4 census tracts · pop 11,540 · pop-weighted Eviction Risk Score 9.5/10
· range 8.9–9.9
Japantown spans 4 census tracts of San Francisco, CA, population 11,540. It carries an Eviction Risk Score of 9.5/10, in the High tier. The dominant input is rent-regulation exposure at 10/10.
Running hot is eviction-process difficulty at 10/10. On the high side is tenant-organizing strength at 10/10.
72% of occupied units are rented, so comparables are plentiful and vacancy risk is low, but a mispriced renewal loses the tenant to a building two streets over. Severe burden reaches 18%. A tenant at that level absorbs no shock: one cut shift or one repair bill converts directly into arrears. Against a San Francisco baseline of 25.1%, 31% of renters here cross the 30%-of-income line.
The 4 tracts inside this boundary do not behave alike. Individual scores run 8.9 to 9.9, a 1-point gap wide enough that the area average misleads on any specific address. Food insecurity affects 8.9% of adults, 8.9 points below the national rate. 4.6% of adults carry no health insurance against 11.3% nationally, a common route into sudden unpayable debt.
Average gross rent is $2,221, 10% below the San Francisco average of $2,476. That places it #24 of 53 neighborhoods in San Francisco.
The closest comparables inside the same city are Sunset District and Little Hollywood. Annual rent works out to 21% of average household income of $126,697.
For a specific building, read the per-tract breakdown below rather than the 9.5 headline, because the internal range is too wide to average safely. Scores move when the ACS release, the court-record feed, or the statute ledger behind them moves.
Risk score
9.5
High
4 tracts · population-weighted
Japantown vs San FranciscoHow this neighborhood stacks against the citywide average
Single-parent HH, disability, language barriers, age 17- / 65+
Racial/ethnic minority67%ile
Hispanic + non-white share of population
Housing & transport89%ile
Multi-unit structures, mobile homes, crowding, no vehicle
CDC PLACES 2023 · pop-weighted
Eviction-adjacent indicators in Japantown
Average across all constituent tracts, population-weighted. Source: CDC PLACES (cwsq-ngmh) crude prevalence.
8.3%Housing insecurity
4.5%Utility shutoff threat
10.2%Food insecurity
8.3%SNAP enrollment
5.1%No health insurance
23.6%Any disability
Frequently asked
About Japantown
Q1
What is the eviction-risk score for Japantown?
Japantown scores 9.5/10 (High tier) across 4 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.
Q2
How does Japantown compare to San Francisco overall?
Japantown scores 0.4 points lower than San Francisco overall (9.9/10). Renters spend 31% of income on rent vs 25% citywide. Average rent: $2,221 vs $2,476.
Q3
What is the average rent in Japantown?
Average gross rent in Japantown is $2,221/month (pop-weighted across 4 census tracts, ACS 5-year 2023). 31% of renter households are cost-burdened.
Q4
What percentage of Japantown residents are renters?
72% of Japantown households are renter-occupied (vs 62% in San Francisco). The neighborhood has 11,540 residents.
Q5
Is Japantown a high social-vulnerability area?
Japantown sits in the 59th 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.
Q6
Which tracts in Japantown have the highest eviction risk?
The highest-risk constituent tract in Japantown is census tract 06075015900 (score 9.9/10). Across the 4 tracts in this neighborhood the score ranges from 8.9 to 9.9, a spread of 1 points.
Q7
How safe is Japantown for landlords?
Japantown carries a high-tier eviction-risk profile for landlords (9.5/10). Pop-weighted across 4 constituent tracts, the score blends parent-city rent-control posture, county eviction-process timelines, and tract-specific rent-to-income / poverty signals. Compared to San Francisco as a whole (9.9/10), this neighborhood is lower-risk.
Q8
What is the demographic breakdown of Japantown?
Japantown has 11,286 residents. Top groups: White (non-Hispanic) (48.8%), Asian (non-Hispanic) (22.9%), Hispanic / Latino (12%). Source: ACS 5-year 2023, table B03002.
