If you were wondering if Fort Lauderdale has a ghetto, the answer is yes. While not up there with the most dangerous, crime stricken cities like Compton, Fort Lauderdale does have some rough areas.
Today I’ll share with you statistics about crime in certain areas in Fort Lauderdale so you can freely travel and know which areas to avoid.
Fort Lauderdale Ghetto’s and Bad Neighborhoods
Courtesy of AreaVibes, here is a list of the most dangerous areas of Fort Lauderdale:
Speaking from personal experience, I can tell you that you will see a lot of homelessness in these areas as well as the usual stuff you’d expect in ghettos, including prostitution, drug dealing, petty theft, and people openly using the street as their bathroom.
Worst Neighborhoods in Fort Lauderdale
If you are visiting Fort Lauderdale, here are some neighborhoods to avoid.
This information comes from Roadsnacks and was updated in 2024.
#1: Dillard Park
The median home value ranks third worst in the area while there is 1,139 violent crimes per thousand people.
#2: Home Beautiful Park
Sounds kind of crazy something with a name like that has the worst median income in the area!
#3: Lake Aire Palm View
With a property crime of 9,267 per 100k people, this is a crime riddled area you’ll want to avoid.
#4: Durrs Homeowners
Another area with very low median home prices and an extremely high violent crime rate.
#5: Dorsey Riverbend
Sporting the worst median home value despite a higher population in comparison, this area has a lot of violent crimes and property crimes.
#6: Poinciana Park
Incomes and home values are higher in comparison to other ghettos in Fort Lauderdale, but the crime stats make this an easy top 10 neighborhood to avoid in Fort Lauderdale.
#7: Lauderdale West
This small populated area (just over 1,000 residents) has the second worst median income and about average crime stats compared to the other neighborhoods.
#8: Palm Aire Village
This tiny pocket of just over 300 residents sports the second worst median home value and a high crime rate per 1k people.
#9: Progresso Village
This is on the lower end of violent crime but the property crime figure adds this neighborhood to the ranks.
#10: City View Townhome
Another tiny hood with just over 100 people living there, both violent crimes and property crimes are abundant.
Now that we’ve covered where not to go in Fort Lauderdale, let’s be a bit more positive and share the most instagram-worthy spots! You’ll find no shortage of options in this city!
How Fort Lauderdale Dangerous Neighborhoods Were Ranked
Here’s how we used this information to rank the worst neighborhoods in Ft Lauderdale:
When looking at just how poorly rated a neighborhood was rated, the criteria looked into factors residents liked and then ranked the neighborhoods that had the least amount of those items.
Here’s what was used to compile this data:
- Estimated High Crime
- Unemployment Rate
- Low Median Income
- Low Population Density
- Low Home Values
Hopefully this guide was useful to you during your travels to and from Ft Lauderdale. Be safe, everyone!
About Tim Schmidt
Tim Schmidt is a 20+ year Entrepreneur and Digital Marketer. A Fort Lauderdale-based "Digital Nomad," he enjoys traveling as much as possible with family and friends. AllWorld is his escape to document all of his adventures, including being a hardcore "foodie." He has property in Costa Rica and visits several times each year and is happy to offer his expert advice for planning your trip. Make sure to download the AllWorld Travel Hacks FREE ebook.
