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Neighborhood · Merritt Island, FL

River Ridge Eviction Risk: Lower

2 census tracts · pop 11,406 · pop-weighted Eviction Risk Score 3.4/10 · range 3.4–3.5

River Ridge is a 2-tract neighborhood of Merritt Island, FL, population 11,406. That produces an Eviction Risk Score of 3.4/10, Lower tier. Cost burden runs 43% against 31.8% citywide, putting River Ridge 11.6% over its own city.

The clearest offset is eviction-process difficulty, at 1.2/10. At $1,740 a month, rents sit 21% over what the rest of Merritt Island commands. On the softer side is economic stress, at 2.3/10.

14% 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. Court records for this tract carry 157 eviction filings. Filing activity peaked in 2011 at 2.0% of renter households.

Sitting well above the midpoint is rent-regulation exposure at 7/10. Recent filings have not receded much: 1.5% in 2018 against a 2.0% peak. At 23% renter-occupied, this is predominantly owner territory, and rental comps have to be drawn from further out.

Its 2 tracts score within 0.1 points of one another, so the area figure travels well to individual addresses. Annual rent works out to 24% of average household income of $87,773.

With little internal variation, 3.4/10 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
3.4
Lower
2 tracts · population-weighted
River Ridge vs Merritt Island How this neighborhood stacks against the citywide average
% of income on rent
43.4% +36%
Merritt Island: 31.8%
Average gross rent
$1,740 +21%
Merritt Island: $1,441
Average HH income
$87,773 -4%
Merritt Island: $91,020
Poverty rate
9.3% +25%
Merritt Island: 7.4%
Renter share
23.0% +15%
Merritt Island: 20.0%
Peer neighborhoods

Neighborhoods with similar eviction risk

Same county, closest by Eviction Risk Score.

Geographic context

Risk heat across River Ridge and the region

Click any tract to drill in · 2 tracts span score 3.4–3.5

Why River Ridge scores 3.4

9 axes · pop-weighted · 1 = landlord-friendly
State political climate
legislature & governorship · Range 1.5–1.5 across tracts
1.5
Regional political climate
County-level mix · 2024 presidential margin · Range 4.2–4.2 across tracts
4.2
Local political climate
Parent city governance · Range 4.8–4.8 across tracts
4.8
Rent control risk
43% of income on rent · Range 6.6–7.1 across tracts
7.0
Eviction process difficulty
State notice requirements & court backlog · Range 1.2–1.2 across tracts
1.2
Tenant organizing strength
23% renter households · Range 4.5–4.9 across tracts
4.8
Housing court bias
County bench composition · Range 5.4–5.7 across tracts
5.7
Economic stress
9.3% below poverty line · Range 1.6–2.4 across tracts
2.3
Supply constraint
Rent-to-FMR gap & zoning friction · Range 2.0–6.3 across tracts
5.7
Risk score comparison

River Ridge vs. parent city, state, U.S.

Eviction Risk Score (0–10 scale).

River Ridge score vs. parent city, state, U.S.3.4River RidgeNeighborhood3.4Parent cityhost city3.9Stateavg in state5.1U.S.national avgU.S. avg = 5.0
Census tracts

2 tracts in River Ridge

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

Tract↕ Score↕ Pop↕ % over 30% on rent↕ Average rent↕
12009071601 3.5 1,697 42% $1,137
12009063105 3.4 9,709 44% $1,845
Social Vulnerability Index

CDC SVI percentile: 43

Pop-weighted across 2 tracts. Higher = more vulnerable to disaster, displacement, and rent shocks. Source: CDC/ATSDR SVI 2022.

Socioeconomic status 38%ile
Poverty, unemployment, no-HS-diploma, housing cost burden
Household characteristics 17%ile
Single-parent HH, disability, language barriers, age 17- / 65+
Racial/ethnic minority 43%ile
Hispanic + non-white share of population
Housing & transport 73%ile
Multi-unit structures, mobile homes, crowding, no vehicle
Eviction filings · Princeton Eviction Lab

Court-record eviction history in River Ridge

Aggregated across 1 validated constituent tract. Filing rate is filings per 100 renter households, pop-weighted.

Historic baseline (2000–2018)

  • 157Total filings (sum)
  • 2.05%Avg annual filing rate
  • 2.0%Peak year (2011)
  • 1.49%Latest filed (2018)
Frequently asked

About River Ridge

Q1

What is the eviction-risk score for River Ridge?

River Ridge scores 3.4/10 (Lower 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 River Ridge compare to Merritt Island overall?

River Ridge scores 0.0 points higher than Merritt Island overall (3.4/10). Renters spend 43% of income on rent vs 32% citywide. Average rent: $1,740 vs $1,441.
Q3

What is the average rent in River Ridge?

Average gross rent in River Ridge is $1,740/month (pop-weighted across 2 census tracts, ACS 5-year 2023). 43% of renter households are cost-burdened.
Q4

What percentage of River Ridge residents are renters?

23% of River Ridge households are renter-occupied (vs 20% in Merritt Island). The neighborhood has 11,406 residents.
Q5

Is River Ridge a high social-vulnerability area?

River Ridge sits in the 43rd 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.
Q6

Which tracts in River Ridge have the highest eviction risk?

The highest-risk constituent tract in River Ridge is census tract 12009071601 (score 3.5/10). Across the 2 tracts in this neighborhood the score ranges from 3.4 to 3.5, a spread of 0.1 points.
Q7

How safe is River Ridge for landlords?

River Ridge carries a lower-tier eviction-risk profile for landlords (3.4/10). 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 Merritt Island as a whole (3.4/10), this neighborhood is in line with the citywide level.
Q8

What is the demographic breakdown of River Ridge?

River Ridge has 11,748 residents. Top groups: White (non-Hispanic) (73.1%), Black (non-Hispanic) (11.6%), Hispanic / Latino (7.2%). Source: ACS 5-year 2023, table B03002.
Nearby

Other neighborhoods near River Ridge

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