Neighborhood · Ranked #10,885 of 84,120 nationally

West Merrydale Eviction Risk: Elevated , Baton Rouge

Tract 22033000200 · East Baton Rouge Parish, LA · pop 5,896 · neighborhood within 0.7 mi

Census tract 22033000200 covers the West Merrydale area of Baton Rouge, home to 5,896 residents. For landlords it grades 5.5/10, a moderate reading. It lands near the 57th percentile nationally for landlord eviction risk.

About 59% of renters carry a rent burden of 30% of income or higher, a severe level, and 24% are severely burdened at 50% or more. The typical renter pays about $653 a month while the average household earns $22,263 a year, roughly 35% of income at the averages. Renters make up 76% of occupied homes, a renter-majority tract.

Risk score

6.1

Elevated

Confidence 85% · 1–10 scale

Household mix · 100 hh

Burdened renters 45% Stable renters 32% Owners 23%

Tract context

Occupied units2,428

Renter share76.5%

SVI overall1.00

Poverty rate44.5%

Median income$22,263

Percentile rank

Higher percentile = riskier than more peers.

Geographic context

Risk heat across Baton Rouge and the region

Centroid at 30.4984, -91.1377 · click any tract to drill in

Why West Merrydale scores 6.1

9 axes · 1 = landlord-friendly

Local political climate

Inherited from Baton Rouge

5.5

Regional political climate

2024 county presidential margin

5.7

State political climate

Louisiana legislature & governorship

2.3

Economic stress

44.5% poverty · this tract

10.0

Supply constraint

$653 rent vs county FMR

1.0

Rent control risk

Inherited from Baton Rouge

1.5

Eviction process difficulty

State law sets the calendar

4.5

Tenant organizing strength

Inherited from Baton Rouge

4.0

Housing court bias

Inherited from Baton Rouge

3.5

How West Merrydale compares

Risk score vs. parent city, county, state.

CDC Social Vulnerability Index

SVI percentile: 100

CDC/ATSDR 2022. Higher = more vulnerable. National percentile across 84k tracts.

98%Socioeconomic
98%Household composition
96%Racial/ethnic minority
96%Housing & transportation

Comparable tracts

Census tracts with similar eviction risk

Within West Merrydale. Closest by Eviction Risk Score.

CDC PLACES 2023 · health & economic stress

Eviction-adjacent indicators

Crude prevalence of conditions linked to housing loss. Source: CDC PLACES (cwsq-ngmh), 2023 model-based small-area estimates.

44.1%Housing insecurity
38.6%Utility-shutoff threat
61.1%Food insecurity
65.6%SNAP enrollment
32.4%Transit barriers
17.0%No health insurance
26.6%Frequent mental distress
56.1%Any disability

Analysis

What drives eviction risk in West Merrydale

What moves this score most is economic stress at $1/10. That part is specific to this tract, computed from its own rent, income, and poverty figures. Statewide and court-level factors such as eviction-process speed and rent-control exposure are inherited from Baton Rouge eviction risk, while the economic and supply signals are measured at the tract level.

Set against its neighbors, this tract scores above the East Baton Rouge County average of 5.0 and above the Louisiana statewide average of 4.9. Within its own county it reads on the riskier side for landlords.

The tract is predominantly Black and ranks around the 100th percentile nationally on the CDC Social Vulnerability Index, a measure of how exposed residents are to housing and economic shocks. High vulnerability tends to track with higher eviction-filing rates when rents climb.

In CDC survey modeling, about 44.1% of adults here said they could not pay rent or mortgage at some point in the past year, and 38.6% faced a utility shutoff threat, a common early warning before a filing.

For a landlord, conditions here are middle-of-the-road. Standard screening and prompt, documented notices usually keep cases short.

Frequently asked

About tract 22033000200

What is the eviction-risk score for census tract 22033000200?

Census tract 22033000200 in the West Merrydale neighborhood scores 6.1/10 (Elevated tier). The Eviction Risk Score blends state law, county filing rates, parent-city politics, and tract-specific rent-to-income ratios + poverty signals.

What is the average rent in tract 22033000200?

Median gross rent is $653/month (ACS 5-year 2023, table B25064). 59% of renter households are cost-burdened.

What is the poverty rate in tract 22033000200?

44.5% of residents in tract 22033000200 live below the federal poverty line (ACS B17001, 2023). Population: 5,896.

How socially vulnerable is tract 22033000200?

CDC Social Vulnerability Index ranks this tract in the 100th percentile nationally. Sub-themes: socioeconomic 98th, household 98th, minority 96th, housing 96th.

Is tract 22033000200 considered part of West Merrydale?

Yes. Per Census Bureau 2020 Block Assignment Files, the plurality of blocks in tract 22033000200 fall within West Merrydale (neighborhood centroid within 0.7 miles, OSM data).

What share of households in tract 22033000200 struggle to pay rent?

About 44.1% of adults in this tract reported housing insecurity (could not pay rent or mortgage in the past 12 months), per the CDC PLACES 2023 model-based small-area estimate. 38.6% also reported utility shutoff threats, a frequent precursor to eviction filings.

How does tract 22033000200 compare to Baton Rouge overall?

Tract 22033000200 scores 6.1/10, higher than the parent city of Baton Rouge at 3.4/10. City-scale signals (state law, local rent controls, court bias) are inherited from Baton Rouge eviction risk; what makes this tract different are its tract-specific economic stress and supply-constraint sub-scores.

Sibling tracts

Highest-risk tracts in Baton Rouge

Top eight tracts in Baton Rouge ranked by composite eviction-risk score.