7 Dangerous Areas to Avoid in Philadelphia in 2024

Hunting Park

Located in North Philadelphia, Hunting Park has an average crime rate of 1,452 crimes per 100,000 residents. There are many historical monuments and landmarks located in this neighborhood including Clara Barton School, Bayard Taylor School, and Alexander K. McClure School, which is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

The area has 160% more crime than the national average. Residents in the area acknowledged the crime was so bad that they started an anti-crime campaign. This also recently extended into local government in ensuring crime was combated.

Fairhill

With 1,545 crimes per 100,000 residents, Fairhill is a dangerous neighborhood located in North Philadelphia. Fairhill is in a section of North Philadelphia where there are a lot of illegal drug markets operating throughout. There is drug-related violence as a result, which has created a huge problem for its residents and police. Fairhill is part of that area known as the Philadelphia Badlands. Fairhill is also a low-income neighborhood with a yearly salary of about $20,000.

Alleghany West

A low-income area in North Philadelphia, it has a population of about 19,000 people with an average annual salary of about $25,000. The neighborhood has a crime rate of 2,458 per 100,000 residents, which makes it one of the most dangerous areas in the North Philly area. The types of crime more prevalent are violent assault, rape, and robbery. Other dangerous areas of Philadelphia are nearby including Nicetown and Strawberry Mansion.

Nicetown-Tioga

Nicetown-Tioga is one of the most dangerous neighborhoods in Philadelphia, and it’s located in North Philadelphia. The area is a predominantly black neighborhood, although there is a small influx of Latinos moving in. The number of assaults is about 493, which is nearly double the national average. The neighborhood also sees a higher amount of murders and robberies, along with violent crimes, than the national average. Luckily, Nicetown-Tioga property crimes are lower than the national average.

Strawberry Mansion

It seems that there is a trend in that North Philadelphia neighborhoods tend to skew to the more dangerous. As such, Strawberry Mansion is one of the most dangerous areas in Philly and historically it has been so. The assault and robbery crime rates are higher than the national average. However, it is the neighborhood’s murder rate that is a whopping six times the national average. The musician John Coltrane, who was born in North Carolina, later moved to Philadelphia and lived in Strawberry Mansion.

Frankford

Frankford is a diverse neighborhood comprised of various cultures and heritages. Unfortunately, Frankford was also once voted on as one of the most infamous neighborhoods in terms of recreational drugs. The trend in crime has continued to this day, too. The neighborhood sees more robberies and assaults than the national average. Furthermore, the murder rate is almost three times the national average, with 16.1 murders per 100,000 residents. Luckily, burglaries, car thefts, and regular thefts are below the national average in Frankford.

Harrowgate

Harrowgate is a diverse working-class neighborhood that is slightly majority Hispanic. Historically more lower-income, Harrowgate is also one of the most dangerous places in the city. In 2021, the violent crime rate was 326% higher than the national average with 1,764 incidents. The main crimes committed in the neighborhood include assault and robberies. Luckily the murder rate is slightly lower than the national average. The other good sign is that burglaries and thefts are lower than the national average, too.