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Neighborhood · Des Moines, IA

Southwestern Hills Eviction Risk: Lower

2 census tracts · pop 3,019 · pop-weighted Eviction Risk Score 2.4/10 · range 2.4–3.4

Southwestern Hills is a white (non-hispanic) neighborhood in Des Moines with 2 census tracts and a population of 3,019 residents. The neighborhood's pop-weighted eviction-risk score of 2.4/10 (Lower tier) blends state law, county-level filing rates, parent-city politics, and tract-specific rent-to-income ratios + poverty. 48% of renters here pay at least 30% of household income on rent, and 37% are severely cost-burdened (≥50% of income). Average gross rent of $1,023/month sits 6% lower than the Des Moines citywide average ($1,090).

Risk score
2.4
Lower
2 tracts · population-weighted
Southwestern Hills vs Des Moines How this neighborhood stacks against the citywide average
% of income on rent
48.1% +63%
Des Moines: 29.6%
Average gross rent
$1,023 -6%
Des Moines: $1,090
Average HH income
$117,056 +83%
Des Moines: $63,966
Poverty rate
1.5% -90%
Des Moines: 14.9%
Renter share
20.7% -48%
Des Moines: 39.5%
Peer neighborhoods

Neighborhoods with similar eviction risk

Same county, closest by Eviction Risk Score.

Geographic context

Risk heat across Southwestern Hills and the region

Click any tract to drill in · 2 tracts span score 2.4–3.4

Why Southwestern Hills scores 2.4

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
48% 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
21% 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
1.5% below poverty line · Range 1.0–3.0 across tracts
1.0
Supply constraint
Rent-to-FMR gap & zoning friction · Range 3.4–5.0 across tracts
3.4
Risk score comparison

Southwestern Hills vs. parent city, state, U.S.

Eviction Risk Score (0–10 scale).

Southwestern Hills score vs. parent city, state, U.S.Southwestern Hills: 2.42.4Southwestern HillsNeighborhoodParent city: 2.62.6Parent cityhost cityState: 2.62.6Stateavg in stateU.S.: 4.74.7U.S.national avgU.S. avg = 5.0
Census tracts

2 tracts in Southwestern Hills

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

Tract Score Pop % over 30% on rent Average rent
19153011600 3.4
19153004004 2.4 3,019 48% $1,023
Social Vulnerability Index

CDC SVI percentile: 3

Pop-weighted across 2 tracts. Higher = more vulnerable to disaster, displacement, and rent shocks. Source: CDC/ATSDR SVI 2022.

Socioeconomic status 1%ile
Poverty, unemployment, no-HS-diploma, housing cost burden
Household characteristics 18%ile
Single-parent HH, disability, language barriers, age 17- / 65+
Racial/ethnic minority 28%ile
Hispanic + non-white share of population
Housing & transport 9%ile
Multi-unit structures, mobile homes, crowding, no vehicle
Eviction filings · Princeton Eviction Lab

Court-record eviction history in Southwestern Hills

Aggregated across 2 validated constituent tracts. Filing rate is filings per 100 renter households, pop-weighted.

Historic baseline (2000–2018)

  • 207Total filings (sum)
  • 6.85%Avg annual filing rate
  • 13.4%Peak year (2015)
  • 13.38%Latest filed (2015)
CDC PLACES 2023 · pop-weighted

Eviction-adjacent indicators in Southwestern Hills

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

Frequently asked

About Southwestern Hills

Q1

What is the eviction-risk score for Southwestern Hills?

Southwestern Hills scores 2.4/10 (Lower tier) across 2 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 Southwestern Hills compare to Des Moines overall?

Southwestern Hills scores 0.2 points lower than Des Moines overall (2.6/10). Renters spend 48% of income on rent vs 30% citywide. Average rent: $1,023 vs $1,090.
Q3

What is the average rent in Southwestern Hills?

Average gross rent in Southwestern Hills is $1,023/month (pop-weighted across 2 census tracts, ACS 5-year 2023). 48% of renter households are cost-burdened.
Q4

What percentage of Southwestern Hills residents are renters?

21% of Southwestern Hills households are renter-occupied (vs 40% in Des Moines). The neighborhood has 3,019 residents.
Q5

Is Southwestern Hills a high social-vulnerability area?

Southwestern Hills sits in the 3rd percentile nationally on the CDC Social Vulnerability Index (low vulnerability). The index combines poverty, unemployment, household composition, racial/ethnic minority share, and housing/transportation factors across all US census tracts.
Q6

Which tracts in Southwestern Hills have the highest eviction risk?

The highest-risk constituent tract in Southwestern Hills is census tract 19153011600 (score 3.4/10). Across the 2 tracts in this neighborhood the score ranges from 2.4 to 3.4, a spread of 1 points.
Q7

How safe is Southwestern Hills for landlords?

Southwestern Hills carries a lower-tier eviction-risk profile for landlords (2.4/10). Pop-weighted across 2 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 in line with the citywide level.
Q8

What is the demographic breakdown of Southwestern Hills?

Southwestern Hills has 3,075 residents (White (non-Hispanic) Neighborhood). Top groups: White (non-Hispanic) (81.6%), Hispanic / Latino (7.8%), Black (non-Hispanic) (5.1%). Source: ACS 5-year 2023, table B03002.
Nearby

Other neighborhoods near Southwestern Hills

Sibling neighborhoods

Other neighborhoods inside Des Moines

Same parent city, ranked by score similarity to Southwestern Hills.

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