5 census tracts · pop 17,808 · pop-weighted Eviction Risk Score 5.1/10
· range 4–5.6
"Cheese Box" spans 5 census tracts of Muncie, IN and houses 17,808 people. It carries an Eviction Risk Score of 5.1/10, in the Moderate tier. Cost burden runs 50% against 31.5% citywide, putting "Cheese Box" 18.5% over its own city.
33% 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. The strongest single driver of the headline number is tenant-organizing strength at 9/10. The poverty rate is 35%, which shows up in this model as reduced rent-recovery odds after a judgment.
Well under the midpoint is eviction-process difficulty, at 1.5/10. On the high side is housing-court posture at 8.3/10. Scores across the 5 constituent tracts range from 4 to 5.6. A 1.6-point internal spread means block-level underwriting beats area-level here.
16.1% of adults report being unable to pay a utility bill, against a 9.2% national figure. Utility arrears usually lead rent arrears by a month or two. Food insecurity affects 28.0% of adults, 10.2 points above the national rate. Average gross rent is $810, 10% below the Muncie average of $904.
Annual rent works out to 25% of average household income of $39,299. 56% of occupied units are renter-occupied.
Underwrite the address, not the area: with 1.6 points between its best and worst tract, the per-tract table below is the operative number. Scores move when the ACS release, the court-record feed, or the statute ledger behind them moves.
Risk score
5.1
Moderate
5 tracts · population-weighted
"Cheese Box" vs MuncieHow this neighborhood stacks against the citywide average
% of income on rent
50.0%+59%
Muncie: 31.5%
Average gross rent
$810-10%
Muncie: $904
Average HH income
$39,299-9%
Muncie: $43,395
Poverty rate
35.1%+19%
Muncie: 29.6%
Renter share
55.5%+16%
Muncie: 48.0%
Geographic context
Risk heat across "Cheese Box" and the region
Click any tract to drill in · 5 tracts span score 4–5.6
Why "Cheese Box" scores 5.1
9 axes · pop-weighted · 1 = landlord-friendly
State political climate
legislature & governorship · Range 2.0–2.0 across tracts
2.0
Regional political climate
County-level mix · 2024 presidential margin · Range 4.3–4.3 across tracts
4.3
Local political climate
Parent city governance · Range 4.9–4.9 across tracts
4.9
Rent control risk
50% of income on rent · Range 7.4–7.4 across tracts
7.4
Eviction process difficulty
State notice requirements & court backlog · Range 1.5–1.5 across tracts
1.5
Tenant organizing strength
56% renter households · Range 9.0–9.0 across tracts
9.0
Housing court bias
County bench composition · Range 8.3–8.3 across tracts
8.3
Economic stress
35.1% below poverty line · Range 3.2–10.0 across tracts
7.3
Supply constraint
Rent-to-FMR gap & zoning friction · Range 2.9–5.4 across tracts
4.6
Risk score comparison
"Cheese Box" vs. parent city, state, U.S.
Eviction Risk Score (0–10 scale).
Variance across tracts
How uniformly does eviction risk play out in "Cheese Box"?
Left: distribution of constituent tract scores. Right: every tract as a heat square. Click any square to drill in.
Score distribution
0246810
Spread of 1.6 points from
4 to
5.6.
Moderate variation across constituent tracts.
Single-parent HH, disability, language barriers, age 17- / 65+
Racial/ethnic minority38%ile
Hispanic + non-white share of population
Housing & transport81%ile
Multi-unit structures, mobile homes, crowding, no vehicle
CDC PLACES 2023 · pop-weighted
Eviction-adjacent indicators in "Cheese Box"
Average across all constituent tracts, population-weighted. Source: CDC PLACES (cwsq-ngmh) crude prevalence.
18.1%Housing insecurity
15.0%Utility shutoff threat
26.6%Food insecurity
20.3%SNAP enrollment
10.8%No health insurance
40.3%Any disability
Frequently asked
About "Cheese Box"
Q1
What is the eviction-risk score for "Cheese Box"?
"Cheese Box" scores 5.1/10 (Moderate tier) across 5 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 "Cheese Box" compare to Muncie overall?
"Cheese Box" scores 0.9 points higher than Muncie overall (4.2/10). Renters spend 50% of income on rent vs 32% citywide. Average rent: $810 vs $904.
Q3
What is the average rent in "Cheese Box"?
Average gross rent in "Cheese Box" is $810/month (pop-weighted across 5 census tracts, ACS 5-year 2023). 50% of renter households are cost-burdened.
Q4
What percentage of "Cheese Box" residents are renters?
56% of "Cheese Box" households are renter-occupied (vs 48% in Muncie). The neighborhood has 17,808 residents.
Q5
Is "Cheese Box" a high social-vulnerability area?
"Cheese Box" sits in the 71st 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 "Cheese Box" have the highest eviction risk?
The highest-risk constituent tract in "Cheese Box" is census tract 18035001000 (score 5.6/10). Across the 5 tracts in this neighborhood the score ranges from 4 to 5.6, a spread of 1.6 points.
Q7
How safe is "Cheese Box" for landlords?
"Cheese Box" carries a moderate-tier eviction-risk profile for landlords (5.1/10). Pop-weighted across 5 constituent tracts, the score blends parent-city rent-control posture, county eviction-process timelines, and tract-specific rent-to-income / poverty signals. Compared to Muncie as a whole (4.2/10), this neighborhood is higher-risk.
Q8
What is the demographic breakdown of "Cheese Box"?
"Cheese Box" has 17,477 residents. Top groups: White (non-Hispanic) (75.2%), Black (non-Hispanic) (11.2%), Other / Multiracial (8.2%). Source: ACS 5-year 2023, table B03002.
