Neighborhood · Ranked #8,912 of 84,120 nationally

South Fort Smith Eviction Risk: Elevated

Tract 05131001202 · Sebastian County, AR · pop 2,599 · neighborhood within 0.7 mi

Eviction risk in the South Fort Smith neighborhood of Fort Smith centers on tract 05131001202, which scores 4.3/10 (Moderate tier) and is home to 2,599 residents. That is riskier than about 19% of US census tracts.

About 43% of renters carry a rent burden of 30% of income or higher, a severe level, and 20% are severely burdened at 50% or more. Average gross rent is $753 monthly, set against $41,250 in average yearly household income, roughly 22% of income at the averages. About 57% of occupied units are renter-occupied, a renter-majority tract.

Risk score

6.3

Elevated

Confidence 85% · 1–10 scale

Household mix · 100 hh

Burdened renters 25% Stable renters 32% Owners 43%

Tract context

Occupied units1,150

Renter share57.2%

SVI overall0.98

Poverty rate31.3%

Median income$41,250

Percentile rank

Higher percentile = riskier than more peers.

Geographic context

Risk heat across Fort Smith and the region

Centroid at 35.3314, -94.4128 · click any tract to drill in

Why South Fort Smith scores 6.3

9 axes · 1 = landlord-friendly

Local political climate

Inherited from Fort Smith

3.0

Regional political climate

2024 county presidential margin

3.2

State political climate

Arkansas legislature & governorship

1.5

Economic stress

31.3% poverty · this tract

7.8

Supply constraint

$753 rent vs county FMR

3.3

Rent control risk

Inherited from Fort Smith

1.0

Eviction process difficulty

State law sets the calendar

2.0

Tenant organizing strength

Inherited from Fort Smith

2.0

Housing court bias

Inherited from Fort Smith

1.5

How South Fort Smith compares

Risk score vs. parent city, county, state.

CDC Social Vulnerability Index

SVI percentile: 98

CDC/ATSDR 2022. Higher = more vulnerable. National percentile across 84k tracts.

97%Socioeconomic
89%Household composition
57%Racial/ethnic minority
99%Housing & transportation

Comparable tracts

Census tracts with similar eviction risk

Within South Fort Smith. Closest by Eviction Risk Score.

CDC PLACES 2023 · health & economic stress

Eviction-adjacent indicators

Crude prevalence of conditions linked to housing loss. Source: CDC PLACES (cwsq-ngmh), 2023 model-based small-area estimates.

18.6%Housing insecurity
14.5%Utility-shutoff threat
25.3%Food insecurity
17.7%SNAP enrollment
13.3%Transit barriers
14.6%No health insurance
22.1%Frequent mental distress
42.6%Any disability

Analysis

What drives eviction risk in South Fort Smith

The heaviest input here is economic stress at 7.8/10. That part is specific to this tract, computed from its own rent, income, and poverty figures. Statewide and court-level factors such as eviction-process speed and rent-control exposure are inherited from Fort Smith eviction risk, while the economic and supply signals are measured at the tract level.

Set against its neighbors, this tract scores about the same as the Sebastian County average of 4.0 and in line with the Arkansas statewide average of 4.1. Within its own county it reads on the riskier side for landlords.

In CDC survey modeling, about 18.6% of adults here said they could not pay rent or mortgage at some point in the past year, and 14.5% faced a utility shutoff threat, a common early warning before a filing.

The tract is racially mixed and ranks around the 98th percentile nationally on the CDC Social Vulnerability Index, a measure of how exposed residents are to housing and economic shocks. High vulnerability tends to track with higher eviction-filing rates when rents climb.

For a landlord, conditions here are middle-of-the-road. Standard screening and prompt, documented notices usually keep cases short.

Frequently asked

About tract 05131001202

What is the eviction-risk score for census tract 05131001202?

Census tract 05131001202 in the South Fort Smith neighborhood scores 6.3/10 (Elevated tier). The Eviction Risk Score blends state law, county filing rates, parent-city politics, and tract-specific rent-to-income ratios + poverty signals.

What is the average rent in tract 05131001202?

Median gross rent is $753/month (ACS 5-year 2023, table B25064). 43% of renter households are cost-burdened.

What is the poverty rate in tract 05131001202?

31.3% of residents in tract 05131001202 live below the federal poverty line (ACS B17001, 2023). Population: 2,599.

How socially vulnerable is tract 05131001202?

CDC Social Vulnerability Index ranks this tract in the 98th percentile nationally. Sub-themes: socioeconomic 97th, household 89th, minority 57th, housing 99th.

Is tract 05131001202 considered part of South Fort Smith?

Yes. Per Census Bureau 2020 Block Assignment Files, the plurality of blocks in tract 05131001202 fall within South Fort Smith (neighborhood centroid within 0.7 miles, OSM data).

What share of households in tract 05131001202 struggle to pay rent?

About 18.6% of adults in this tract reported housing insecurity (could not pay rent or mortgage in the past 12 months), per the CDC PLACES 2023 model-based small-area estimate. 14.5% also reported utility shutoff threats, a frequent precursor to eviction filings.

How does tract 05131001202 compare to Fort Smith overall?

Tract 05131001202 scores 6.3/10, higher than the parent city of Fort Smith at 2.4/10. City-scale signals (state law, local rent controls, court bias) are inherited from Fort Smith eviction risk; what makes this tract different are its tract-specific economic stress and supply-constraint sub-scores.

Sibling tracts

Highest-risk tracts in Fort Smith

Top eight tracts in Fort Smith ranked by composite eviction-risk score.