Oakland’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 Oakland.
And while the city consistently ranks as one of the best places to live in California thanks in part to tons of entertainment and jobs, it’s not all rainbows and sunshine in Oakland. Some neighborhoods aren’t as safe as others.
So the question arises, which Oakland neighborhoods are the most dangerous and which are the safest?
Today, we’ll use Saturday Night Science to determine which Oakland hoods need a little tender loving care. We examined 127 of Oakland’s neighborhoods to find out the most dangerous places to live.
$44,932 median income
$60,700 median income
$52,017 median income
$73,646 median income
$37,745 median income
$40,750 median income
$23,611 median income
$65,132 median income
$38,804 median income
$55,739 median income
The receipts
Compare the top ten
Pick a metric. The bars rescale. The red line is California’s statewide median.
California statewide median: $774,582
California statewide median: $99,122
Saturday Night Science
Methodology: How we determined the most dangerous Oakland 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 Oakland:
- 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 Oakland, California 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 Oakland.
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 127 neighborhoods ranked from worst to best.
The full plate
Most dangerous neighborhoods to live in Oakland for 2026
Click any column to sort. Search by neighborhood name.
| Rank | Neighborhood | Population | Home Value | Median Income |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Columbia Gardens | 105 | $328,600 | $44,932 |
| 2 | Acorn-Acorn Industrial | 2,274 | $325,257 | $60,700 |
| 3 | Melrose | 764 | $387,700 | $52,017 |
| 4 | Produce And Waterfront | 1,348 | $177,500 | $73,646 |
| 5 | Coliseum | 3,482 | $411,367 | $37,745 |
| 6 | Lockwood Tevis | 2,066 | $361,350 | $40,750 |
| 7 | Fruitvale Station | 704 | $372,700 | $23,611 |
| 8 | Oakland Airport | 409 | $400,550 | $65,132 |
| 9 | Fitchburg | 1,772 | $405,050 | $38,804 |
| 10 | Peralta-Laney | 694 | $528,450 | $55,739 |
| 11 | Woodland | 1,863 | $362,200 | $41,431 |
| 12 | Coliseum Industrial | 8,697 | $397,467 | $45,911 |
| 13 | East Peralta | 1,744 | $619,367 | $52,764 |
| 14 | North Kennedy Tract | 1,319 | $609,800 | $37,994 |
| 15 | Bancroft Business-Havenscourt | 6,963 | $241,371 | $46,110 |
| 16 | Highland | 2,818 | $398,675 | $39,754 |
| 17 | Laurel | 1,616 | $462,967 | $51,387 |
| 18 | Old City-Produce And Waterfront | 2,153 | $448,040 | $76,119 |
| 19 | Chinatown | 3,163 | $524,900 | $31,838 |
| 20 | Hegenberger | 1,788 | $390,967 | $52,715 |
| 21 | Elmhurst Park | 1,971 | $422,667 | $41,152 |
| 22 | Reservoir Hill-Meadow Brook | 5,292 | $329,143 | $39,638 |
| 23 | Saint Elizabeth | 5,809 | $248,975 | $38,008 |
| 24 | Castlemont | 3,668 | $376,320 | $42,222 |
| 25 | Peralta-Hacienda | 2,486 | $348,300 | $47,859 |
| 26 | Eastmont | 3,424 | $426,967 | $53,836 |
| 27 | Lynn-Highland Park | 3,096 | $451,950 | $47,757 |
| 28 | Frick | 2,993 | $547,733 | $65,517 |
| 29 | Webster | 5,190 | $413,514 | $46,842 |
| 30 | McClymonds | 2,991 | $599,300 | $62,382 |
| 31 | South Stonehurst | 930 | $456,800 | $71,490 |
| 32 | Clawson | 2,185 | $592,750 | $86,830 |
| 33 | Fairfax Business-Wentworth-Holland | 2,338 | $293,750 | $44,870 |
| 34 | Seminary | 4,623 | $464,125 | $48,993 |
| 35 | Cox | 3,401 | $429,957 | $48,720 |
| 35 | Hawthorne | 2,449 | $628,050 | $42,796 |
| 37 | Iveywood | 3,875 | $422,333 | $54,228 |
| 38 | Sheffield Village | 214 | $786,900 | $129,130 |
| 39 | Arroyo Viejo | 5,874 | $418,150 | $61,366 |
| 40 | Oak Center | 3,677 | $758,400 | $50,624 |
| 41 | North Stonehurst | 4,105 | $433,600 | $54,529 |
| 42 | Rancho San Antonio | 6,055 | $533,120 | $49,626 |
| 43 | Toler Heights | 2,316 | $564,133 | $73,715 |
| 44 | Upper Peralta Creek-Bartlett | 3,256 | $371,600 | $48,575 |
| 44 | Brookfield Village | 3,656 | $422,367 | $64,445 |
| 46 | Highland Terrace | 3,951 | $495,840 | $49,488 |
| 47 | Ralph Bunche | 2,276 | $704,425 | $56,986 |
| 48 | Eastmont Hills | 2,724 | $635,350 | $110,692 |
| 49 | Bartlett | 2,051 | $467,760 | $56,034 |
| 50 | Dimond | 1,582 | $608,150 | $63,822 |
| 51 | Foothill Square | 1,295 | $566,500 | $64,250 |
| 52 | Tuxedo | 2,439 | $550,067 | $59,889 |
| 53 | South Kennedy Tract | 1,623 | $701,700 | $103,944 |
| 54 | Arrowhead Marsh | 1,372 | $611,633 | $96,834 |
| 55 | Mosswood | 2,462 | $973,300 | $88,010 |
| 55 | Durant Manor | 2,578 | $582,800 | $84,924 |
| 57 | Civic Center | 832 | $650,900 | $57,863 |
| 58 | Fremont | 5,075 | $502,825 | $86,075 |
| 59 | Patten | 2,619 | $584,400 | $55,978 |
| 59 | Hoover-Foster | 4,859 | $733,500 | $71,651 |
| 61 | Upper Laurel | 5,205 | $536,125 | $72,640 |
| 62 | Caballo Hills | 3,096 | $474,800 | $129,463 |
| 63 | Golf Links | 1,482 | $447,750 | $93,839 |
| 64 | School | 2,080 | $553,233 | $67,199 |
| 65 | Downtown | 3,128 | $737,667 | $83,100 |
| 66 | Prescott | 5,285 | $649,367 | $94,056 |
| 67 | Sequoyah | 4,128 | $561,700 | $120,190 |
| 68 | Sausal Creek | 2,135 | $585,825 | $72,278 |
| 69 | Pill Hill | 1,976 | $818,600 | $78,700 |
| 70 | Merritt | 4,429 | $588,600 | $65,628 |
| 71 | Harrington | 4,200 | $504,200 | $53,220 |
| 72 | Oakland Ave-Harrison St | 5,921 | $600,450 | $72,751 |
| 73 | Northgate | 1,790 | $875,000 | $73,556 |
| 74 | South Prescott | 285 | $625,000 | $163,932 |
| 75 | Millsmont | 5,861 | $625,800 | $72,298 |
| 76 | Waverly | 1,014 | $544,500 | $87,012 |
| 77 | San Pablo Gateway | 4,019 | $714,300 | $81,891 |
| 78 | Las Palmas | 3,120 | $473,700 | $78,751 |
| 79 | Mills College | 1,203 | $678,900 | $86,563 |
| 79 | Sobrante Park | 3,735 | $509,900 | $62,560 |
| 81 | Clinton | 7,705 | $579,371 | $63,619 |
| 82 | Temescal | 4,437 | $946,083 | $84,384 |
| 83 | Lakewide | 4,439 | $830,400 | $56,869 |
| 83 | Ivy Hill | 3,355 | $677,200 | $77,695 |
| 85 | Bella Vista | 1,407 | $675,000 | $93,352 |
| 86 | Joaquin Miller Park | 862 | $1,059,900 | $175,972 |
| 87 | Crestmont | 1,079 | $962,100 | $187,347 |
| 88 | Chabot Park | 4,616 | $698,000 | $111,840 |
| 89 | Maxwell Park | 5,657 | $661,360 | $97,675 |
| 90 | Longfellow | 6,510 | $769,657 | $93,785 |
| 91 | Jefferson | 4,142 | $528,650 | $67,829 |
| 92 | Mountain View Cemetery | 975 | $995,900 | $146,319 |
| 93 | Santa Fe | 3,949 | $784,650 | $90,486 |
| 94 | Paradise Park | 2,301 | $763,350 | $85,442 |
| 95 | Bushrod | 7,517 | $929,492 | $104,139 |
| 96 | Adams Point | 8,906 | $590,520 | $90,098 |
| 97 | Allendale | 4,519 | $575,025 | $66,695 |
| 98 | Gaskill | 2,243 | $819,333 | $95,553 |
| 99 | Shafter | 3,523 | $1,107,233 | $90,537 |
| 100 | Piedmont Pines | 3,198 | $1,059,900 | $183,535 |
Source: U.S. Census ACS 2020-2024. All 127 Oakland neighborhoods.
Summary
Summary: The worst neighborhoods around Oakland
Well, there you have it — the worst of the neighborhoods in Oakland with Columbia Gardens landing at the bottom of the pack.
The worst neighborhoods in Oakland are Columbia Gardens, Acorn-Acorn Industrial, Melrose, Produce And Waterfront, Coliseum, Lockwood Tevis, Fruitvale Station, Oakland Airport, Fitchburg, and Peralta-Laney.
As mentioned earlier, the neighborhoods in Oakland aren’t all bad. Fairview Park takes the cake as the best place to live in Oakland.
We ranked the neighborhoods from worst to best in the chart below. Not sold on California? Take the two-minute Find Your Place quiz and see which state actually fits you.
Questions and answers
Worst Neighborhoods In Oakland FAQs
What is the most dangerous neighborhood in Oakland?
Columbia Gardens ranks as the worst neighborhood in Oakland for 2026, according to Saturday Night Science. Acorn-Acorn Industrial and Melrose are next on the list.
What are the worst neighborhoods in Oakland?
The worst-ranked neighborhoods in Oakland are Columbia Gardens, Acorn-Acorn Industrial, Melrose, Produce And Waterfront, Coliseum, Lockwood Tevis, Fruitvale Station, Oakland Airport, Fitchburg, and Peralta-Laney. We scored all 127 neighborhoods in the city.
Why does Columbia Gardens rank as the worst?
Columbia Gardens posts the roughest combined numbers in Oakland: a median household income of $44,932 and a median home value of $328,600, 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.
