1 census tracts · pop 3,978 · pop-weighted Eviction Risk Score 5.4/10
· range 5.4–5.4
Valley Center is a one-tract neighborhood of Lafayette, IN and houses 3,978 people. It carries an Eviction Risk Score of 5.4/10, in the Moderate tier. The dominant input is tenant-organizing strength at 9.3/10.
This is a renter market: 88% of occupied units are tenant-occupied. The poverty rate is 29%. Judgments in high-poverty tracts are collectible far less often than the filing statistics suggest.
Well under the midpoint is eviction-process difficulty, at 1.8/10. Severe burden reaches 17%. A tenant at that level absorbs no shock: one cut shift or one repair bill converts directly into arrears.
Average gross rent is $836, 23% below the Lafayette average of $1,079. 38% of renters here are cost-burdened at the 30% threshold, above the Lafayette rate of 31.0%.
On the softer side is supply constraint, at 2.2/10. 16.0% 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 27.5% of adults, 9.7 points above the national rate. Among the 15 mapped neighborhoods of Lafayette, it ranks #1 by risk, the upper third.
The closest comparables inside the same city are Elston and Tecumseh.
Because the boundary contains one tract, 5.4/10 is simultaneously the area figure and the address-level figure. Scores move when the ACS release, the court-record feed, or the statute ledger behind them moves.
Risk score
5.4
Moderate
1 tracts · population-weighted
Valley Center vs LafayetteHow this neighborhood stacks against the citywide average
Single-parent HH, disability, language barriers, age 17- / 65+
Racial/ethnic minority36%ile
Hispanic + non-white share of population
Housing & transport98%ile
Multi-unit structures, mobile homes, crowding, no vehicle
CDC PLACES 2023 · pop-weighted
Eviction-adjacent indicators in Valley Center
Average across all constituent tracts, population-weighted. Source: CDC PLACES (cwsq-ngmh) crude prevalence.
19.6%Housing insecurity
16.0%Utility shutoff threat
27.5%Food insecurity
20.8%SNAP enrollment
13.5%No health insurance
36.1%Any disability
Frequently asked
About Valley Center
Q1
What is the eviction-risk score for Valley Center?
Valley Center scores 5.4/10 (Moderate tier) across 1 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 Valley Center compare to Lafayette overall?
Valley Center scores 1.4 points higher than Lafayette overall (4/10). Renters spend 38% of income on rent vs 31% citywide. Average rent: $836 vs $1,079.
Q3
What is the average rent in Valley Center?
Average gross rent in Valley Center is $836/month (pop-weighted across 1 census tracts, ACS 5-year 2023). 38% of renter households are cost-burdened.
Q4
What percentage of Valley Center residents are renters?
88% of Valley Center households are renter-occupied (vs 53% in Lafayette). The neighborhood has 3,978 residents.
Q5
Is Valley Center a high social-vulnerability area?
Valley Center sits in the 87th percentile nationally on the CDC Social Vulnerability Index (highly vulnerable). The index combines poverty, unemployment, household composition, racial/ethnic minority share, and housing/transportation factors across all US census tracts.
Q6
How safe is Valley Center for landlords?
Valley Center carries a moderate-tier eviction-risk profile for landlords (5.4/10). Pop-weighted across 1 constituent tracts, the score blends parent-city rent-control posture, county eviction-process timelines, and tract-specific rent-to-income / poverty signals. Compared to Lafayette as a whole (4/10), this neighborhood is higher-risk.
Q7
What is the demographic breakdown of Valley Center?
Valley Center has 4,132 residents. Top groups: White (non-Hispanic) (87%), Black (non-Hispanic) (4.1%), Other / Multiracial (3.5%). Source: ACS 5-year 2023, table B03002.
