Neighborhood · Dothan, AL

Bell-Merrill Eviction Risk: Moderate

1 census tracts · pop 2,763 · pop-weighted Eviction Risk Score 5.4/10 · range 5.4–5.4

Bell-Merrill is a black-white neighborhood in Dothan with 1 census tract and a population of 2,763 residents. The neighborhood's pop-weighted eviction-risk score of 5.4/10 (Moderate tier) blends state law, county-level filing rates, parent-city politics, and tract-specific rent-to-income ratios + poverty. 38% of renters here pay at least 30% of household income on rent, and 22% are severely cost-burdened (≥50% of income). Average gross rent of $876/month sits 9% lower than the Dothan citywide average ($960).

Risk score

5.4

Moderate

1 tracts · population-weighted

Bell-Merrill vs Dothan How this neighborhood stacks against the citywide average

% of income on rent

38.2% +33%

Dothan: 28.7%

Average gross rent

$876 -9%

Dothan: $960

Average HH income

$41,510 -25%

Dothan: $55,052

Poverty rate

26.5% +38%

Dothan: 19.2%

Renter share

45.0% +5%

Dothan: 42.9%

Peer neighborhoods

Neighborhoods with similar eviction risk

Same county, closest by Eviction Risk Score.

Geographic context

Risk heat across Bell-Merrill and the region

Click any tract to drill in · 1 tracts span score 5.4–5.4

Why Bell-Merrill scores 5.4

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 2.9–2.9 across tracts

2.9

Local political climate

Parent city governance · Range 3.0–3.0 across tracts

3.0

Rent control risk

38% of income on rent · Range 1.0–1.0 across tracts

1.0

Eviction process difficulty

State notice requirements & court backlog · Range 3.0–3.0 across tracts

3.0

Tenant organizing strength

45% renter households · Range 2.0–2.0 across tracts

2.0

Housing court bias

County bench composition · Range 2.5–2.5 across tracts

2.5

Economic stress

26.5% below poverty line · Range 6.6–6.6 across tracts

6.6

Supply constraint

Rent-to-FMR gap & zoning friction · Range 4.8–4.8 across tracts

4.8

Risk score comparison

Bell-Merrill vs. parent city, state, U.S.

Eviction Risk Score (0–10 scale).

Census tracts

1 tracts in Bell-Merrill

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

Tract↕	Score↕	Pop↕	% over 30% on rent↕	Average rent↕
01069040700	5.4	2,763	38%	$876

Social Vulnerability Index

CDC SVI percentile: 62

Pop-weighted across 1 tracts. Higher = more vulnerable to disaster, displacement, and rent shocks. Source: CDC/ATSDR SVI 2022.

Socioeconomic status 92%ile

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

Household characteristics 63%ile

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

Racial/ethnic minority 72%ile

Hispanic + non-white share of population

Housing & transport 7%ile

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

Eviction filings · Princeton Eviction Lab

Court-record eviction history in Bell-Merrill

Aggregated across 1 validated constituent tract. Filing rate is filings per 100 renter households, pop-weighted.

Historic baseline (2000–2018)

146Total filings (sum)
3.40%Avg annual filing rate
4.3%Peak year (2010)
3.81%Latest filed (2014)

CDC PLACES 2023 · pop-weighted

Eviction-adjacent indicators in Bell-Merrill

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

24.4%Housing insecurity
17.7%Utility shutoff threat
34.8%Food insecurity
30.7%SNAP enrollment
15.5%No health insurance
46.8%Any disability

Frequently asked

About Bell-Merrill

What is the eviction-risk score for Bell-Merrill?

Bell-Merrill scores 5.4/10 (Moderate tier) across 1 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 Bell-Merrill compare to Dothan overall?

Bell-Merrill scores 2.9 points higher than Dothan overall (2.5/10). Renters spend 38% of income on rent vs 29% citywide. Average rent: $876 vs $960.

What is the average rent in Bell-Merrill?

Average gross rent in Bell-Merrill is $876/month (pop-weighted across 1 census tracts, ACS 5-year 2023). 38% of renter households are cost-burdened.

What percentage of Bell-Merrill residents are renters?

45% of Bell-Merrill households are renter-occupied (vs 43% in Dothan). The neighborhood has 2,763 residents.

Is Bell-Merrill a high social-vulnerability area?

Bell-Merrill sits in the 62nd percentile nationally on the CDC Social Vulnerability Index (moderately vulnerable). The index combines poverty, unemployment, household composition, racial/ethnic minority share, and housing/transportation factors across all US census tracts.

How safe is Bell-Merrill for landlords?

Bell-Merrill carries a moderate-tier eviction-risk profile for landlords (5.4/10). Pop-weighted across 1 constituent tracts, the score blends parent-city rent-control posture, county eviction-process timelines, and tract-specific rent-to-income / poverty signals. Compared to Dothan as a whole (2.5/10), this neighborhood is higher-risk.

What is the demographic breakdown of Bell-Merrill?

Bell-Merrill has 2,789 residents (Black-White Neighborhood). Top groups: Black (non-Hispanic) (48.3%), White (non-Hispanic) (39.9%), Other / Multiracial (6%). Source: ACS 5-year 2023, table B03002.

Nearby

Other neighborhoods near Bell-Merrill

2.5 Whispering Pines 2 tracts · pop 8,801

Sibling neighborhoods

Other neighborhoods inside Dothan

Same parent city, ranked by score similarity to Bell-Merrill.

5.5 Griffin Heights 1 tracts · pop 4,013 5.3 Parish 1 tracts · pop 3,475 5.8 Tidwell 1 tracts · pop 1,774 5.9 Fairlane 1 tracts · pop 5,362 5.9 Vann 1 tracts · pop 2,296 4.5 Woodsvale 1 tracts · pop 3,723

Zoom out