On the whole, living in Portland is awesome. It is a wealthy and affluent city with outstanding amenities and access to some of the greatest outdoor scenery in the entirety of North America.

However, one of the nicest cities in the country still has some bad neighborhoods.

With that being said though, even the worst neighborhoods in Portland are a lot nicer than many of the neighborhoods you will find in other cities or states. The income and property prices in these neighborhoods may be lower than the regional average, but they are still a lot higher than the national average.

With that being said, here are some of the worst neighborhoods in Portland:

Old Town/Chinatown:

This area, located in downtown Portland, has historically faced issues related to homelessness, poverty, and crime, including property crimes and drug-related incidents.

Local residents face anti-social behavior from drug users who live on the streets. While you likely won’t be killed by this kind of petty crime, it is not uncommon to see property or vehicle fires as a result of this problem.

As a result, rents are slightly cheaper in Chinatown compared to the rest of Portland as a whole.

Lents:

Lents is a neighborhood in southeast Portland that has experienced higher crime rates than the rest of Portland. Burglary, fires, and petty theft are not uncommon if you live in this neighborhood.

In particular, motor vehicle theft is 4 times higher here than the national average, which is obviously very concerning if you have to park on the street. Not only will this disrupt people’s productivity, but it also raises insurance premiums for the entire area.

Hazelwood:

Located in eastern Portland, Hazelwood is quite simply a neighborhood that you wouldn’t really want to raise a family in. There are too many individuals who may cause problems in the local area as the city cannot find a solution to the homeless epidemic.

Powellhurst-Gilbert:

This neighborhood in southeast Portland has faced socio-economic challenges and higher crime rates in certain categories, including property crimes. This makes sense, as in the Powellhurst area you’ll never really feel threatened, but at the same time, people can be extremely weird and have been caught on camera numerous times rummaging through trash cans.

As a result, you’ll find a lot of people with drug habits who need to steal bikes and cars in order to feed these addictions.

Cully:

Certainly not the worst neighborhood, but more like an old toy that has been neglected and forgotten about. Cully has suffered from gentrification and also doesn’t have the same basic infrastructure that the wealthier parts of Portland do.

For example, you will find more unpaved roads and a lack of sidewalks, making it more difficult to get around without a car. Furthermore, it suffers from bad traffic congestion and flyover noise from the airport. While this won’t bother everyone, it is certainly a factor to consider.

Rockwood:

Situated in the city of Gresham, which is adjacent to Portland’s eastern border, Rockwood has historically faced higher crime rates, including property crimes due to a long period of gentrification. Although efforts have been made to enhance community development and safety, Rockwood still has the worst educational results and some of the lowest income levels in Portland as a whole.

Even with all of these factors considered, living in Rockwood is still not cheap.

St. Johns:

Located in North Portland, St. Johns is one of the larger neighborhoods in the city of Portland. As a result of this, you will find pockets of the area that are nicer than others, which mostly depends on where homeless encampments have been set up.

There are fewer shootings in this area than in the rest of North East Portland, but more vehicle theft and drug-related crimes.