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 2025? According to the most recent census data, South End 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.
For more Arkansas reading, check out:
The 10 Most Dangerous Neighborhoods In Little Rock For 2025
/10
Population: 2,787
Violent Crimes Per 100k: 5,276
Property Crime Per 100k: 6,174
Median Home Value: $69,925 (worst)
Median Income: $31,969 (3rd worst)
More on South End: Data
/10
Population: 3,017
Violent Crimes Per 100k: 2,745
Property Crime Per 100k: 8,271
Median Home Value: $74,850 (2nd worst)
Median Income: $33,180 (5th worst)
More on Wakefield: Data
/10
Population: 1,801
Violent Crimes Per 100k: 2,889
Property Crime Per 100k: 9,012
Median Home Value: $94,080 (7th worst)
Median Income: $32,768 (4th worst)
More on East Of I-30: Data
/10
Population: 3,738
Violent Crimes Per 100k: 2,421
Property Crime Per 100k: 10,881
Median Home Value: $79,650 (5th worst)
Median Income: $35,436 (8th worst)
More on 65th Street West: Data
/10
Population: 750
Violent Crimes Per 100k: 2,647
Property Crime Per 100k: 7,975
Median Home Value: $78,300 (4th worst)
Median Income: $38,607 (11th worst)
More on Big Dickinson Lake: Data
/10
Population: 4,723
Violent Crimes Per 100k: 4,072
Property Crime Per 100k: 10,144
Median Home Value: $101,391 (10th worst)
Median Income: $36,465 (9th worst)
More on Stephens: Data
/10
Population: 1,859
Violent Crimes Per 100k: 2,686
Property Crime Per 100k: 8,093
Median Home Value: $109,300 (11th worst)
Median Income: $34,319 (6th worst)
More on Central High: Data
/10
Population: 8,070
Violent Crimes Per 100k: 3,701
Property Crime Per 100k: 7,390
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: 2,249
Property Crime Per 100k: 7,527
Median Home Value: $95,686 (9th worst)
Median Income: $38,423 (10th worst)
More on Chicot West: Data
/10
Population: 11,175
Violent Crimes Per 100k: 2,146
Property Crime Per 100k: 6,964
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 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 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 2025. 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 South End landing at the bottom of the pack.
The worst neighborhoods in Little Rock are South End, Wakefield, East Of I-30, 65th Street West, Big Dickinson Lake, Stephens, Central High, Oak Forest, Chicot West, 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 2025?
| Rank | Neighborhood | Population | Home Value | Median Income |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | South End | 2,787 | $69,925 | $31,969 |
| 2 | Wakefield | 3,017 | $74,850 | $33,180 |
| 3 | East Of I-30 | 1,801 | $94,080 | $32,768 |
| 4 | 65th Street West | 3,738 | $79,650 | $35,436 |
| 5 | Big Dickinson Lake | 750 | $78,300 | $38,607 |
| 6 | Stephens | 4,723 | $101,391 | $36,465 |
| 7 | Central High | 1,859 | $109,300 | $34,319 |
| 8 | Oak Forest | 8,070 | $83,662 | $30,444 |
| 9 | Chicot West | 8,651 | $95,686 | $38,423 |
| 10 | Upper Baseline | 11,175 | $77,567 | $35,028 |
| 11 | Boyle Park | 4,661 | $117,640 | $40,050 |
| 12 | West Markham | 2,565 | $139,540 | $49,271 |
| 13 | Briarwood | 2,140 | $140,250 | $48,726 |
| 14 | Downtown | 6,391 | $137,400 | $30,291 |
| 15 | Cloverdale Watson | 6,314 | $94,467 | $41,717 |
| 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 |