Neighborhood · West Springfield Town, MA

Merrick Eviction Risk: Moderate

5 census tracts · pop 19,409 · pop-weighted Eviction Risk Score 5/10 · range 3–7.1

Merrick is a white-hispanic neighborhood in West Springfield Town with 5 census tracts and a population of 19,409 residents. The neighborhood's pop-weighted eviction-risk score of 5/10 (Moderate tier) blends state law, county-level filing rates, parent-city politics, and tract-specific rent-to-income ratios + poverty. 57% of renters here pay at least 30% of household income on rent, and 28% are severely cost-burdened (≥50% of income). Average gross rent of $996/month sits 13% lower than the West Springfield Town citywide average ($1,144).

Risk score

Moderate

5 tracts · population-weighted

Merrick vs West Springfield Town How this neighborhood stacks against the citywide average

% of income on rent

56.9% +75%

West Springfield Town: 32.5%

Average gross rent

$996 -13%

West Springfield Town: $1,144

Average HH income

$57,420 -25%

West Springfield Town: $76,415

Poverty rate

21.6% +108%

West Springfield Town: 10.4%

Renter share

52.2% +26%

West Springfield Town: 41.5%

Peer neighborhoods

Neighborhoods with similar eviction risk

Same county, closest by Eviction Risk Score.

Geographic context

Risk heat across Merrick and the region

Click any tract to drill in · 5 tracts span score 3–7.1

Why Merrick scores 5

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

State political climate

legislature & governorship · Range 6.2–6.2 across tracts

6.2

Regional political climate

County-level mix · 2024 presidential margin · Range 5.9–5.9 across tracts

5.9

Local political climate

Parent city governance · Range 6.3–7.0 across tracts

6.5

Rent control risk

57% of income on rent · Range 5.4–5.5 across tracts

5.4

Eviction process difficulty

State notice requirements & court backlog · Range 6.0–7.0 across tracts

6.3

Tenant organizing strength

52% renter households · Range 4.9–6.5 across tracts

5.4

Housing court bias

County bench composition · Range 5.7–7.0 across tracts

6.1

Economic stress

21.6% below poverty line · Range 1.0–10.0 across tracts

4.7

Supply constraint

Rent-to-FMR gap & zoning friction · Range 1.0–3.4 across tracts

2.3

Risk score comparison

Merrick vs. parent city, state, U.S.

Eviction Risk Score (0–10 scale).

Variance across tracts

How uniformly does eviction risk play out in Merrick?

Left: distribution of constituent tract scores. Right: every tract as a heat square. Click any square to drill in.

Score distribution

0246810

Spread of 4.1 points from 3 to 7.1. This neighborhood crosses multiple risk tiers, so block-by-block conditions vary substantially.

Tracts as heat grid

7.1 6.9 4.6 4.3 3.0

Each square = one census tract. Color tracks the same green→red ramp as the chloropleth map above.

Census tracts

5 tracts in Merrick

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

Tract↕	Score↕	Pop↕	% over 30% on rent↕	Average rent↕
25013800700	7.1	4,057	39%	$430
25013800600	6.9	2,296	70%	$1,063
25013812201	4.6	4,814	65%	$1,260
25013812403	4.3	3,960	60%	$1,085
25013812404	3	4,282	55%	$1,116

Social Vulnerability Index

CDC SVI percentile: 65

Pop-weighted across 5 tracts. Higher = more vulnerable to disaster, displacement, and rent shocks. Source: CDC/ATSDR SVI 2022.

Socioeconomic status 58%ile

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

Household characteristics 74%ile

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

Racial/ethnic minority 58%ile

Hispanic + non-white share of population

Housing & transport 62%ile

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

CDC PLACES 2023 · pop-weighted

Eviction-adjacent indicators in Merrick

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

22.3%Housing insecurity
15.2%Utility shutoff threat
28.1%Food insecurity
32.9%SNAP enrollment
13.0%No health insurance
39.1%Any disability

Frequently asked

About Merrick

What is the eviction-risk score for Merrick?

Merrick scores 5/10 (Moderate tier) across 5 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 Merrick compare to West Springfield Town overall?

Merrick scores 0.9 points lower than West Springfield Town overall (5.9/10). Renters spend 57% of income on rent vs 33% citywide. Average rent: $996 vs $1,144.

What is the average rent in Merrick?

Average gross rent in Merrick is $996/month (pop-weighted across 5 census tracts, ACS 5-year 2023). 57% of renter households are cost-burdened.

What percentage of Merrick residents are renters?

52% of Merrick households are renter-occupied (vs 42% in West Springfield Town). The neighborhood has 19,409 residents.

Is Merrick a high social-vulnerability area?

Merrick sits in the 65th 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.

Which tracts in Merrick have the highest eviction risk?

The highest-risk constituent tract in Merrick is census tract 25013800700 (score 7.1/10). Across the 5 tracts in this neighborhood the score ranges from 3 to 7.1, a spread of 4.1 points.

How safe is Merrick for landlords?

Merrick carries a moderate-tier eviction-risk profile for landlords (5/10). Pop-weighted across 5 constituent tracts, the score blends parent-city rent-control posture, county eviction-process timelines, and tract-specific rent-to-income / poverty signals. Compared to West Springfield Town as a whole (5.9/10), this neighborhood is lower-risk.

What is the demographic breakdown of Merrick?

Merrick has 19,308 residents (White-Hispanic Neighborhood). Top groups: White (non-Hispanic) (49.7%), Hispanic / Latino (37.2%), Asian (non-Hispanic) (6.4%). Source: ACS 5-year 2023, table B03002.

Nearby

Other neighborhoods near Merrick

6.3 Downtown Springfield Railroad District 4 tracts · pop 9,847 6 Upper Worthington Historic District 3 tracts · pop 14,849 5 Springfield Street Historic District 3 tracts · pop 13,648 5.4 The Commons 3 tracts · pop 13,014 6.9 Ames Hill-Crescent Hill Historic District 6 tracts · pop 26,323 6.1 Winchester Square Historic District 6 tracts · pop 26,604

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