Five Points, Parkridge, Morningside, Lyons View, and Inskip.
We ranked the neighborhoods from worst to best in the chart below.
For more Tennessee reading, check out:
Most Dangerous Neighborhoods To Live In Knoxville For 2025?
| Rank | Neighborhood | Population | Home Value | Median Income |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Old North Knoxville | 868 | $77,045 | $21,228 |
| 2 | Old City | 2,887 | $68,199 | $25,421 |
| 3 | Downtown | 3,224 | $68,199 | $25,421 |
| 4 | Old Sevier | 1,075 | $71,158 | $26,871 |
| 5 | Beaumont | 818 | $64,378 | $23,489 |
| 6 | Southknoxville | 8,686 | $86,621 | $27,681 |
| 7 | Holston Hills | 4,628 | $90,304 | $39,073 |
| 8 | Mechanicsville | 3,536 | $51,011 | $18,258 |
| 9 | Halls Crossroads | 566 | $121,249 | $40,770 |
| 10 | North Hills | 2,522 | $98,267 | $28,797 |
| 11 | Western Heights | 2,801 | $61,111 | $20,505 |
| 12 | South Knoxville | 28,682 | $118,327 | $32,785 |
| 13 | Norwood | 29,798 | $103,606 | $44,660 |
| 14 | Burlington | 6,187 | $83,786 | $30,139 |
| 15 | Lonsdale | 13,278 | $91,135 | $23,168 |
| 16 | Lake Forest | 5,911 | $158,771 | $35,516 |
| 17 | West Knoxville | 45,979 | $238,722 | $52,085 |
| 18 | North Knoxville | 42,454 | $112,359 | $36,308 |
| 19 | Forest Heights | 957 | $255,731 | $55,661 |
| 20 | East Knoxville | 20,794 | $193,506 | $36,682 |
| 21 | Marble City | 4,216 | $255,731 | $43,193 |
| 22 | Rocky Hill | 2,135 | $187,957 | $78,104 |
| 23 | Deane Hill | 6,908 | $241,037 | $72,576 |
| 24 | Park City | 3,603 | $165,209 | $25,643 |
| 25 | Whittle Springs | 8,833 | $104,175 | $34,082 |
| 26 | Bearden | 4,215 | $255,731 | $87,724 |
| 27 | Colonial Village | 4,814 | $121,779 | $42,783 |
| 28 | Lakemoor Hills | 1,934 | $454,418 | $74,274 |
| 29 | Fountain City | 26,120 | $140,310 | $45,135 |
| 30 | Inskip | 20,491 | $119,126 | $39,540 |
| 31 | Lyons View | 759 | $454,418 | $87,431 |
| 32 | Morningside | 1,560 | $457,125 | $26,608 |
| 33 | Parkridge | 4,131 | $279,807 | $24,933 |
| 34 | Five Points | 2,647 | $307,891 | $25,624 |