10 Most Dangerous Neighborhoods in Baltimore [Updated]

Maryland is a small state on the east coast that a lot of people don’t hear about, but you likely have heard of Baltimore. Before you visit anywhere, it’s a great idea to become familiar with the area; after all, every city has its good and bad neighborhoods. Therefore, if you plan to take a trip, it’w worth knowing the most dangerous neighborhoods in Baltimore.

According to FBI statistics, Cherry Hill, West Baltimore, Greenmount East, Fairfield Area, and Pulaski are the most dangerous neighborhoods in Baltimore. These neighborhoods have a consistently high ranking per capita for violent and property crimes and rank from 297-711% higher than the national average for violence. Other areas you may want to avoid include Brooklyn-Curtis Bay, Madison-Eastend, and Greater Rosemont.

Not all of Baltimore is bad; it’s a great place to visit, known for its steamed crabs and local brews. Some individuals think it’s a great place to live, but before you visit Baltimore, you should become familiar with the not-so-nice neighborhoods. Read through this list so that you will steer clear of the less preferred areas.

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Baltimore is one of America’s five most dangerous cities. It has a violent crime rate that is above the national average of the USA. However, don’t let statistics speak for his beautiful city as a whole. Each city is going to have its good and bad, no matter where you go.

Tourists flock to Baltimore for its fantastic seafood and Inner Harbor. It’s a great place to visit, especially if you love fishing and crabbing. Baltimore is perfectly safe to see, although you need to know which neighborhoods to avoid, especially at night.

Therefore, as part of your planning to visit, it’s imperative to familiarize yourself with the most dangerous neighborhoods in Baltimore.

Cherry Hill is a neighborhood that the MS-13 gang frequents, making it number one on our list of the most dangerous neighborhoods in Baltimore. As a matter of fact, some people in this neighborhood have fallen victim to them.

This isn’t a great area to visit, let alone move to. Besides violent crime numbers at 3,146, the violence of these crimes is worse than most. We recommend you stay away from Cherry Hill altogether.

The MS-13 is known for its random targeting of victims. This means no matter who you are or where you’re from; you have a chance of having a brutal run-in with them. That’s not a chance that anyone should be willing to take.

This particular neighborhood has a crime rate that is 235% above the national average. This crime includes everything from murder and rape to property crimes.

The FBI reported in 2020 that there were a total of 4,715 property crime incidents and 3,146 violent incidents per capita.

If you are traveling and cannot avoid Cherry Hill, it’s best to stay in your car until you’re outside of it. If you need to stop for gas, perhaps you should wait until you’ve gone through this area. That way, you can avoid any potential issues altogether.

West Baltimore is where the legendary poet, Edgar Allen Poe, lived. His home has since been turned into a museum near where he lays to rest, bringing hundreds of thousands of tourists annually. If you saw this neighborhood during the day, you would have no idea what to expect at night time.

With inadequate education systems, high taxes, and poverty, it’s been an attractive area for criminals to target. Actually, in 2017, Baltimore surpassed Chicago in homicides, topping out at 342 for that year. Ranging from lack of garbage disposal and rat infestation to murder, it can be a sketchy neighborhood to visit.

West Baltimore’s crime rate is 353% above the national average. FBI statistics show that there were 3,197 violent crimes reported, and 7,438 reported property crimes.

The crimes that are reported through these numbers include crimes such as murder, rape, assault, burglary, vehicle theft, and property theft.

Do not let this sway you from visiting, though. Just don’t venture out at night. If you decide to tour the catacombs at Westminster Presbyterian Cemetery, make sure you go with a group of friends or family.

Chances are you won’t find yourself in Greenmount East unless you know someone in the area. This is a high-crime area, known mainly for burglaries and theft, although there are occasional shootings.

Greenmount East falls under the turf of the BGF gang. Though they aren’t nearly as bad as the MS-13, they are still dangerous. If you happen to travel to Greenmount East, a good rule of thumb is to keep your nose clean.

FBI statistics report that there were a total of 2,952 violent crimes and 5,888 violent crimes for the Greenmount East neighborhood in the 2020 calendar year.

Overall, this neighborhood has a crime rate that is 277% above the national average. These include crimes such as murder and rape, as well as vehicle theft, and other less serious property crimes.

Don’t go looking for trouble and if possible, travel by car, not on foot. However, we recommend avoiding this area altogether, if possible. Since there is nothing to see here, avoiding this area should be relatively simple.

If you’re visiting someone in the area, it may be a better idea to make special plans. Decide to meet up with each other outside of the neighborhood to ensure your safety.

The only thing that Fairfield has going for it is its exceptionally low population of 530. Other than that, crime is on the rise. There is relatively nothing to do in this area, so it doesn’t welcome many tourists.

While that’s great for individuals who don’t like high-traffic areas, it is not great for the neighborhood. The neighborhood hasn’t cleaned up or dug itself out of its hole due to a lack of funds.

Violent crime is relatively low compared to property crime, which is exceedingly high. Make sure if you visit the Fairfield area, you lock your doors and your vehicles.

The Fairfield Area has a crime rate that is 321% above the national average. This average has taken into consideration the number of violent crimes and property crimes that occur in the neighborhood.

While the rating is rather high, this is due mostly to property-based crimes. For the 2020 calendar year, FBI statistics show a total of 2,974 violent crimes and 6,898 property crimes for the Fairfield Area section of Baltimore.

With a population of just 475, the crime rates are staggering. You have a 1 in 9 chance of becoming a victim of a crime in the Pulaski neighborhood. Less than 70% of students graduate, and the education system is entirely lacking.

However, tourists still find themselves visiting Pulaski for the National Aquarium and the cruise terminal. If you visit Pulaski, be sure to keep an eye out for any suspicious activity. It’s always a good idea to avoid traveling alone, especially in this area.

Pulaski has a crime rating that is 307% above the national average, with three-quarters of that being made up of property crimes. However, this rating is still rather high for having a population of only 475.

According to FBI statistics for the Pulaski neighborhood, there were a total of 2,880 violent crimes and 6,679 property crimes reported for the 2020 calendar year.

However, don’t let the crime rates discourage you from visiting the amazing Aquarium. You can rent a room at a hotel outside of this neighborhood and visit the Aquarium in the daytime when it is safer to do so.

Brooklyn-Curtis Bay is a popular choice when families think of moving to an area where housing is affordable. The ability to purchase a single-family home for around $66,000 is excellent. However, crime has been getting worse with each passing year.

The crime rate for this mid-sized neighborhood of 13,952 ranks 291% above the national average. This takes all types of crimes into consideration such as murders, rapes, burglaries, car theft, and more.

There were more reports of property crime than the violent crime for the year 2020. Overall, there were 2,945 reports of violent crimes, and 6,228 reports of property crime.

The residents of this neighborhood stand a 1 in 7 chance of falling victim to any crime. With the median household income at $30,000 per year, people turn to a life of crime to afford what they need.

Is it worth the risk? We don’t think so and hope you feel the same. While housing is affordable, it’s hard to find a decent-paying job in the area.

Madison-Eastend is another area that’s very affordable when it comes to housing. However, the unemployment rate is 114% more than the national average. Residents who live here are subject to frequent burglaries, along with their belongings being stolen.

You would need to make sure that your valuables are locked up. If you were to move here, it’s a great idea to purchase a security camera system for protection.

Madison-Eastend has an overall crime rate that sits 324% above the national average. This accounts for all sorts of crimes both violent and property-based incidents alike.

The reported amount of property crime significantly outnumbered the violent-based crimes. There were t total of 7,251 property crimes reported and 2,697 violent crimes per capita for 2020.

Compared to other areas, Madison-Eastend isn’t as bad when it comes to violence. It may be safer to visit. However, it’s anything but a great place to live in.

Violence still occurs, and your property is not secure. Since this is a higher crime area, some homeowner’s insurance companies exclude property crime as something they cover.

Greater Rosemont has sections of the city that resemble a war-like zone. The structures and the roads are run down and are not maintained very well. Also, the police presence seems to be lacking in this area.

It’s not just the crimes that make this area bad; it’s the rundown buildings, which pose significant injury risk if they were to fall apart. There have been reports of individuals being killed due to crumbling structures.

Greater Rosemont, while still crime-ridden, isn’t nearly as bad as some of the other areas. However, it still has a crime rating that’s 202% above the national average.

There have been 2,511 reports of violent crime, and 4,570 reports on property crime per capita for the year 2020. This is in a neighborhood of 18,644

Most of the shootings and violence that take place in this area are between people who know each other. This neighborhood is high in drug-related crimes, which means that you will most likely be safe while visiting.

While it’s relatively safe to visit, we don’t suggest you move here. Residents of Greater Rosemont live on top of each other, making it impossible for you to steer clear of any potential drama or issues.

While the crime statistics of Orangeville, Baltimore, don’t seem as high as other places, this is high for a neighborhood where a little over 2,000 people live.

This dense suburban area is a hotspot for great restaurants and bustling nightlife. However, if you’re going to visit Baltimore, we don’t ‘recommend you stay out at night time, as that’s when most of the crime happens.

Orangeville contains 2,235 within its neighborhood that also has a crime rating of 171% above the national average. This accounts for both property and violent crimes.

FBI statistics show that there were a total of 1,818 violent crimes reported for 2020 and a total of 4,534 property crimes for the Orangeville neighborhood.

Orangeville is primarily an industrial neighborhood that hosts many back alleyways and dangerous pathways to walk through. There is a lack of police presence within Orangeville.

Ideally, it would help if you steered clear of this neighborhood. If you can’t, then make sure you return before nightfall and lock your doors.

Compared to other areas of Baltimore, Grove Park is relatively quiet. It’s also considered to be a ‘family-friendly’ area. However, the lack of police presence ultimately makes it one of the worst neighborhoods in Baltimore. The lack of police presence puts you at a higher risk of becoming a victim of a crime. Although, this doesn’t necessarily mean that it’s too terrible at the moment, which is why it’s number 10 on our list.

The Grove Park neighborhood of Baltimore has a crime rate that is 146% above the national average. This accounts for violent and property crimes alike.

FBI statistics show that for 2020 there were 1,541 violent crimes reported, and 4,231 property crimes. This is also counting murders, assaults, car thefts, burglary, and other less serious incidents.

Due to the growing crime rate, likely, Grove Park will soon become worse than West Baltimore. Most of the crimes are drug-related, so you most likely won’t become a victim of a violent crime if you were to visit. However, know that anywhere, something can happen at any time, and it’s best to be on alert.

Related Questions

What is the most dangerous part of Baltimore?

The most dangerous part of Baltimore seems to be the Westside of the city as a whole. Whether it’s violence or the crumbling buildings, there is quite a bit of risk when visiting this area.If you decide to travel to West Baltimore, do not stand too close to old brick buildings, and don’t walk around at night time.

Is Baltimore safe at night?

Baltimore is not safe at night. You could venture out into a safe neighborhood and walk 3 blocks to find yourself in a high-crime area. At night, crimes are usually underreported for Baltimore. So, the numbers tell a false story. You should make sure you check sights out during the day and stay in at night time.Then again, there is a risk when walking in any neighborhood at night time, especially if it’s an area popular for travelers. If you choose to go out at night, it’s best to do this with a friend. Also, avoid going out at night altogether when in one of the 10 most dangerous neighborhoods in Baltimore.

While there are several unfavorable areas in Baltimore, that doesn’t necessarily mean that Baltimore, as a whole, is a bad city to live in. There are just as many safe neighborhoods as there are bad. If you were to move to this beautiful city, you would need to ensure you move to the right neighborhood.

Doing your research before making a decision will help you to choose the best area for you and your family. Steer clear of the high-crime areas, and you’ll be just fine! We recommend you look up the best family-friendly neighborhoods of Baltimore to ensure you move to a safe area.