2 census tracts · pop 6,740 · pop-weighted Eviction Risk Score 7.5/10
· range 7.1–7.8
Downtown North takes in 2 census tracts of Palo Alto, CA and houses 6,740 people. Scored across those inputs it reaches 7.5/10, placing it in the Elevated tier. 44% of renters here are cost-burdened at the 30% threshold, well above the Palo Alto rate of 26.6%.
This is a renter market: 82% of occupied units are tenant-occupied. What pushes the score up most is tenant-organizing strength at 8.8/10.
18% are severely burdened, paying half their income or more in rent. That cohort has no absorption capacity for an unexpected bill, and it is where non-payment filings originate. Well under the midpoint is economic stress, at 2/10.
Food insecurity affects 6.4% of adults, 11.4 points below the national rate. SNAP participation is 5.2% of households versus 15.2% nationally. At $3,253 a month, rents sit 7% under what the rest of Palo Alto commands.
That places it #3 of 13 neighborhoods in Palo Alto. The closest comparables inside the same city are Fairmeadow and College Terrace.
The 2 tracts here are tightly clustered, 0.7 points apart at the extremes. Annual rent works out to 28% of average household income of $138,928.
With little internal variation, 7.5/10 is a fair proxy for any address inside the boundary. The number is rebuilt whenever its ACS, court-record, or statutory inputs change.
Risk score
7.5
Elevated
2 tracts · population-weighted
Downtown North vs Palo AltoHow this neighborhood stacks against the citywide average
Single-parent HH, disability, language barriers, age 17- / 65+
Racial/ethnic minority59%ile
Hispanic + non-white share of population
Housing & transport95%ile
Multi-unit structures, mobile homes, crowding, no vehicle
CDC PLACES 2023 · pop-weighted
Eviction-adjacent indicators in Downtown North
Average across all constituent tracts, population-weighted. Source: CDC PLACES (cwsq-ngmh) crude prevalence.
6.0%Housing insecurity
3.3%Utility shutoff threat
6.4%Food insecurity
5.2%SNAP enrollment
3.8%No health insurance
23.7%Any disability
Frequently asked
About Downtown North
Q1
What is the eviction-risk score for Downtown North?
Downtown North scores 7.5/10 (Elevated tier) across 2 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 Downtown North compare to Palo Alto overall?
Downtown North scores 0.1 points lower than Palo Alto overall (7.6/10). Renters spend 44% of income on rent vs 27% citywide. Average rent: $3,253 vs $3,484.
Q3
What is the average rent in Downtown North?
Average gross rent in Downtown North is $3,253/month (pop-weighted across 2 census tracts, ACS 5-year 2023). 44% of renter households are cost-burdened.
Q4
What percentage of Downtown North residents are renters?
82% of Downtown North households are renter-occupied (vs 45% in Palo Alto). The neighborhood has 6,740 residents.
Q5
Is Downtown North a high social-vulnerability area?
Downtown North 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 Downtown North have the highest eviction risk?
The highest-risk constituent tract in Downtown North is census tract 06085511302 (score 7.8/10). Across the 2 tracts in this neighborhood the score ranges from 7.1 to 7.8, a spread of 0.7 points.
Q7
How safe is Downtown North for landlords?
Downtown North carries a elevated-tier eviction-risk profile for landlords (7.5/10). Pop-weighted across 2 constituent tracts, the score blends parent-city rent-control posture, county eviction-process timelines, and tract-specific rent-to-income / poverty signals. Compared to Palo Alto as a whole (7.6/10), this neighborhood is in line with the citywide level.
Q8
What is the demographic breakdown of Downtown North?
Downtown North has 6,794 residents. Top groups: White (non-Hispanic) (55.2%), Asian (non-Hispanic) (24.6%), Hispanic / Latino (12%). Source: ACS 5-year 2023, table B03002.
