Neighborhood · San Francisco, CA

Polk Gulch Eviction Risk: Moderate

7 census tracts · pop 19,044 · pop-weighted Eviction Risk Score 5.2/10 · range 4.7–5.8

Polk Gulch is a white-asian neighborhood in San Francisco with 7 census tracts and a population of 19,044 residents. The neighborhood's pop-weighted eviction-risk score of 5.2/10 (Moderate tier) blends state law, county-level filing rates, parent-city politics, and tract-specific rent-to-income ratios + poverty. 36% of renters here pay at least 30% of household income on rent, and 18% are severely cost-burdened (≥50% of income). Average gross rent of $2,778/month sits 12% higher than the San Francisco citywide average ($2,476).

Risk score

5.2

Moderate

7 tracts · population-weighted

Polk Gulch vs San Francisco How this neighborhood stacks against the citywide average

% of income on rent

35.8% +43%

San Francisco: 25.1%

Average gross rent

$2,778 +12%

San Francisco: $2,476

Average HH income

$165,627 +17%

San Francisco: $141,446

Poverty rate

8.0% -24%

San Francisco: 10.6%

Renter share

75.6% +22%

San Francisco: 61.8%

Peer neighborhoods

Neighborhoods with similar eviction risk

Same county, closest by Eviction Risk Score.

Geographic context

Risk heat across Polk Gulch and the region

Click any tract to drill in · 7 tracts span score 4.7–5.8

Why Polk Gulch scores 5.2

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 8.6–8.6 across tracts

8.6

Local political climate

Parent city governance · Range 9.8–9.8 across tracts

9.8

Rent control risk

36% of income on rent · Range 10.0–10.0 across tracts

10.0

Eviction process difficulty

State notice requirements & court backlog · Range 10.0–10.0 across tracts

10.0

Tenant organizing strength

76% renter households · Range 10.0–10.0 across tracts

10.0

Housing court bias

County bench composition · Range 9.5–9.5 across tracts

9.5

Economic stress

8.0% below poverty line · Range 1.0–3.8 across tracts

2.1

Supply constraint

Rent-to-FMR gap & zoning friction · Range 1.0–5.6 across tracts

3.5

Risk score comparison

Polk Gulch vs. parent city, state, U.S.

Eviction Risk Score (0–10 scale).

Variance across tracts

How uniformly does eviction risk play out in Polk Gulch?

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

Score distribution

0246810

Spread of 1.1 points from 4.7 to 5.8. Moderate variation across constituent tracts.

Tracts as heat grid

5.8 5.7 5.6 5.2 5.0 4.8 4.7

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

Census tracts

7 tracts in Polk Gulch

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

Tract↕	Score↕	Pop↕	% over 30% on rent↕	Average rent↕
06075011001	5.8	2,618	33%	$1,821
06075011102	5.7	2,218	44%	$2,145
06075011101	5.6	2,502	35%	$2,039
06075015100	5.2	2,799	40%	$3,010
06075011002	5	1,907	39%	$2,807
06075013101	4.8	4,269	35%	$3,501
06075013102	4.7	2,731	28%	$3,501

Social Vulnerability Index

CDC SVI percentile: 44

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

Socioeconomic status 29%ile

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

Household characteristics 21%ile

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

Racial/ethnic minority 62%ile

Hispanic + non-white share of population

Housing & transport 78%ile

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

CDC PLACES 2023 · pop-weighted

Eviction-adjacent indicators in Polk Gulch

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

7.7%Housing insecurity
4.1%Utility shutoff threat
8.9%Food insecurity
7.0%SNAP enrollment
4.8%No health insurance
21.2%Any disability

Frequently asked

About Polk Gulch

What is the eviction-risk score for Polk Gulch?

Polk Gulch scores 5.2/10 (Moderate 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 Polk Gulch compare to San Francisco overall?

Polk Gulch scores 4.5 points lower than San Francisco overall (9.7/10). Renters spend 36% of income on rent vs 25% citywide. Average rent: $2,778 vs $2,476.

What is the average rent in Polk Gulch?

Average gross rent in Polk Gulch is $2,778/month (pop-weighted across 7 census tracts, ACS 5-year 2023). 36% of renter households are cost-burdened.

What percentage of Polk Gulch residents are renters?

76% of Polk Gulch households are renter-occupied (vs 62% in San Francisco). The neighborhood has 19,044 residents.

Is Polk Gulch a high social-vulnerability area?

Polk Gulch sits in the 44th percentile nationally on the CDC Social Vulnerability Index (less vulnerable). The index combines poverty, unemployment, household composition, racial/ethnic minority share, and housing/transportation factors across all US census tracts.

Which tracts in Polk Gulch have the highest eviction risk?

The highest-risk constituent tract in Polk Gulch is census tract 06075011001 (score 5.8/10). Across the 7 tracts in this neighborhood the score ranges from 4.7 to 5.8, a spread of 1.1 points.

How safe is Polk Gulch for landlords?

Polk Gulch carries a moderate-tier eviction-risk profile for landlords (5.2/10). 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 San Francisco as a whole (9.7/10), this neighborhood is lower-risk.

What is the demographic breakdown of Polk Gulch?

Polk Gulch has 18,257 residents (White-Asian Neighborhood). Top groups: White (non-Hispanic) (52.7%), Asian (non-Hispanic) (31.5%), Hispanic / Latino (8.4%). Source: ACS 5-year 2023, table B03002.

Nearby

Other neighborhoods near Polk Gulch

6.4 Lower Nob Hill 6 tracts · pop 15,248 5.5 Japantown 4 tracts · pop 11,540 5.3 Russian Hill 7 tracts · pop 19,794 7.7 Little Saigon 8 tracts · pop 18,992 4.9 Cow Hollow 9 tracts · pop 25,025 7.4 Chinatown 7 tracts · pop 17,750

Sibling neighborhoods

Other neighborhoods inside San Francisco

Same parent city, ranked by score similarity to Polk Gulch.

5.2 Russian Hill 7 tracts · pop 19,794 5.2 Midtown Terrace 2 tracts · pop 7,956 5.2 Ocean View 4 tracts · pop 15,265 5.2 Sunset District 2 tracts · pop 10,183 5.2 St. Mary's Park 9 tracts · pop 39,110 5.3 Duboce Triangle 14 tracts · pop 44,330

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