Santa Maria Eviction Risk: High

The dominant input is tenant-organizing strength at 9/10. On the softer side, supply constraint reads 1/10. This is renter territory: 76% of occupied units are tenant-occupied.

Annualized rent equals 35% of average household income of $60,127, past the 30% affordability line, which thins the margin any screening standard has to work with. Against the Santa Barbara County average of 7.0, this tract reads riskier for landlords by 1.9 points. Severe burden reaches 21%. Those are renters paying half their income or more, and that is where non-payment filings originate.

Well under the midpoint, court filing pressure reads 1.8/10. 59% of renter households cross the 30%-of-income line, higher than the Santa Barbara County average of 51.2%. Inability to pay a utility bill runs 21.4% against 9.2% nationally. Utility arrears usually lead rent arrears by a month or two.

The poverty rate is 20%. Judgments in high-poverty tracts are collectible far less often than filing counts suggest. Average gross rent is $1,743, 9% below the Santa Maria average.

All figures here are ACS 5-year estimates for this tract, refreshed as the underlying releases land.