5 census tracts · pop 17,813 · pop-weighted Eviction Risk Score 9.3/10
· range 8.2–9.9
Harlow Square spans 5 census tracts of Cambridge, MA and houses 17,813 people. That produces an Eviction Risk Score of 9.3/10, High tier. Against a Cambridge baseline of 27.9%, 47% of renters here cross the 30%-of-income line.
This is a renter market: 82% of occupied units are tenant-occupied. The strongest single driver of the headline number is rent-regulation exposure at 8.5/10. Severe burden reaches 22%. A tenant at that level absorbs no shock: one cut shift or one repair bill converts directly into arrears.
Running hot is eviction-process difficulty at 8.5/10. On the high side is tenant-organizing strength at 8.5/10.
Scores across the 5 constituent tracts range from 8.2 to 9.9. A 1.7-point internal spread means block-level underwriting beats area-level here. Court records carry 606 eviction filings across its 5 observed tracts.
Filing activity peaked in 2015 at 14.5% of renter households. 5.0% of adults carry no health insurance against 11.3% nationally, a common route into sudden unpayable debt.
The most recent observed rate, 2.7% in 2016, is well off that peak. That places it #5 of 13 neighborhoods in Cambridge. The closest comparables inside the same city are Old Cambridge and Huron Village.
Average gross rent runs $2,911, close to the Cambridge average.
For a specific building, read the per-tract breakdown below rather than the 9.3 headline, because the internal range is too wide to average safely. The number is rebuilt whenever its ACS, court-record, or statutory inputs change.
Risk score
9.3
High
5 tracts · population-weighted
Harlow Square vs CambridgeHow this neighborhood stacks against the citywide average
Single-parent HH, disability, language barriers, age 17- / 65+
Racial/ethnic minority66%ile
Hispanic + non-white share of population
Housing & transport79%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
Q1
What is the eviction-risk score for Harlow Square?
Harlow Square scores 9.3/10 (High 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.
Q2
How does Harlow Square compare to Cambridge overall?
Harlow Square scores 0.4 points higher than Cambridge overall (8.9/10). Renters spend 47% of income on rent vs 28% citywide. Average rent: $2,911 vs $2,787.
Q3
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.
Q4
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.
Q5
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.
Q6
Which tracts in Harlow Square have the highest eviction risk?
The highest-risk constituent tract in Harlow Square is census tract 25017353102 (score 9.9/10). Across the 5 tracts in this neighborhood the score ranges from 8.2 to 9.9, a spread of 1.7 points.
Q7
How safe is Harlow Square for landlords?
Harlow Square carries a high-tier eviction-risk profile for landlords (9.3/10). 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 (8.9/10), this neighborhood is higher-risk.
Q8
What is the demographic breakdown of Harlow Square?
Harlow Square has 17,701 residents. Top groups: White (non-Hispanic) (46.9%), Asian (non-Hispanic) (25.2%), Black (non-Hispanic) (13.9%). Source: ACS 5-year 2023, table B03002.
