Neighborhood · Salinas, CA

Chinatown Eviction Risk: Elevated

7 census tracts · pop 28,549 · pop-weighted Eviction Risk Score 6.9/10 · range 5.7–8.6

Chinatown is a hispanic / latino neighborhood in Salinas with 7 census tracts and a population of 28,549 residents. The neighborhood's pop-weighted eviction-risk score of 6.9/10 (Elevated tier) blends state law, county-level filing rates, parent-city politics, and tract-specific rent-to-income ratios + poverty. 49% of renters here pay at least 30% of household income on rent, and 25% are severely cost-burdened (≥50% of income). Average gross rent of $1,853/month sits 7% lower than the Salinas citywide average ($1,991).

Risk score

6.9

Elevated

7 tracts · population-weighted

Chinatown vs Salinas How this neighborhood stacks against the citywide average

% of income on rent

49.0% +52%

Salinas: 32.2%

Average gross rent

$1,853 -7%

Salinas: $1,991

Average HH income

$81,988 -8%

Salinas: $89,150

Poverty rate

18.0% +26%

Salinas: 14.3%

Renter share

64.7% +22%

Salinas: 53.0%

Peer neighborhoods

Neighborhoods with similar eviction risk

Same county, closest by Eviction Risk Score.

Geographic context

Risk heat across Chinatown and the region

Click any tract to drill in · 7 tracts span score 5.7–8.6

Why Chinatown scores 6.9

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

State political climate

legislature & governorship · Range 6.8–6.8 across tracts

6.8

Regional political climate

County-level mix · 2024 presidential margin · Range 7.1–7.1 across tracts

7.1

Local political climate

Parent city governance · Range 8.2–8.2 across tracts

8.2

Rent control risk

49% of income on rent · Range 7.3–7.3 across tracts

7.3

Eviction process difficulty

State notice requirements & court backlog · Range 6.8–6.8 across tracts

6.8

Tenant organizing strength

65% renter households · Range 9.3–9.3 across tracts

9.3

Housing court bias

County bench composition · Range 7.0–7.0 across tracts

7.0

Economic stress

18.0% below poverty line · Range 1.2–9.6 across tracts

4.5

Supply constraint

Rent-to-FMR gap & zoning friction · Range 1.0–1.9 across tracts

1.3

Risk score comparison

Chinatown vs. parent city, state, U.S.

Eviction Risk Score (0–10 scale).

Variance across tracts

How uniformly does eviction risk play out in Chinatown?

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

Score distribution

0246810

Spread of 2.9 points from 5.7 to 8.6. This neighborhood crosses multiple risk tiers, so block-by-block conditions vary substantially.

Tracts as heat grid

8.6 7.8 7.0 6.9 6.2 6.1 5.7

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

Census tracts

7 tracts in Chinatown

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

Tract↕	Score↕	Pop↕	% over 30% on rent↕	Average rent↕
06053000501	8.6	5,231	62%	$1,782
06053001300	7.8	2,562	43%	$1,548
06053001802	7	5,436	47%	$2,027
06053001200	6.9	3,356	38%	$1,824
06053001700	6.2	4,441	46%	$1,728
06053001400	6.1	3,030	53%	$1,847
06053001801	5.7	4,493	48%	$2,047

Social Vulnerability Index

CDC SVI percentile: 84

Pop-weighted across 7 tracts. Higher = more vulnerable to disaster, displacement, and rent shocks. Source: CDC/ATSDR SVI 2022.

Socioeconomic status 78%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 87%ile

Hispanic + non-white share of population

Housing & transport 84%ile

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

CDC PLACES 2023 · pop-weighted

Eviction-adjacent indicators in Chinatown

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

24.6%Housing insecurity
12.3%Utility shutoff threat
30.5%Food insecurity
26.9%SNAP enrollment
21.4%No health insurance
34.9%Any disability

Frequently asked

About Chinatown

What is the eviction-risk score for Chinatown?

Chinatown scores 6.9/10 (Elevated tier) across 7 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 Chinatown compare to Salinas overall?

Chinatown scores 1.3 points lower than Salinas overall (8.2/10). Renters spend 49% of income on rent vs 32% citywide. Average rent: $1,853 vs $1,991.

What is the average rent in Chinatown?

Average gross rent in Chinatown is $1,853/month (pop-weighted across 7 census tracts, ACS 5-year 2023). 49% of renter households are cost-burdened.

What percentage of Chinatown residents are renters?

65% of Chinatown households are renter-occupied (vs 53% in Salinas). The neighborhood has 28,549 residents.

Is Chinatown a high social-vulnerability area?

Chinatown sits in the 84th 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 Chinatown have the highest eviction risk?

The highest-risk constituent tract in Chinatown is census tract 06053000501 (score 8.6/10). Across the 7 tracts in this neighborhood the score ranges from 5.7 to 8.6, a spread of 2.9 points.

How safe is Chinatown for landlords?

Chinatown carries a elevated-tier eviction-risk profile for landlords (6.9/10). Pop-weighted across 7 constituent tracts, the score blends parent-city rent-control posture, county eviction-process timelines, and tract-specific rent-to-income / poverty signals. Compared to Salinas as a whole (8.2/10), this neighborhood is lower-risk.

What is the demographic breakdown of Chinatown?

Chinatown has 29,331 residents (Hispanic / Latino Neighborhood). Top groups: Hispanic / Latino (76.2%), White (non-Hispanic) (15.2%), Asian (non-Hispanic) (4.6%). Source: ACS 5-year 2023, table B03002.

Nearby

Other neighborhoods near Chinatown

7 Natividad 5 tracts · pop 28,761 6.1 Harden Ranch 7 tracts · pop 33,996 7.2 Alisal 6 tracts · pop 29,387 5.4 Creekbridge 2 tracts · pop 14,713 6.3 Cypress Knolls 4 tracts · pop 15,537 4 Royal Oaks 2 tracts · pop 8,888

Sibling neighborhoods

Other neighborhoods inside Salinas

Same parent city, ranked by score similarity to Chinatown.

7 Natividad 5 tracts · pop 28,761 6.7 Sunset 1 tracts · pop 5,572 7.5 Alisal 6 tracts · pop 29,387 6.2 Harden Ranch 7 tracts · pop 33,996 6.1 Spreckels Junction 1 tracts · pop 4,539 5.6 South Salinas 1 tracts · pop 6,615

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