Milwaukee’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 Milwaukee.
And while the city consistently ranks as one of the best places to live in Wisconsin thanks in part to tons of entertainment and jobs, it’s not all rainbows and sunshine in Milwaukee. Some neighborhoods aren’t as safe as others.
So the question arises, which Milwaukee neighborhoods are the most dangerous and which are the safest?
Today, we’ll use Saturday Night Science to determine which Milwaukee hoods need a little tender loving care. We examined 178 of Milwaukee’s neighborhoods to find out the most dangerous places to live.
$23,507 median income
$22,335 median income
$29,211 median income
$32,298 median income
$25,892 median income
$36,243 median income
$27,555 median income
$31,014 median income
$24,090 median income
$16,118 median income
The receipts
Compare the top ten
Pick a metric. The bars rescale. The red line is Wisconsin’s statewide median.
Wisconsin statewide median: $330,171
Wisconsin statewide median: $77,485
Saturday Night Science
Methodology: How we determined the most dangerous Milwaukee neighborhoods in 2026
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 Milwaukee:
- 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 Milwaukee, Wisconsin 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 Milwaukee.
The article is an opinion based on facts and is meant as infotainment. We updated this article for 2026. Skip to the end to see the list of all 178 neighborhoods ranked from worst to best.
The full plate
Most dangerous neighborhoods to live in Milwaukee for 2026
Click any column to sort. Search by neighborhood name.
| Rank | Neighborhood | Population | Home Value | Median Income |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Mitchell Park | 160 | $76,300 | $23,507 |
| 2 | Borchert Field | 3,020 | $51,600 | $22,335 |
| 3 | Metcalfe Park | 2,491 | $58,120 | $29,211 |
| 4 | Williamsburg | 2,351 | $50,400 | $32,298 |
| 5 | Park West | 5,281 | $59,512 | $25,892 |
| 6 | Town And Country Manor | 1,527 | $112,933 | $36,243 |
| 7 | Roosevelt Grove | 4,926 | $71,070 | $27,555 |
| 8 | North Division | 5,219 | $63,311 | $31,014 |
| 9 | Clock Tower Acres | 942 | $81,833 | $24,090 |
| 10 | Veterans Affairs | 327 | $83,900 | $16,118 |
| 11 | Midtown | 6,733 | $73,660 | $27,047 |
| 11 | Walnut Hill | 2,004 | $68,800 | $27,632 |
| 13 | Wahl Park | 1,756 | $67,600 | $39,142 |
| 14 | Arlington Heights | 4,438 | $50,260 | $30,079 |
| 15 | Grover Heights | 516 | $135,400 | $28,042 |
| 16 | Servite Woods | 786 | $56,100 | $40,404 |
| 17 | King Park | 1,992 | $87,433 | $23,202 |
| 18 | Old North Milwaukee | 11,544 | $66,700 | $32,389 |
| 19 | Triangle North | 1,298 | $98,225 | $33,046 |
| 20 | Sherman Park | 6,911 | $68,340 | $29,604 |
| 21 | Garden Homes | 3,585 | $70,850 | $34,790 |
| 21 | Tripoli Park | 416 | $117,800 | $43,640 |
| 23 | Thurston Woods | 3,125 | $70,525 | $33,493 |
| 24 | McGovern Park | 3,703 | $56,980 | $33,719 |
| 25 | Harambee | 10,669 | $79,400 | $27,302 |
| 26 | Franklin Heights | 7,492 | $46,600 | $35,911 |
| 27 | Cold Spring Park | 2,142 | $78,900 | $19,488 |
| 28 | Fairfield | 3,254 | $89,325 | $39,950 |
| 29 | North Meadows | 3,764 | $29,800 | $32,307 |
| 30 | Timmerman West | 3,998 | $109,500 | $48,700 |
| 31 | Merrill Park | 2,660 | $86,067 | $26,559 |
| 31 | Walker’s Point | 6,707 | $93,489 | $37,755 |
| 33 | Silver Spring | 11,822 | $75,820 | $36,603 |
| 34 | Washington Park | 4,094 | $94,217 | $37,678 |
| 35 | Dineen Park | 3,310 | $99,380 | $42,918 |
| 36 | Lincoln Creek | 7,223 | $77,950 | $35,463 |
| 37 | Havenwoods | 1,491 | $70,300 | $43,372 |
| 38 | Brown Deer Park | 983 | $117,800 | $43,640 |
| 39 | Concordia | 2,276 | $147,200 | $18,794 |
| 40 | Brynwood | 1,424 | $45,700 | $43,901 |
| 41 | Martin Drive | 1,434 | $100,150 | $26,718 |
| 41 | National Park | 1,904 | $102,550 | $37,044 |
| 43 | Land Bank | 1,869 | $87,967 | $49,799 |
| 44 | Hampton Heights | 8,304 | $71,043 | $31,788 |
| 45 | Haymarket | 507 | $350,000 | $19,134 |
| 46 | Whispering Hills | 267 | $65,500 | $34,722 |
| 47 | Baran Park | 786 | $132,800 | $45,100 |
| 48 | Freedom Village | 210 | $62,500 | $31,815 |
| 49 | Valhalla | 4,213 | $103,033 | $40,364 |
| 51 | Historic Mitchell Street | 11,356 | $67,911 | $31,924 |
| 51 | Bradley Estates | 1,898 | $45,700 | $55,797 |
| 51 | Lincoln Park | 6,063 | $72,933 | $41,100 |
| 53 | Triangle | 515 | $108,900 | $52,916 |
| 54 | Menomonee River Valley | 2,462 | $123,650 | $36,558 |
| 55 | Graceland | 2,961 | $79,400 | $47,213 |
| 56 | Halyard Park | 594 | $230,800 | $31,150 |
| 57 | Capitol Heights | 6,339 | $105,342 | $44,498 |
| 58 | Holler Park | 611 | $120,100 | $49,338 |
| 59 | Jones’ Island | 557 | $141,400 | $44,868 |
| 60 | Northridge Lakes | 2,526 | $87,000 | $30,590 |
| 61 | Dretzka Park | 540 | $151,900 | $42,344 |
| 62 | Silver Swan | 4,017 | $82,100 | $37,950 |
| 63 | Menomonee River Hills East | 4,109 | $85,675 | $55,814 |
| 64 | Parkway Hills | 703 | $105,850 | $38,558 |
| 65 | Hillside | 1,629 | $206,550 | $22,052 |
| 66 | Clarke Square | 6,832 | $96,511 | $31,731 |
| 67 | Saint Joseph | 6,560 | $112,142 | $39,849 |
| 68 | Sunset Heights | 4,118 | $104,386 | $42,002 |
| 69 | Southpoint | 3,462 | $138,075 | $43,917 |
| 70 | Uptown | 5,680 | $119,358 | $45,519 |
| 71 | North Granville | 607 | $151,900 | $42,344 |
| 72 | Mount Olivet | 809 | $146,600 | $33,038 |
| 73 | Silver City | 4,185 | $90,180 | $41,254 |
| 74 | Muskego Way | 10,306 | $80,525 | $35,756 |
| 75 | Miller Valley | 1,497 | $144,767 | $50,154 |
| 76 | Granville Woods | 360 | $65,500 | $34,722 |
| 77 | Melody View | 126 | $162,100 | $65,093 |
| 78 | Forest Home Hills | 5,505 | $93,762 | $36,364 |
| 79 | Northridge | 1,458 | $150,550 | $29,911 |
| 80 | Maple Tree | 2,128 | $211,350 | $47,812 |
| 81 | Columbus Park | 4,574 | $106,400 | $44,951 |
| 82 | Estabrook Park | 727 | $351,700 | $44,175 |
| 83 | Grasslyn Manor | 4,975 | $104,955 | $45,362 |
| 84 | New Coeln | 82 | $143,300 | $65,250 |
| 85 | Rufus King | 5,079 | $81,300 | $61,099 |
| 86 | Long View | 3,001 | $113,900 | $59,161 |
| 87 | Zoo | 662 | $145,200 | $49,877 |
| 88 | Avenues West | 8,087 | $118,633 | $23,453 |
| 89 | The Valley-Pigsville | 316 | $164,300 | $64,579 |
| 90 | Saint Amelian’s | 1,622 | $101,150 | $40,778 |
| 91 | Southgate | 3,002 | $137,133 | $53,212 |
| 92 | Granville Station | 2,294 | $150,500 | $54,440 |
| 93 | Florist Highlands | 1,188 | $170,050 | $64,992 |
| 94 | Menomonee River Hills | 8,614 | $107,420 | $53,431 |
| 95 | Fair Park | 1,403 | $137,533 | $60,001 |
| 96 | Menomonee River Parkway | 705 | $98,800 | $41,776 |
| 97 | Lincoln Village | 12,542 | $89,420 | $36,506 |
| 98 | Lenox Heights | 2,317 | $130,880 | $45,294 |
| 99 | Mitchell West | 3,716 | $115,700 | $42,128 |
| 100 | Root Creek | 2,038 | $132,800 | $46,307 |
Source: U.S. Census ACS 2020-2024. All 178 Milwaukee neighborhoods.
Summary
Summary: The worst neighborhoods around Milwaukee
Well, there you have it — the worst of the neighborhoods in Milwaukee with Mitchell Park landing at the bottom of the pack.
The worst neighborhoods in Milwaukee are Mitchell Park, Borchert Field, Metcalfe Park, Williamsburg, Park West, Town And Country Manor, Roosevelt Grove, North Division, Clock Tower Acres, and Veterans Affairs.
As mentioned earlier, the neighborhoods in Milwaukee aren’t all bad. Downer Woods takes the cake as the best place to live in Milwaukee.
We ranked the neighborhoods from worst to best in the chart below. Not sold on Wisconsin? Take the two-minute Find Your Place quiz and see which state actually fits you.
Questions and answers
Worst Neighborhoods In Milwaukee FAQs
What is the most dangerous neighborhood in Milwaukee?
Mitchell Park ranks as the worst neighborhood in Milwaukee for 2026, according to Saturday Night Science. Borchert Field and Metcalfe Park are next on the list.
What are the worst neighborhoods in Milwaukee?
The worst-ranked neighborhoods in Milwaukee are Mitchell Park, Borchert Field, Metcalfe Park, Williamsburg, Park West, Town And Country Manor, Roosevelt Grove, North Division, Clock Tower Acres, and Veterans Affairs. We scored all 178 neighborhoods in the city.
Why does Mitchell Park rank as the worst?
Mitchell Park posts the roughest combined numbers in Milwaukee: a median household income of $23,507 and a median home value of $76,300, with crime, unemployment, and density folded into the score.
Are these neighborhoods dangerous everywhere?
No. The scores are neighborhood-wide averages, and conditions change block by block and hour by hour. Plenty of people live in these neighborhoods without incident; the numbers just say the odds run tougher.
How do you rank the worst neighborhoods?
Each neighborhood is scored on crime, unemployment, income, density, and home values, using Census tract and FBI data. The worst combined score tops the list.
