The 10 Most Dangerous Neighborhoods In Cincinnati, OH

Cincinnati, Ohio, is a Midwest city with a relatively strong job market and a low cost of living. In 2019, Cincinnati was ranked as the 10th most affordable city in the country. It’s known for a vibrant craft beer scene, with more than 40 breweries throughout the city. Plus, Cincinnati has a huge park system which is great if you love to get outside.

The 10 most dangerous neighborhoods in Cincinnati include English Woods, South Fairmount, Sedamsville, South Cumminsville, and East Westwood. Neighborhoods like Over-the-Rhine, Lower Price Hill, and West End are safer than most areas in Cincinnati. East Price Hill and Camp Washington close out the list of the 10 most dangerous neighborhoods in Cincinnati.

You have a 1 in 13 chance of being a victim of crime in English Woods and adjacent North Fairmount. Other dangerous Cincinnati neighborhoods include Sedamsville and South Fairmount. Let’s take a look at the safest neighborhoods in Cincinnati.

The English Woods neighborhood is adjacent to North Fairmount, and the two are often combined when talking about the high crime rate. English Woods has a small population and a median rent price of only $307. One-hundred percent of English Woods residents are renters. The North Fairmount neighborhood as a whole has a median rent of $1000 and a median home value of just $68,269. Around 56% of people in North Fairmount are renters.

The total crime rate in North Fairmount and English Woods is more than 230% higher than the national average, with violent crime that’s 256% higher than the national average. Violent crime rates in English Woods and North Fairmount are significantly higher than the Cincinnati rate, and the same is true of property crime.

South Fairmount, adjacent to similarly dangerous North Fairmount, has the highest concentration of Section 8 housing in Hamilton County. A few years ago, however, work started to renew South Fairmount. The city has been working on various projects to upgrade South Fairmount like a new sewer system and the addition of more parks and outdoor areas.

Unfortunately, despite these efforts, South Fairmount crime rates remain pervasively high. The total crime is 226% higher in Fairmount than the rest of the country, with violent crime 251% higher than it is nationally. You have a 1 in 13 chance of being a victim of a crime in South Fairmount, and it’s safer than only 3% of Ohio cities.

Sedamsville is a small Cincinnati neighborhood. It was at one point a thriving hub of industry and production, but after the Great Depression, many of the local businesses closed and weren’t able to rebuild after a flood in 1937. Since then, Sedamsville has been faced with high crime rates.

The total crime in Sedamsville is 196% higher than the national average, with violent crime 219% higher. You have a 1 in 14 chance of being a victim of a crime in Sedamsville. The upside of Sedamsville is that it’s an affordable neighborhood, with a median home value of $83,000 and a median rent of $846, both of which are well below the national average. Around 59% of residents in Sedamsville are renters, compared to 41% being owners.

South Cumminsville is bordered by Northside and Fay Apartments. The neighborhood does have a very active community. For example, it’s home to the South Cumminsville United for Better Housing organization that regularly hosts neighborhood clean-up days. The median home value in this affordable neighborhood is $61,700, and the median rent is $867.

The crime in South Cumminsville is 223% higher than the national average. You have a 1 in 13 chance of being the victim of a crime in this neighborhood. The total number of crimes in South Cumminsville is estimated at 8043 per 100,000 people, while it’s 5147 for Cincinnati as a whole.

East Westwood is a neighborhood in Cincinnati that’s close to Millvale, North Fairmount, and Westwood. It’s estimated that 81% of the neighborhood’s residents rent their homes, versus only 19% being owners. The median rent price is $644, while the median home value in East Westwood is just $79,201.

The total crime in East Westwood is 221% above the national average. Violent crime is 245% higher than the nation’s average. The chance of being a victim of crime in East Westwood is around 1 in 13.

Over-the-Rhine is also called OTR. It’s to the north of the Central Business District in downtown Cincinnati. It’s a thriving neighborhood with restaurants, bars, and pubs. Washington Park is in the heart of the neighborhood, and the Findlay Market is Ohio’s oldest farmer’s market. OTR has a large collection of historic architecture with styles including Greek Revival, Italianate, and Queen Anne.

There have been extensive revitalization efforts in OTR in recent years, but the crime is still relatively high. Over-the-Rhine crime rates are 89% higher than the national average, and violent crime is 103% higher. Your chances of being a crime victim are 1 in 22.

Lower Price Hill is a neighborhood in Cincinnati that is a registered historic district. It’s just west of downtown, and in the 19th century, it was a hub of transportation. The houses in Lower Price Hill were built for the workers in the area at the time.

While it is rich in history, the crime rate is 48% higher in Lower Price Hill than in Cincinnati. Around 83% of the neighborhood’s residents rent their homes, while 17% own. The median rent in Lower Price Hill is only $517. Relative to the national average, the total crime rate in Lower Price Hill is 206% higher, and violent crime is 229% higher.

West End is northwest of downtown Cincinnati and west of Over-the-Rhine. Much of the neighborhood was destroyed in the 1950s to construct Interstate 75. The West End is home to City West, which was the largest housing development project in the city since World War II. In 2013, the CityLink Center was opened in the West End neighborhood, which provides social services to more than 3,000 residents of Cincinnati. It was recently announced a new soccer stadium for Major League Soccer would be built in the neighborhood.

As far as crime, the rate of violent crime in West End is 228% higher than the national average. The neighborhood sees 47% more crime than the whole of Cincinnati. There’s statistically a 1 in 14 chance of being a crime victim in the West End neighborhood.

The East Price Hill neighborhood is south of South Fairmount and Westwood, and it’s one of the oldest outlying settlements of the city. East Price Hill covers about three square miles. East Price Hill is a historic neighborhood, and the East Price Hill Improvement Association and the East Price Hill Business Alliance have been working to make it a good place to live.

Even so, it has about 46% more crime than the rest of Cincinnati, and the violent crime rate is 225% higher than the national average. Around 68% of residents rent their homes and 32% own. The median rent in East Price Hill is around $715 and the median home value is $70,807.

Camp Washington is north of Queensgate and east of Fairmount. There are industrial buildings and 19th-century homes, and some of the industrial spaces have been converted to lofts. The neighborhood is home to several National Register buildings, including the Osterlein Machine Company-Fashion Frocks Inc. Complex and the Cincinnati Workhorse. The neighborhood is also home to the longstanding restaurant Camp Washington Chili.

While there are gems in Camp Washington, the neighborhood sees around 43% more crime than Cincinnati in general. The violent crime in Camp Washington is 217% higher than the national average. The likelihood of becoming a crime victim in Camp Washington is 1 in 14.

According to the crime index, Cincinnati is safer than only 4% of U.S. cities, comparatively. The violent crime rate per 1000 residents is 8.43, while it’s only 2.93 for Ohio. The national median is 4. The chances of becoming a violent crime victim in Cincinnati are 1 in 119 while it’s 1 in 341 in Ohio. The property crime rate is almost double that of Ohio and the national median.

With that being said, compared to metro areas that are similar in size to Cincinnati, the crime rate is actually lower. For example, the crime rate in Cincinnati is lower than it is in Charlotte, Orlando, and San Antonio.

While the above are the most dangerous Cincinnati neighborhoods based on crime statistics, what about the safest? Click Here to read about the safest neighborhoods in Cincinnati.

Hyde Park is often described as the safest Cincinnati neighborhood. There is minimal crime reported, and when it does occur, it’s usually property rather than violent crime. The Hyde Park community is frequently described as being family-friendly and beautiful, with a walkable layout.

Sayler Park is similarly rated as one of the safest neighborhoods in Cincinnati. It’s on the Ohio River on the west side of the city, and it has a quiet, suburban feel.

Finally, around 15 minutes from downtown Cincinnati is Mt. Lookout. It draws young professionals and families alike. It has a charming town square surrounded by restaurants and boutiques, and also views of the river.

Overall, Cincinnati is like any other reasonably-sized metro. There are some dangerous neighborhoods but also many safe ones.