6 census tracts · pop 26,701 · pop-weighted Eviction Risk Score 9/10
· range 7.9–9.9
Central Square spans 6 census tracts of Cambridge, MA, population 26,701. It carries an Eviction Risk Score of 9/10, in the High tier. Against a Cambridge baseline of 27.9%, 45% of renters here cross the 30%-of-income line.
The strongest single driver of the headline number is tenant-organizing strength at 8.6/10. 72% of occupied units are rented, so comparables are plentiful and vacancy risk is low, but a mispriced renewal loses the tenant to a building two streets over. 23% are severely burdened, paying half their income or more in rent. That cohort has no absorption capacity for an unexpected bill, and it is where non-payment filings originate.
Internally this is not one market. Tract scores span 7.9 to 9.9, so two buildings inside the same boundary can carry materially different risk. Sitting well above the midpoint is eviction-process difficulty at 8.1/10.
Running hot is rent-regulation exposure at 8/10. Court records carry 626 eviction filings across its 5 observed tracts.
The worst year on record was 2014, when filings touched 6.6% of renter households. 4.5% of adults carry no health insurance against 11.3% nationally, a common route into sudden unpayable debt.
The most recent observed rate, 2.1% in 2016, is well off that peak. That places it #8 of 13 neighborhoods in Cambridge.
Average gross rent runs $2,647, close to the Cambridge average. Annual rent works out to 27% of average household income of $117,165.
Underwrite the address, not the area: with 2 points between its best and worst tract, the per-tract table below is the operative number. Scores move when the ACS release, the court-record feed, or the statute ledger behind them moves.
Risk score
9
High
6 tracts · population-weighted
Central Square vs CambridgeHow this neighborhood stacks against the citywide average
Single-parent HH, disability, language barriers, age 17- / 65+
Racial/ethnic minority64%ile
Hispanic + non-white share of population
Housing & transport82%ile
Multi-unit structures, mobile homes, crowding, no vehicle
Eviction filings · Princeton Eviction Lab
Court-record eviction history in Central Square
Aggregated across 5 validated constituent tracts. Filing rate is filings per 100 renter households, pop-weighted.
Historic baseline (2000–2018)
626Total filings (sum)
2.46%Avg annual filing rate
6.6%Peak year (2014)
1.94%Latest filed (2016)
CDC PLACES 2023 · pop-weighted
Eviction-adjacent indicators in Central Square
Average across all constituent tracts, population-weighted. Source: CDC PLACES (cwsq-ngmh) crude prevalence.
10.3%Housing insecurity
6.3%Utility shutoff threat
11.0%Food insecurity
12.0%SNAP enrollment
4.3%No health insurance
22.0%Any disability
Frequently asked
About Central Square
Q1
What is the eviction-risk score for Central Square?
Central Square scores 9/10 (High tier) across 6 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 Central Square compare to Cambridge overall?
Central Square scores 0.1 points higher than Cambridge overall (8.9/10). Renters spend 45% of income on rent vs 28% citywide. Average rent: $2,647 vs $2,787.
Q3
What is the average rent in Central Square?
Average gross rent in Central Square is $2,647/month (pop-weighted across 6 census tracts, ACS 5-year 2023). 45% of renter households are cost-burdened.
Q4
What percentage of Central Square residents are renters?
72% of Central Square households are renter-occupied (vs 67% in Cambridge). The neighborhood has 26,701 residents.
Q5
Is Central Square a high social-vulnerability area?
Central Square sits in the 46th percentile nationally on the CDC Social Vulnerability Index (less vulnerable). The index combines poverty, unemployment, household composition, racial/ethnic minority share, and housing/transportation factors across all US census tracts.
Q6
Which tracts in Central Square have the highest eviction risk?
The highest-risk constituent tract in Central Square is census tract 25017353101 (score 9.9/10). Across the 6 tracts in this neighborhood the score ranges from 7.9 to 9.9, a spread of 2 points.
Q7
How safe is Central Square for landlords?
Central Square carries a high-tier eviction-risk profile for landlords (9/10). Pop-weighted across 6 constituent tracts, the score blends parent-city rent-control posture, county eviction-process timelines, and tract-specific rent-to-income / poverty signals. Compared to Cambridge as a whole (8.9/10), this neighborhood is in line with the citywide level.
Q8
What is the demographic breakdown of Central Square?
Central Square has 26,729 residents. Top groups: White (non-Hispanic) (50.2%), Asian (non-Hispanic) (17.8%), Black (non-Hispanic) (13.2%). Source: ACS 5-year 2023, table B03002.
