4 census tracts · pop 9,578 · pop-weighted Eviction Risk Score 4.5/10
· range 3–5.4
Watson Park spans 4 census tracts of Indianapolis, IN and houses 9,578 people. The Eviction Risk Score is 4.5/10, in the Moderate tier. The dominant input is tenant-organizing strength at 8.7/10.
41% of renters here are cost-burdened at the 30% threshold, well above the Indianapolis rate of 30.4%. The severe-burden share is 25%. Those renters are past the 50% mark, and they miss rent for reasons that have nothing to do with willingness to pay. Scores across the 4 constituent tracts range from 3 to 5.4. A 2.4-point internal spread means block-level underwriting beats area-level here.
Running cool is eviction-process difficulty, at 2.1/10. The poverty rate is 22%. Judgments in high-poverty tracts are collectible far less often than the filing statistics suggest. 15.6% 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.
That places it #27 of 76 neighborhoods in Indianapolis. The closest comparables inside the same city are St. Clair Place and International Marketplace.
Against average income of $66,440, annual rent is only 20%, a wide affordability cushion. Average gross rent runs $1,091, close to the Indianapolis average.
41% of occupied units are renter-occupied.
Underwrite the address, not the area: with 2.4 points between its best and worst tract, the per-tract table below is the operative number. The number is rebuilt whenever its ACS, court-record, or statutory inputs change.
Risk score
4.5
Moderate
4 tracts · population-weighted
Watson Park vs IndianapolisHow this neighborhood stacks against the citywide average
Single-parent HH, disability, language barriers, age 17- / 65+
Racial/ethnic minority76%ile
Hispanic + non-white share of population
Housing & transport44%ile
Multi-unit structures, mobile homes, crowding, no vehicle
Eviction filings · Princeton Eviction Lab
Court-record eviction history in Watson Park
Aggregated across 0 validated constituent tracts. Filing rate is filings per 100 renter households, pop-weighted.
Pandemic-era tracking (2020–2021)
1,343Total filings 2020-21
4.2Avg monthly observed
7.8Pre-pandemic baseline
0.60×Ratio to baseline
Pandemic filings ran far below baseline. Tracked under Eviction Lab Eviction Tracking System (Indianapolis, IN).
CDC PLACES 2023 · pop-weighted
Eviction-adjacent indicators in Watson Park
Average across all constituent tracts, population-weighted. Source: CDC PLACES (cwsq-ngmh) crude prevalence.
17.9%Housing insecurity
15.1%Utility shutoff threat
23.3%Food insecurity
17.0%SNAP enrollment
10.0%No health insurance
31.6%Any disability
Frequently asked
About Watson Park
Q1
What is the eviction-risk score for Watson Park?
Watson Park scores 4.5/10 (Moderate tier) across 4 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 Watson Park compare to Indianapolis overall?
Watson Park scores 0.5 points higher than Indianapolis overall (4/10). Renters spend 41% of income on rent vs 30% citywide. Average rent: $1,091 vs $1,156.
Q3
What is the average rent in Watson Park?
Average gross rent in Watson Park is $1,091/month (pop-weighted across 4 census tracts, ACS 5-year 2023). 41% of renter households are cost-burdened.
Q4
What percentage of Watson Park residents are renters?
41% of Watson Park households are renter-occupied (vs 44% in Indianapolis). The neighborhood has 9,578 residents.
Q5
Is Watson Park a high social-vulnerability area?
Watson Park sits in the 60th 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 Watson Park have the highest eviction risk?
The highest-risk constituent tract in Watson Park is census tract 18097350500 (score 5.4/10). Across the 4 tracts in this neighborhood the score ranges from 3 to 5.4, a spread of 2.4 points.
Q7
How safe is Watson Park for landlords?
Watson Park carries a moderate-tier eviction-risk profile for landlords (4.5/10). Pop-weighted across 4 constituent tracts, the score blends parent-city rent-control posture, county eviction-process timelines, and tract-specific rent-to-income / poverty signals. Compared to Indianapolis as a whole (4/10), this neighborhood is higher-risk.
Q8
What is the demographic breakdown of Watson Park?
Watson Park has 9,163 residents. Top groups: Black (non-Hispanic) (42.4%), White (non-Hispanic) (38.8%), Other / Multiracial (9.6%). Source: ACS 5-year 2023, table B03002.
