Neighborhood · Des Moines, IA

River Bend Eviction Risk: Moderate

1 census tracts · pop 1,686 · pop-weighted Eviction Risk Score 5.3/10 · range 5.3–5.3

River Bend is a black-white neighborhood in Des Moines with 1 census tract and a population of 1,686 residents. The neighborhood's pop-weighted eviction-risk score of 5.3/10 (Moderate tier) blends state law, county-level filing rates, parent-city politics, and tract-specific rent-to-income ratios + poverty. 66% of renters here pay at least 30% of household income on rent, and 55% are severely cost-burdened (≥50% of income). Average gross rent of $745/month sits 32% lower than the Des Moines citywide average ($1,090).

Risk score

5.3

Moderate

1 tracts · population-weighted

River Bend vs Des Moines How this neighborhood stacks against the citywide average

% of income on rent

66.3% +124%

Des Moines: 29.6%

Average gross rent

$745 -32%

Des Moines: $1,090

Average HH income

$38,464 -40%

Des Moines: $63,966

Poverty rate

27.3% +83%

Des Moines: 14.9%

Renter share

63.6% +61%

Des Moines: 39.5%

Peer neighborhoods

Neighborhoods with similar eviction risk

Same county, closest by Eviction Risk Score.

Geographic context

Risk heat across River Bend and the region

Click any tract to drill in · 1 tracts span score 5.3–5.3

Why River Bend scores 5.3

9 axes · pop-weighted · 1 = landlord-friendly

State political climate

legislature & governorship · Range 2.3–2.3 across tracts

2.3

Regional political climate

County-level mix · 2024 presidential margin · Range 5.8–5.8 across tracts

5.8

Local political climate

Parent city governance · Range 4.5–4.5 across tracts

4.5

Rent control risk

66% of income on rent · Range 1.0–1.0 across tracts

1.0

Eviction process difficulty

State notice requirements & court backlog · Range 2.5–2.5 across tracts

2.5

Tenant organizing strength

64% renter households · Range 3.0–3.0 across tracts

3.0

Housing court bias

County bench composition · Range 2.5–2.5 across tracts

2.5

Economic stress

27.3% below poverty line · Range 6.8–6.8 across tracts

6.8

Supply constraint

Rent-to-FMR gap & zoning friction · Range 1.1–1.1 across tracts

1.1

Risk score comparison

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

Eviction Risk Score (0–10 scale).

Census tracts

1 tracts in River Bend

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

Tract↕	Score↕	Pop↕	% over 30% on rent↕	Average rent↕
19153004900	5.3	1,686	66%	$745

Social Vulnerability Index

CDC SVI percentile: 99

Pop-weighted across 1 tracts. Higher = more vulnerable to disaster, displacement, and rent shocks. Source: CDC/ATSDR SVI 2022.

Socioeconomic status 98%ile

Poverty, unemployment, no-HS-diploma, housing cost burden

Household characteristics 92%ile

Single-parent HH, disability, language barriers, age 17- / 65+

Racial/ethnic minority 76%ile

Hispanic + non-white share of population

Housing & transport 99%ile

Multi-unit structures, mobile homes, crowding, no vehicle

Eviction filings · Princeton Eviction Lab

Court-record eviction history in River Bend

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

Historic baseline (2000–2018)

410Total filings (sum)
5.97%Avg annual filing rate
8.9%Peak year (2012)
4.52%Latest filed (2015)

CDC PLACES 2023 · pop-weighted

Eviction-adjacent indicators in River Bend

Average across all constituent tracts, population-weighted. Source: CDC PLACES (cwsq-ngmh) crude prevalence.

30.4%Housing insecurity
23.4%Utility shutoff threat
45.1%Food insecurity
47.1%SNAP enrollment
20.5%No health insurance
45.3%Any disability

Frequently asked

About River Bend

What is the eviction-risk score for River Bend?

River Bend scores 5.3/10 (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.

How does River Bend compare to Des Moines overall?

River Bend scores 2.7 points higher than Des Moines overall (2.6/10). Renters spend 66% of income on rent vs 30% citywide. Average rent: $745 vs $1,090.

What is the average rent in River Bend?

Average gross rent in River Bend is $745/month (pop-weighted across 1 census tracts, ACS 5-year 2023). 66% of renter households are cost-burdened.

What percentage of River Bend residents are renters?

64% of River Bend households are renter-occupied (vs 40% in Des Moines). The neighborhood has 1,686 residents.

Is River Bend a high social-vulnerability area?

River Bend sits in the 99th 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.

How safe is River Bend for landlords?

River Bend carries a moderate-tier eviction-risk profile for landlords (5.3/10). 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 (2.6/10), this neighborhood is higher-risk.

What is the demographic breakdown of River Bend?

River Bend has 1,703 residents (Black-White Neighborhood). Top groups: Black (non-Hispanic) (37.8%), White (non-Hispanic) (30.9%), Hispanic / Latino (19.6%). Source: ACS 5-year 2023, table B03002.

Nearby

Other neighborhoods near River Bend

4.2 Highland Park 2 tracts · pop 9,488 4.2 Drake 2 tracts · pop 8,362 3.7 Accent 3 tracts · pop 8,879 4.2 Fairmont Park 2 tracts · pop 5,523 3.1 Beaverdale 2 tracts · pop 6,191 3.4 Lower Beaver 2 tracts · pop 6,931

Sibling neighborhoods

Other neighborhoods inside Des Moines

Same parent city, ranked by score similarity to River Bend.

5.4 Prospect Park 1 tracts · pop 4,144 5.4 Capitol Park 1 tracts · pop 2,783 5.5 Drake Park 1 tracts · pop 2,343 5.5 Sherman Hill 1 tracts · pop 3,283 4.9 Capitol East 1 tracts · pop 3,153 4.9 South Central DSM 1 tracts · pop 4,062

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