1 census tracts · pop 2,406 · pop-weighted Eviction Risk Score 4.5/10
· range 4.5–4.5
Laurel Hill is a one-tract neighborhood of Des Moines, IA, population 2,406. It carries an Eviction Risk Score of 4.5/10, in the Moderate tier. 47% of renters here are cost-burdened at the 30% threshold, markedly above the Des Moines rate of 29.6%.
Pulling the other way is rent-regulation exposure, at 1/10. Well under the midpoint is eviction-process difficulty, at 2.5/10.
Court records for this tract carry 286 eviction filings. On the softer side is housing-court posture, at 2.5/10.
The poverty rate is 17%, which shows up in this model as reduced rent-recovery odds after a judgment. 8% 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 worst year on record was 2007, when filings touched 18.9% of renter households.
At $980 a month, rents sit 10% under what the rest of Des Moines commands. The most recent observed rate, 9.4% in 2015, is well off that peak. That places it #20 of 44 neighborhoods in Des Moines.
Only 21% of units are renter-occupied. Rental comparables are thin here; price renewals off the nearest genuine rental sub-market rather than off surrounding sale prices. The closest comparables inside the same city are Fort Des Moines and Highland Park.
Social vulnerability runs high at 8.6/10, concentrating the disaster- and displacement-exposure this model treats as a lagging risk input. Rent takes 17% of average household income, comfortably inside the 30% line and unusually low for a rental sub-market.
One tract means one number: 4.5/10 applies directly to any address inside the boundary. Scores move when the ACS release, the court-record feed, or the statute ledger behind them moves.
Risk score
4.5
Moderate
1 tracts · population-weighted
Laurel Hill vs Des MoinesHow this neighborhood stacks against the citywide average
Single-parent HH, disability, language barriers, age 17- / 65+
Racial/ethnic minority60%ile
Hispanic + non-white share of population
Housing & transport67%ile
Multi-unit structures, mobile homes, crowding, no vehicle
Eviction filings · Princeton Eviction Lab
Court-record eviction history in Laurel Hill
Aggregated across 1 validated constituent tract. Filing rate is filings per 100 renter households, pop-weighted.
Historic baseline (2000–2018)
286Total filings (sum)
11.64%Avg annual filing rate
18.9%Peak year (2007)
9.43%Latest filed (2015)
CDC PLACES 2023 · pop-weighted
Eviction-adjacent indicators in Laurel Hill
Average across all constituent tracts, population-weighted. Source: CDC PLACES (cwsq-ngmh) crude prevalence.
18.5%Housing insecurity
12.3%Utility shutoff threat
25.2%Food insecurity
22.6%SNAP enrollment
14.4%No health insurance
35.3%Any disability
Frequently asked
About Laurel Hill
Q1
What is the eviction-risk score for Laurel Hill?
Laurel Hill scores 4.5/10 (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 Laurel Hill compare to Des Moines overall?
Laurel Hill scores 1.1 points higher than Des Moines overall (3.4/10). Renters spend 47% of income on rent vs 30% citywide. Average rent: $980 vs $1,090.
Q3
What is the average rent in Laurel Hill?
Average gross rent in Laurel Hill is $980/month (pop-weighted across 1 census tracts, ACS 5-year 2023). 47% of renter households are cost-burdened.
Q4
What percentage of Laurel Hill residents are renters?
21% of Laurel Hill households are renter-occupied (vs 40% in Des Moines). The neighborhood has 2,406 residents.
Q5
Is Laurel Hill a high social-vulnerability area?
Laurel Hill sits in the 84th 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 Laurel Hill for landlords?
Laurel Hill carries a moderate-tier eviction-risk profile for landlords (4.5/10). 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 Des Moines as a whole (3.4/10), this neighborhood is higher-risk.
Q7
What is the demographic breakdown of Laurel Hill?
Laurel Hill has 2,591 residents. Top groups: White (non-Hispanic) (56.6%), Hispanic / Latino (23.6%), Black (non-Hispanic) (12.6%). Source: ACS 5-year 2023, table B03002.
