The 10 Worst Neighborhoods In Tucson For 2021

The 10 Worst Neighborhoods In Tucson For 2021

Living in a place called Fairgrounds seems like a lot of laughs. And, to be fair, this neighborhood does house the Tucson Rodeo

A lack of amenities and a weak economy contribute to the neighborhood's bad character. The unemployment rate sits at 8.4% and the median income comes in at $8.4. At least Fairgrounds is affordable. The median home value stands at $71,300.

The El Presidio district has great historical significance. This centrally located neighborhood represents the area where the city was originally founded as a Spanish military fort. It has modern cultural significance as well, with restaurants, shops, and sites like the Tucson Museum of Art

Living in the area is difficult, however. In fact, it ranks as the number 2 least inviting regions of the city. A lack of jobs holds the neighborhood back. Locals have to contend with a 11.3% unemployment rate and make due with a median income of just $25,976. Meanwhile, the median home price sits at $66,200.

Parkway Terrace is a compact triangle of a neighborhood nestled into the intersection of E. 22nd Street and E. Aviation Parkway. A lack of amenities and an anemic economy make this one of the least attractive places in Tucson to put down roots.

This is a small neighborhood of just 81 residents. Those few have to struggle with an unemployment rate of 18.1%. At the same time, Parkway Terrace's median income comes in at $44,922.

This section of the city is mostly residential, bounded on two sides by train tracks and major roadways. As a result, there's not much to do in Parkway Terrace itself. However, a short trip down the road will take you to Reid Park Zoo and other amenities.

Alvernon Heights is a square neighborhood bordered by E. 22nd Street on the north, E. 29th Street on the South, S. Alvernon Way to the west, and S. Columbus Blvd. to the east. It is also situated kitty-corner from the Randolph Golf Complex and the Tucson Police Department.

The area benefits from modest amenities and a good safety reputation. Still, it ranks as one of the worst neighborhoods in the city. Why? Well, the economy leaves a lot to be desired.

The numbers tell the story. The unemployment rate sits at 10.4% and the median income comes in at $19,452. The median home price in the area stands at $47,800.

Living in Roberts offers a lot of benefits. There area is safe and reasonably affordable, with a large number of amenities available nearby. Yet, it ranks as the number 5 worst spot to live in Tucson, largely as a result of a stagnant economy.

It's tough to find a job in this part of the city. The unemployment rate comes in at 14.3%. Even the available jobs make it hard to make ends meet. The median income hovers at $19,452.

Located south of Alvernon Heights and Naylor, Roberts provides a home to 2,156 people. It sits just across Golf Links Rd. from the U.S. Border Patrol Sector Headquarters.

No, this isn't the hilarious home of a bunch of cartoons. This version represents one of the least attractive neighborhoods in Tucson.

A relatively large section of the city, centered on Silverlake Park, South Park offers reasonable safety and affordability. Unfortunately, finances are a challenge for the area's 3,131 residents. It suffers an elevated 8.6% unemployment rate and a median income of just $28,574.

There are notable amenities in the region. Bordered on the north by E. Aviation Pkwy and on the south by the I-10, South Park contains a mixed-use development that houses attractions like a tech park sponsored by the University of Arizona.

As the name suggests, the neighborhood of Santa Rita Park is centered around a park of the same name. Even with this feature lending some character, this section of the city ranks as the number 7 worst spot in in Tucson.

A lack of amenities and a weak economy hold Santa Rita Park back. The 586 residents contend with a 9.7% unemployment rate and a $30,286 median income. Still, home values in the area are affordable, with a median home price of $88,850.

Located along the I-10, San Ignacio Yaqui provides some draws. Still, the area has issues with affordability, jobs, and a lack of other amenities. This makes it one of the least attractive areas in the city.

The median home price in San Ignacio Yaqui sits at $71,450. In most places, that represents a highly affordable figure. However, it's a tough mortgage to cover with a local median income of just $19,844. At the same time, the unemployment rate comes in at 6.1%.

Located south of Rosemont West, between S. Swan Rd. and S. Craycroft Rd., Myers provides a home to 5,159 people. Unfortunately, a weak economy makes this neighborhood a difficult place to raise a family. The median income equals $25,509 and the unemployment rate hovers at 7.1%.

Myers is far from a wasteland, however. It has plenty of amenities and provides affordable housing. The median home value comes in at $48,150.

The residents can enjoy a number of recreational activities. These include sports and swimming at Freedom Park and shopping on main street at local shops.

Sunset Villa sounds like an excellent place to sit back, relax, and stare into the horizon, doesn't it? Unfortunately, names can be deceiving. In reality, Sunset Villa represents one of the most unappealing locations in Tucson.

You can blame a lack of amenities and a weak economy for Sunset Villa's bad reputation. The neighborhood's 338 inhabitants have to deal with a 8.7% unemployment rate and make due with a median income of just $31,458.

Located along 1-19 and north of W. Ajo Way, Sunset Villa has its draws as well. Housing is relatively affordable, with a median home value of $107,200. Meanwhile, it's located close to Santa Cruz River Park.

How we determined the worst Tucson hoods in 2021

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 threw the following criteria into this analysis in order to get the best, most complete results possible. We used this set of criteria for each neighborhood in Tucson:

• 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)
• High crime (Estimated)

Then, we ranked each neighborhood in Tucson, Arizona for each of these criteria from worst to best.

Next, we averaged the individual rankings for each criteria into a "Worst Score".

The neighborhood with the lowest "Worst Score" ranks as the worst neighborhood of Tucson.

Read on below to learn more about these terrible places around Tucson to live. Or skip to the end to see the list of all 127 neighborhoods ranked from worst to best.

This list is a scientific analysis based on real data and is completely unbiased. Hold on to your pants.