Neighborhood · Selma, AL

Water Avenue Historic District Eviction Risk: Elevated

3 census tracts · pop 7,367 · pop-weighted Eviction Risk Score 6.5/10 · range 6.4–6.6

Water Avenue Historic District is a black (non-hispanic) neighborhood in Selma with 3 census tracts and a population of 7,367 residents. The neighborhood's pop-weighted eviction-risk score of 6.5/10 (Elevated tier) blends state law, county-level filing rates, parent-city politics, and tract-specific rent-to-income ratios + poverty. 53% of renters here pay at least 30% of household income on rent, and 32% are severely cost-burdened (≥50% of income). Average gross rent of $725/month sits 2% higher than the Selma citywide average ($713).

Risk score

6.5

Elevated

3 tracts · population-weighted

Water Avenue Historic District vs Selma How this neighborhood stacks against the citywide average

% of income on rent

52.9% +33%

Selma: 39.7%

Average gross rent

$725 +2%

Selma: $713

Average HH income

$23,237 -28%

Selma: $32,184

Poverty rate

34.5% +22%

Selma: 28.3%

Renter share

60.1% +11%

Selma: 54.0%

Peer neighborhoods

Neighborhoods with similar eviction risk

Same county, closest by Eviction Risk Score.

Geographic context

Risk heat across Water Avenue Historic District and the region

Click any tract to drill in · 3 tracts span score 6.4–6.6

Why Water Avenue Historic District scores 6.5

9 axes · pop-weighted · 1 = landlord-friendly

State political climate

legislature & governorship · Range 1.8–1.8 across tracts

1.8

Regional political climate

County-level mix · 2024 presidential margin · Range 6.9–6.9 across tracts

6.9

Local political climate

Parent city governance · Range 7.2–7.2 across tracts

7.2

Rent control risk

53% of income on rent · Range 8.7–8.7 across tracts

8.7

Eviction process difficulty

State notice requirements & court backlog · Range 2.0–2.0 across tracts

2.0

Tenant organizing strength

60% renter households · Range 9.4–9.4 across tracts

9.4

Housing court bias

County bench composition · Range 8.8–8.8 across tracts

8.8

Economic stress

34.5% below poverty line · Range 7.2–10.0 across tracts

8.5

Supply constraint

Rent-to-FMR gap & zoning friction · Range 3.4–4.2 across tracts

3.8

Risk score comparison

Water Avenue Historic District vs. parent city, state, U.S.

Eviction Risk Score (0–10 scale).

Variance across tracts

How uniformly does eviction risk play out in Water Avenue Historic District?

Left: distribution of constituent tract scores. Right: every tract as a heat square. Click any square to drill in.

Score distribution

0246810

Spread of 0.2 points from 6.4 to 6.6. Tracts are relatively uniform, so conditions feel similar throughout the neighborhood.

Tracts as heat grid

6.6 6.6 6.4

Each square = one census tract. Color tracks the same green→red ramp as the chloropleth map above.

Census tracts

3 tracts in Water Avenue Historic District

Ranked highest-risk first. Click for per-tract detail.

Tract↕	Score↕	Pop↕	% over 30% on rent↕	Average rent↕
01047956400	6.6	2,614	41%	$757
01047956500	6.6	2,524	59%	$691
01047956600	6.4	2,229	61%	$726

Social Vulnerability Index

CDC SVI percentile: 93

Pop-weighted across 3 tracts. Higher = more vulnerable to disaster, displacement, and rent shocks. Source: CDC/ATSDR SVI 2022.

Socioeconomic status 95%ile

Poverty, unemployment, no-HS-diploma, housing cost burden

Household characteristics 70%ile

Single-parent HH, disability, language barriers, age 17- / 65+

Racial/ethnic minority 92%ile

Hispanic + non-white share of population

Housing & transport 82%ile

Multi-unit structures, mobile homes, crowding, no vehicle

Eviction filings · Princeton Eviction Lab

Court-record eviction history in Water Avenue Historic District

Aggregated across 3 validated constituent tracts. Filing rate is filings per 100 renter households, pop-weighted.

Historic baseline (2000–2018)

554Total filings (sum)
2.09%Avg annual filing rate
5.5%Peak year (2016)
3.30%Latest filed (2016)

CDC PLACES 2023 · pop-weighted

Eviction-adjacent indicators in Water Avenue Historic District

Average across all constituent tracts, population-weighted. Source: CDC PLACES (cwsq-ngmh) crude prevalence.

32.0%Housing insecurity
26.0%Utility shutoff threat
45.8%Food insecurity
45.4%SNAP enrollment
14.4%No health insurance
48.4%Any disability

Frequently asked

About Water Avenue Historic District

What is the eviction-risk score for Water Avenue Historic District?

Water Avenue Historic District scores 6.5/10 (Elevated tier) across 3 census tracts. The pop-weighted Eviction Risk Score blends state law, county filing rates, parent-city politics, and tract-specific rent-to-income and poverty signals.

How does Water Avenue Historic District compare to Selma overall?

Water Avenue Historic District scores 3.5 points higher than Selma overall (3/10). Renters spend 53% of income on rent vs 40% citywide. Average rent: $725 vs $713.

What is the average rent in Water Avenue Historic District?

Average gross rent in Water Avenue Historic District is $725/month (pop-weighted across 3 census tracts, ACS 5-year 2023). 53% of renter households are cost-burdened.

What percentage of Water Avenue Historic District residents are renters?

60% of Water Avenue Historic District households are renter-occupied (vs 54% in Selma). The neighborhood has 7,367 residents.

Is Water Avenue Historic District a high social-vulnerability area?

Water Avenue Historic District sits in the 93rd percentile nationally on the CDC Social Vulnerability Index (highly vulnerable). The index combines poverty, unemployment, household composition, racial/ethnic minority share, and housing/transportation factors across all US census tracts.

Which tracts in Water Avenue Historic District have the highest eviction risk?

The highest-risk constituent tract in Water Avenue Historic District is census tract 01047956400 (score 6.6/10). Across the 3 tracts in this neighborhood the score ranges from 6.4 to 6.6, a spread of 0.2 points.

How safe is Water Avenue Historic District for landlords?

Water Avenue Historic District carries a elevated-tier eviction-risk profile for landlords (6.5/10). Pop-weighted across 3 constituent tracts, the score blends parent-city rent-control posture, county eviction-process timelines, and tract-specific rent-to-income / poverty signals. Compared to Selma as a whole (3/10), this neighborhood is higher-risk.

What is the demographic breakdown of Water Avenue Historic District?

Water Avenue Historic District has 6,388 residents (Black (non-Hispanic) Neighborhood). Top groups: Black (non-Hispanic) (86.3%), White (non-Hispanic) (10.2%), Other / Multiracial (2.4%). Source: ACS 5-year 2023, table B03002.

Nearby

Other neighborhoods near Water Avenue Historic District

5.5 Sunset Mill Village 3 tracts · pop 6,225

Sibling neighborhoods

Other neighborhoods inside Selma

Same parent city, ranked by score similarity to Water Avenue Historic District.

5.5 Sunset Mill Village 3 tracts · pop 6,225

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