Neighborhood · Cambridge, MA

Harlow Square Eviction Risk: Moderate

5 census tracts · pop 17,813 · pop-weighted Eviction Risk Score 5.1/10 · range 3.8–6.3

Harlow Square is a white-asian neighborhood in Cambridge with 5 census tracts and a population of 17,813 residents. The neighborhood's pop-weighted eviction-risk score of 5.1/10 (Moderate tier) blends state law, county-level filing rates, parent-city politics, and tract-specific rent-to-income ratios + poverty. 47% of renters here pay at least 30% of household income on rent, and 22% are severely cost-burdened (≥50% of income). Average gross rent of $2,911/month sits 4% higher than the Cambridge citywide average ($2,787).

Risk score

5.1

Moderate

5 tracts · population-weighted

Harlow Square vs Cambridge How this neighborhood stacks against the citywide average

% of income on rent

47.3% +70%

Cambridge: 27.9%

Average gross rent

$2,911 +4%

Cambridge: $2,787

Average HH income

$114,442 -10%

Cambridge: $126,469

Poverty rate

14.9% +20%

Cambridge: 12.5%

Renter share

82.1% +23%

Cambridge: 66.5%

Peer neighborhoods

Neighborhoods with similar eviction risk

Same county, closest by Eviction Risk Score.

Geographic context

Risk heat across Harlow Square and the region

Click any tract to drill in · 5 tracts span score 3.8–6.3

Why Harlow Square scores 5.1

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 7.3–7.3 across tracts

7.3

Local political climate

Parent city governance · Range 9.0–9.0 across tracts

9.0

Rent control risk

47% of income on rent · Range 8.5–8.5 across tracts

8.5

Eviction process difficulty

State notice requirements & court backlog · Range 8.5–8.5 across tracts

8.5

Tenant organizing strength

82% renter households · Range 8.5–8.5 across tracts

8.5

Housing court bias

County bench composition · Range 8.0–8.0 across tracts

8.0

Economic stress

14.9% below poverty line · Range 1.3–5.8 across tracts

3.7

Supply constraint

Rent-to-FMR gap & zoning friction · Range 1.0–7.3 across tracts

5.4

Risk score comparison

Harlow Square vs. parent city, state, U.S.

Eviction Risk Score (0–10 scale).

Variance across tracts

How uniformly does eviction risk play out in Harlow Square?

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

Score distribution

0246810

Spread of 2.5 points from 3.8 to 6.3. This neighborhood crosses multiple risk tiers, so block-by-block conditions vary substantially.

Tracts as heat grid

6.3 6.2 5.0 4.7 3.8

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

Census tracts

5 tracts in Harlow Square

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

Tract↕	Score↕	Pop↕	% over 30% on rent↕	Average rent↕
25017352400	6.3	1,896	50%	$1,205
25017353102	6.2	4,807	62%	$3,332
25017352600	5	3,003	40%	$2,623
25017352500	4.7	3,136	47%	$2,636
25017352300	3.8	4,971	36%	$3,501

Social Vulnerability Index

CDC SVI percentile: 34

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

Socioeconomic status 28%ile

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

Household characteristics 13%ile

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

Racial/ethnic minority 66%ile

Hispanic + non-white share of population

Housing & transport 79%ile

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

Eviction filings · Princeton Eviction Lab

Court-record eviction history in Harlow Square

Aggregated across 5 validated constituent tracts. Filing rate is filings per 100 renter households, pop-weighted.

Historic baseline (2000–2018)

606Total filings (sum)
2.53%Avg annual filing rate
14.5%Peak year (2015)
1.96%Latest filed (2016)

CDC PLACES 2023 · pop-weighted

Eviction-adjacent indicators in Harlow Square

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

11.5%Housing insecurity
6.8%Utility shutoff threat
12.7%Food insecurity
13.0%SNAP enrollment
4.6%No health insurance
21.8%Any disability

Frequently asked

About Harlow Square

What is the eviction-risk score for Harlow Square?

Harlow Square scores 5.1/10 (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 Harlow Square compare to Cambridge overall?

Harlow Square scores 2.0 points lower than Cambridge overall (7.1/10). Renters spend 47% of income on rent vs 28% citywide. Average rent: $2,911 vs $2,787.

What is the average rent in Harlow Square?

Average gross rent in Harlow Square is $2,911/month (pop-weighted across 5 census tracts, ACS 5-year 2023). 47% of renter households are cost-burdened.

What percentage of Harlow Square residents are renters?

82% of Harlow Square households are renter-occupied (vs 67% in Cambridge). The neighborhood has 17,813 residents.

Is Harlow Square a high social-vulnerability area?

Harlow Square sits in the 34th 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.

Which tracts in Harlow Square have the highest eviction risk?

The highest-risk constituent tract in Harlow Square is census tract 25017352400 (score 6.3/10). Across the 5 tracts in this neighborhood the score ranges from 3.8 to 6.3, a spread of 2.5 points.

How safe is Harlow Square for landlords?

Harlow Square carries a moderate-tier eviction-risk profile for landlords (5.1/10). 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 Cambridge as a whole (7.1/10), this neighborhood is lower-risk.

What is the demographic breakdown of Harlow Square?

Harlow Square has 17,701 residents (White-Asian Neighborhood). Top groups: White (non-Hispanic) (46.9%), Asian (non-Hispanic) (25.2%), Black (non-Hispanic) (13.9%). Source: ACS 5-year 2023, table B03002.

Nearby

Other neighborhoods near Harlow Square

4.8 Central Square 6 tracts · pop 26,701 4.1 Inman Square 4 tracts · pop 11,493 5.3 Brickbottom 2 tracts · pop 4,177 4.3 Inner Belt 2 tracts · pop 6,131 5.3 Harvard Yard 3 tracts · pop 15,666 3.7 East Somerville 3 tracts · pop 8,624

Sibling neighborhoods

Other neighborhoods inside Cambridge

Same parent city, ranked by score similarity to Harlow Square.

5.1 Old Cambridge 2 tracts · pop 7,184 5.2 Brickbottom 2 tracts · pop 4,177 5.4 Harvard Yard 3 tracts · pop 15,666 4.7 Central Square 6 tracts · pop 26,701 4.6 Huron Village 3 tracts · pop 7,905 4.5 Baldwin 1 tracts · pop 5,167

Zoom out