The Most Dangerous Neighborhoods In Albuquerque: 2022's Ultimate List

Be sure to steer clear of these areas when visiting or moving to Albuquerque. This will keep you out of potential danger.

People who are looking to move to this large New Mexico city need to be careful when they’re choosing their neighborhood. Albuquerque’s neighborhoods have a huge disparity between the upscale and the downtrodden, and many of the town’s sections are downright nightmarish to live in. If you want to stay safe (or sane), knowing which neighborhoods to avoid is an absolute must.

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Albuquerque boasts a lot of entertainment venues in its main stretch, and it might even have a reputation for being a youthful college town. Unfortunately, the reputation for being a draw to Southwestern college students isn’t enough to save it from its reputation for being a dangerous city.

Statistics show that Albuquerque is the third most dangerous city in the state of New Mexico. Compared to other cities in other states, Albuquerque has a shockingly high crime rate.

No matter how you look at it, you really can’t call this town safe by any means. If you choose to move here, getting a security system is a wise choice.

Encanto Village is small, but it’s already becoming well-known among locals as a bad place to live. The reasons for the reputation vary, but most people can agree that this area just doesn’t have many attractions.

The wages earned here are low, the schools aren’t that good, traffic tends to be a little heavy, and the amenity access is pretty low.

Between the lack of good amenities and high unemployment, most people don’t want to live here. Though it’s only at #9 right now, the uptick in crime will lead it to be one of the most dangerous neighborhoods in Albuquerque if the trend continues.

When people talk about poverty, it wouldn’t be wrong for Quail Ridge to come to mind. The reason why this is considered to be one of the worst neighborhoods in Albuquerque deals with the shockingly low household income. People who live here only earn a scant $32,400 per year, making it one of the poorest neighborhoods in town.

Though it’s not considered to be that unsafe, the poor employment prospects and bad local schools make Quail Ridge a highly unattractive place to live.

If Quail Ridge was bad, Alta Monte is even worse. Here, the average family earns a paltry $22,486, making it a neighborhood that runs on poverty wages.

Amenities are hard to come by here, and the school systems are notably dangerous. Gang activity isn’t unheard of here, since this neighborhood is noted for being extremely violent.

Unsurprisingly, Alta Monte housing is shockingly cheap. A typical home here will only set you back $5,000. As one might expect, it’s safe to say that you get what you pay for here.

Quigley Park is an unpleasant mix between a high crime rate zone and a high unemployment area. Though this petite neighborhood just covers a couple of blocks, statistics show that it has twice the average crime rate of Albuquerque’s general population.

Families who were hoping for affordable housing will also be shocked to hear that this area is also fairly pricey.

The only real perk to living in Quigley Park is the high number of amenities here. The shopping district is only a quick drive away and remains a convenient staple of living in the city.

Wildflower is such a pretty name for a neighborhood, isn’t it? Unfortunately, life here is anything but roses. The average price of a home here is a paltry $91,000—mostly because demand is so low. People are leaving Wildflower for greener passages in droves, which isn’t surprising.

Low wages crippled this neighborhood, but that’s not the primary reason for the flight. People are reporting high levels of urban blight as well as a notoriously high crime rate.

Few local attractions, terrible schools, and a dire lack of amenities make this one of the worst neighborhoods in Albuquerque by a long shot.

Among locals, saying that you live in Trumbull Village is often followed by a wince. This section of town regularly gets mentioned as one of the most dangerous neighborhoods in Albuquerque by both local and national newspapers.

If you live in Trumbull Village, you have a 141 percent higher chance of being a victim of violent crime when compared to neighboring areas.

The crime alone is bad, but that’s not the worst of it. Dire poverty is a common issue here, as is low wages. Due to the multitude of municipal problems Trumbull Village has, the average house in this neighborhood is only worth $91,000.

Even with that low price tag, many real estate investors wouldn’t want to touch this side of town with a 10-foot ladder.

La Mesa has a long list of problems that make it one of the worst neighborhoods in Albuquerque, and crime stands at the top of it with a bullet.

People who live in La Mesa have to deal with a crime rate that is 127 percent higher than the average crime rate in Albuquerque and to make matters worse, a large portion of that crime is violent.

Along with a high crime rate, La Mesa also gained a fair level of notoriety for having some of the worst schools in the city servicing the neighborhood. Needless to say, almost any child who grows up in La Mesa will have a serious disadvantage if they want to attend a quality college later on.

Without a doubt, Kachina Hills earned its place as one of the worst neighborhoods in Albuquerque through its out-of-control crime problem.

According to recent statistics, Kachina Hills has a 344 percent higher crime rate than a typical Albuquerque neighborhood, which is reason alone to avoid this area. The Hills also have no reported amenities to speak of, giving the place a double-whammy in terms of the house value.

However, there are some perks to this area that are worth noting. Kachina Hills has one of the highest-rated schools in the area. How that happened is beyond us, but it’s the truth.

Parents who want to give this area a try have to make a tough decision. Do you move in for the schools, or move out due to the crime.

Don’t be fooled by the Ivy League name! Yale Village has a low home value of around $85,000 for a reason. The unemployment rate here is staggeringly high but not as high as the crime rate.

Currently, Yale Village has a crime rate that is four times the national average, with a jaw-dropping rate of 1,945 violent crimes per 100,000 people. Going out at night probably isn’t a good idea here.

Along with bad crime rates, people who move into this region can expect to see low wages, high unemployment, and tons of dilapidated buildings in their local neighborhoods. Despite only housing 79 people within its borders, this neighborhood remains a place to avoid whenever possible.

When locals call an area the “War Zone,” you already know that it’s going to be a bad place to be. This area, which lies between San Mateo and Wyoming off Central Avenue, is considered to be the most dangerous part of Albequerque.

Extreme gang violence is a daily occurrence, as is rampant drug use. Children who live here regularly find needles on the ground and bullet holes near their homes.

Foul schooling, high rates of teen pregnancy, regular domestic violence occurrences, and exceptionally low wages make this place borderline unlivable. It’s not only considered to be one of the worst neighborhoods in Albuquerque; it’s considered to be one of the worst neighborhoods in the entire state.

Though this area has a slew of great restaurants and acts as home to many immigrants, the truth is that the War Zone rightfully earned its name. And no one wants to live in a war zone.

This petite part of Albuquerque might only have 600-ish people in it, but that doesn’t mean it’s going to be a nice place to live.

Montgomery Heights has an unusually high crime rate, with a slightly above-average violent crime rate than Albuquerque’s already-high average. If you are looking for a place to raise kids, this probably isn’t it.

The school systems and employment rates aren’t exactly worth writing home about unless you want to complain about it. Home prices here are notably low, so you can at least enjoy that aspect of living here.

Related Questions

Is it safe to walk in downtown Albuquerque at night?

While Albequerque has a serious crime problem, downtown ABQ is generally a safe place to be. This is thanks to the current effort to revitalize parts of the city and attract tourists. Even so, most people would suggest staying away from Central Avenue if it’s possible.

What is the best neighborhood in Albequerque to live in?

If you’re looking to hobnob with the nabobs of New Mexico, you should take a look at Nob Hill. Nob Hill is regularly cited as one of the best places to live in Albequerque due to its low crime rate, excellent schools, low unemployment, and high wages. A close second is North Valley, followed by Heritage East and Bear Canyon.

What is the safest city in New Mexico?

People who are looking for a safe urban environment to live in should take a look at Los Alamos, home of the atom bomb. Today, the city still has a strong government-centric ambiance thanks to the local military base.