The 15 Most Dangerous Neighborhoods in San Antonio 2025

1. Coliseum Oaks / Coliseum-Willow Park (AT&T Center area)

Coliseum Oaks / Coliseum-Willow Park (AT&T Center area) tops our list as the most dangerous neighborhood in San Antonio, with a violent crime rate 568% above the national average. Despite its small population of approximately 1,520 residents, this area experiences alarming rates of violent crime.

Socioeconomic stressors compound the issue: per NeighborhoodScout, the combined area is among the lowest-income neighborhoods in the U.S., with a high child poverty rate and many single-mother households. Lower economic opportunity often correlates with concentration of crime risk. The proximity of large event venues (Freeman Coliseum, AT&T Center) also brings transient crowds and late-night traffic, which can exacerbate opportunities for theft, disorder, and violence on event nights.

2. Hein-Orchard

I had not even heard of this neighborhood until researching crime rates. Located on the east side of San Antonio, Hein-Orchard has a population of 1,554 and a violent crime rate 233% above the national average.

3. Wheatley Heights

With a population of 6,200, the Wheatley Heights area has faced persistent issues with crime and poverty. The crime rate stands at 185% above the national average.

Gang activity is a significant problem in this neighborhood, with territorial disputes often resulting in violent confrontations. Wheatley Heights, on San Antonio’s East Side, is shaped by several overlapping dynamics that tend to raise its vulnerability to crime. It sits adjacent to major arteries and transit corridors, which bring greater vehicle flow and pedestrian traffic—conditions that can amplify opportunities for theft, break-ins, and other opportunistic offenses. The neighborhood also faces socioeconomic constraints: lower home values, aging housing stock, limited new investment, and fewer local commercial or recreational anchors compared to more affluent corridors. In addition, parts of the area lie in proximity to neighborhoods that historically have higher crime incidence, making spillover effects more likely.

4. Prospect Hill / West End

Located in west San Antonio, Prospect Hill has a crime rate 221% above the national average. With 4,663 residents, the area is notorious for violent crimes, including shootings and assaults.

Because of the larger size of this neighborhood, the calculation for the crime rates could be double what is being shown here.

Like many core urban neighborhoods, Prospect Hill must contend with infrastructural stress from aging street lighting, public maintenance lags, and sometimes inadequate policing presence relative to demand. Economic pressures and redevelopment pressures in nearby areas can also bring friction (e.g. displacement, changing land use) that create instability. All those spatial and structural stressors combine to make Prospect Hill one of the neighborhoods more frequently spotlighted in the city’s crime-risk discourse.

Recent police initiatives have attempted to address the crime rate through increased patrols and community outreach, but challenges remain significant.

5. Tobin Hill

Ok, so Tobin Hill really surprised me. I used to live in this neighborhood and I never had any issues. With much of the incidents happening along St. Marys, along with there not being as much violent crime, I'm giving this one a higher safety rating. But the stats do not lie. With a rate 151% above the national average, there is a crime issue. With a population of 6,835, Tobin Hill is more densely populated.

Tobin Hill is a dense, mixed-use neighborhood immediately north of downtown San Antonio, known for its blend of residential, commercial, and entertainment zones. The neighborhood’s high walkability, close proximity to nightlife and cultural amenities, and concentration of businesses (bars, restaurants, music venues) all draw a steady stream of foot and vehicle traffic—especially in the evenings. That traffic, in turn, can create ample opportunities for property crime (e.g. car break-ins, thefts) or disorderly behavior.

6. Downtown

At first, I was hesitant to include this. I'm sure crime fluctuates quite a bit in the downtown areas of many cities. With so many people visiting San Antonio as a destination, I wanted to include this so they can see how our downtown area stacks up. Downtown San Antonio has a crime rate 198% above the national average. Data for this one could be somewhat off as well because I'm not sure where the population data truly came from. We do not have a huge residential population downtown. Niche.com says there is a population of 14,491 downtown. With a larger police presence downtown, I gave it a higher safety rating.

7. Harvard Place / Eastlawn

The Harvard Place / Eastlawn in near-east San Antonio has a violent crime rate 128% above the national average. Its 5,018 residents face significant challenges due to poverty and unemployment, which are directly linked to the area's high crime levels.

Because the neighborhood has historically received less investment than other parts of the city, residents often face limited economic opportunity, job scarcity, and underemployment, particularly for younger adults. Higher poverty rates and lower household incomes can intensify stresses such as housing insecurity, food access, and interpersonal strain within households, which are risk factors for violent and property crime.

8. Los Jardines

Further west of downtown, Los Jardines struggles with violent crime rates 195% above the national average. With a population of 3,560, burglary, theft, and robbery are frequent occurrences, and the community battles with issues of drug trafficking and gang activity.

The neighborhood lies close to major thoroughfares and commercial corridors, which bring heavier traffic and increase opportunities for theft, auto break-ins, and opportunistic offenses.

9. Government Hill

Just east of the Pearl, Government Hill has a violent crime rate 253% above the national average. There are 2,861 residents in this neighborhood close to Fort Sam Houston. It is interesting that there tends to be a higher ratio of violent crime to property crime here.

Socially, Government Hill likely contends with pressures like lower access to investment and amenities, intermediate incomes with limited upward mobility, and proximity to adjacent neighborhoods with higher crime — all of which can erode neighborhood cohesion and strain informal social control.

10. Dellcrest / Dellcrest Forest (SE Side)

Dellcrest and Dellcrest Forest, with a crime rate 102% above the national average, faces ongoing challenges despite some revitalization efforts. Theft, burglaries, and assaults remain prevalent, affecting the safety and well-being of its 4,917 residents.

Dellcrest (also called Dellcrest Forest or “Dellcrest area” in Southeast San Antonio) is a neighborhood shaped by a mix of pressures that can make it more vulnerable to crime. Because it lies in the city’s periphery, public service coverage (street lighting, policing presence, maintenance) may be more sporadic than in central districts, which can create weak spots in informal surveillance. The area has relatively lower property values and older housing stock, which often means deferred upkeep, faded exteriors, and fewer security upgrades—factors that invite property-based offenses like burglary or vandalism.

11. Denver Heights

Denver Heights ranks among San Antonio's more dangerous areas with a property crime rate of 2,029 per 100,000 residents. The population is listed as 6,309 according to Homes.com. The numbers shown here could be quite lower than actual as the area of this neighborhood is more than double the half-mile radius used in this analysis.

Visible social issues like homelessness, vagrancy, and prostitution contribute to a sense of insecurity, particularly in areas with higher foot traffic or near commercial corridors. Poor infrastructure, including rundown properties, uneven street maintenance, and unmanaged stray animals, exacerbates these problems by deterring investment and creating environments where petty vandalism and opportunistic crimes thrive. Although redevelopment efforts are underway in parts of the neighborhood, uneven progress leaves some blocks feeling neglected, concentrating risks in specific hotspots rather than distributing them evenly.

12. East Terrell Hills

East Terrell Hills is a small neighborhood with a violent crime rate lower than the national average. The area has some of the lowest median incomes and home values in San Antonio. This area has a higher property crime rate. Lock your cars and hide valuables when you park in this area.

A key driver is widespread economic disadvantage, marked by household incomes far below typical benchmarks and elevated childhood poverty, which heightens vulnerability to property offenses such as burglary and theft, alongside opportunistic robberies. This financial strain is exacerbated by a reliance on manual labor and manufacturing jobs, which often provide limited stability in an area with sluggish job growth. The neighborhood's position near major thoroughfares like Interstate 10 facilitates transient activity but also isolates it from broader economic revitalization, perpetuating cycles of underinvestment and disrepair

13. Pipers Meadow (NW)

With a population of just over 5,582 people, the Pipers Meadow experiences a violent crime rate almost half of the national average.

The neighborhood’s location near major roads like Loop 410 and Culebra Road, while convenient, draws transient activity and complicates community cohesion, making it easier for opportunistic crimes to occur. Social challenges, such as visible loitering and occasional drug-related activity near commercial strips, further heighten perceptions of insecurity and enable minor offenses to persist.

14. Rainbow Hills

Rainbow Hills has a population of 6,657. While violent crime doesn't appear to be as much an issue here as other neighborhoods on the list, the property crime is elevated.

Economic difficulties are a primary factor, with many residents relying on low-wage jobs in industries like retail or construction, coupled with high rates of poverty. This financial strain often leads to property crimes such as theft, vandalism, and burglaries, as well as occasional robberies in more accessible areas.

15. Quintana Community

On the near southwest side of San Antonio, Quintana Community has a population of 7,463. The violent crime rate is just over the national average at 105%.

The neighborhood’s proximity to major roads like Quintana Road and commercial corridors draws transient activity, which can disrupt community cohesion and enable opportunistic crimes. In a horrifying tragedy in 2022, a semi-truck was left here in the high heat. Tragically, 53 immigrants died due to this horrible crime.