1 census tracts · pop 2,930 · pop-weighted Eviction Risk Score 4.8/10
· range 4.8–4.8
Union Park is a one-tract neighborhood of Des Moines, IA and houses 2,930 people. The Eviction Risk Score is 4.8/10, in the Moderate tier. The main counterweight is rent-regulation exposure, at 1/10.
Cost burden runs 39% against 29.6% citywide, putting Union Park 8.9% over its own city. Severe burden reaches 16%. A tenant at that level absorbs no shock: one cut shift or one repair bill converts directly into arrears. Well under the midpoint is eviction-process difficulty, at 2.5/10.
The poverty rate is 19%. Judgments in high-poverty tracts are collectible far less often than the filing statistics suggest. The filing record is not thin: 176 evictions logged in this tract. Running cool is housing-court posture, at 2.5/10.
Filing activity peaked in 2011 at 10.8% of renter households. Average gross rent is $1,196, 10% above the Des Moines average of $1,090. Recent filings have not receded much: 8.9% in 2015 against a 10.8% peak.
That places it #1 of 44 neighborhoods in Des Moines. At 20% renter-occupied, this is predominantly owner territory, and rental comps have to be drawn from further out.
Because the boundary contains one tract, 4.8/10 is simultaneously the area figure and the address-level figure. The number is rebuilt whenever its ACS, court-record, or statutory inputs change.
Risk score
4.8
Moderate
1 tracts · population-weighted
Union Park vs Des MoinesHow this neighborhood stacks against the citywide average
Single-parent HH, disability, language barriers, age 17- / 65+
Racial/ethnic minority55%ile
Hispanic + non-white share of population
Housing & transport47%ile
Multi-unit structures, mobile homes, crowding, no vehicle
Eviction filings · Princeton Eviction Lab
Court-record eviction history in Union Park
Aggregated across 1 validated constituent tract. Filing rate is filings per 100 renter households, pop-weighted.
Historic baseline (2000–2018)
176Total filings (sum)
9.93%Avg annual filing rate
10.8%Peak year (2011)
8.92%Latest filed (2015)
CDC PLACES 2023 · pop-weighted
Eviction-adjacent indicators in Union Park
Average across all constituent tracts, population-weighted. Source: CDC PLACES (cwsq-ngmh) crude prevalence.
17.8%Housing insecurity
12.0%Utility shutoff threat
24.8%Food insecurity
22.7%SNAP enrollment
13.6%No health insurance
35.4%Any disability
Frequently asked
About Union Park
Q1
What is the eviction-risk score for Union Park?
Union Park scores 4.8/10 (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 Union Park compare to Des Moines overall?
Union Park scores 1.4 points higher than Des Moines overall (3.4/10). Renters spend 39% of income on rent vs 30% citywide. Average rent: $1,196 vs $1,090.
Q3
What is the average rent in Union Park?
Average gross rent in Union Park is $1,196/month (pop-weighted across 1 census tracts, ACS 5-year 2023). 39% of renter households are cost-burdened.
Q4
What percentage of Union Park residents are renters?
20% of Union Park households are renter-occupied (vs 40% in Des Moines). The neighborhood has 2,930 residents.
Q5
Is Union Park a high social-vulnerability area?
Union Park sits in the 72nd 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
How safe is Union Park for landlords?
Union Park carries a moderate-tier eviction-risk profile for landlords (4.8/10). 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 Union Park?
Union Park has 2,913 residents. Top groups: White (non-Hispanic) (60.1%), Hispanic / Latino (15.8%), Black (non-Hispanic) (12.3%). Source: ACS 5-year 2023, table B03002.
