Neighborhood · Cambridge, MA

Harvard Yard Eviction Risk: Moderate

3 census tracts · pop 15,666 · pop-weighted Eviction Risk Score 5.4/10 · range 4.1–6.8

Harvard Yard is a white-asian neighborhood in Cambridge with 3 census tracts and a population of 15,666 residents. The neighborhood's pop-weighted eviction-risk score of 5.4/10 (Moderate tier) blends state law, county-level filing rates, parent-city politics, and tract-specific rent-to-income ratios + poverty. 48% of renters here pay at least 30% of household income on rent, and 26% are severely cost-burdened (≥50% of income). Average gross rent of $2,741/month sits 2% lower than the Cambridge citywide average ($2,787).

Risk score

5.4

Moderate

3 tracts · population-weighted

Harvard Yard vs Cambridge How this neighborhood stacks against the citywide average

% of income on rent

48.0% +72%

Cambridge: 27.9%

Average gross rent

$2,741 -2%

Cambridge: $2,787

Average HH income

$99,097 -22%

Cambridge: $126,469

Poverty rate

18.4% +48%

Cambridge: 12.5%

Renter share

78.9% +19%

Cambridge: 66.5%

Peer neighborhoods

Neighborhoods with similar eviction risk

Same county, closest by Eviction Risk Score.

Geographic context

Risk heat across Harvard Yard and the region

Click any tract to drill in · 3 tracts span score 4.1–6.8

Why Harvard Yard scores 5.4

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

48% 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

79% 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

18.4% below poverty line · Range 2.2–7.1 across tracts

4.6

Supply constraint

Rent-to-FMR gap & zoning friction · Range 3.8–5.2 across tracts

4.7

Risk score comparison

Harvard Yard vs. parent city, state, U.S.

Eviction Risk Score (0–10 scale).

Variance across tracts

How uniformly does eviction risk play out in Harvard Yard?

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

Score distribution

0246810

Spread of 2.7 points from 4.1 to 6.8. This neighborhood crosses multiple risk tiers, so block-by-block conditions vary substantially.

Tracts as heat grid

6.8 5.0 4.1

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

Census tracts

3 tracts in Harvard Yard

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

Tract↕	Score↕	Pop↕	% over 30% on rent↕	Average rent↕
25017353900	6.8	5,771	56%	$2,895
25017353700	5	5,757	54%	$2,484
25017353800	4.1	4,138	28%	$2,883

Social Vulnerability Index

CDC SVI percentile: 36

Pop-weighted across 3 tracts. Higher = more vulnerable to disaster, displacement, and rent shocks. Source: CDC/ATSDR SVI 2022.

Socioeconomic status 31%ile

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

Household characteristics 2%ile

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

Racial/ethnic minority 63%ile

Hispanic + non-white share of population

Housing & transport 91%ile

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

Eviction filings · Princeton Eviction Lab

Court-record eviction history in Harvard Yard

Aggregated across 3 validated constituent tracts. Filing rate is filings per 100 renter households, pop-weighted.

Historic baseline (2000–2018)

128Total filings (sum)
0.63%Avg annual filing rate
1.0%Peak year (2016)
0.67%Latest filed (2016)

CDC PLACES 2023 · pop-weighted

Eviction-adjacent indicators in Harvard Yard

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

10.3%Housing insecurity
6.1%Utility shutoff threat
12.0%Food insecurity
12.1%SNAP enrollment
4.0%No health insurance
22.5%Any disability

Frequently asked

About Harvard Yard

What is the eviction-risk score for Harvard Yard?

Harvard Yard scores 5.4/10 (Moderate tier) across 3 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 Harvard Yard compare to Cambridge overall?

Harvard Yard scores 1.7 points lower than Cambridge overall (7.1/10). Renters spend 48% of income on rent vs 28% citywide. Average rent: $2,741 vs $2,787.

What is the average rent in Harvard Yard?

Average gross rent in Harvard Yard is $2,741/month (pop-weighted across 3 census tracts, ACS 5-year 2023). 48% of renter households are cost-burdened.

What percentage of Harvard Yard residents are renters?

79% of Harvard Yard households are renter-occupied (vs 67% in Cambridge). The neighborhood has 15,666 residents.

Is Harvard Yard a high social-vulnerability area?

Harvard Yard sits in the 36th 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 Harvard Yard have the highest eviction risk?

The highest-risk constituent tract in Harvard Yard is census tract 25017353900 (score 6.8/10). Across the 3 tracts in this neighborhood the score ranges from 4.1 to 6.8, a spread of 2.7 points.

How safe is Harvard Yard for landlords?

Harvard Yard carries a moderate-tier eviction-risk profile for landlords (5.4/10). Pop-weighted across 3 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 Harvard Yard?

Harvard Yard has 15,727 residents (White-Asian Neighborhood). Top groups: White (non-Hispanic) (52.1%), Asian (non-Hispanic) (27.5%), Hispanic / Latino (8.5%). Source: ACS 5-year 2023, table B03002.

Nearby

Other neighborhoods near Harvard Yard

4.8 Central Square 6 tracts · pop 26,701 4.1 Inman Square 4 tracts · pop 11,493 4.9 Old Cambridge 2 tracts · pop 7,184 5.2 Harlow Square 5 tracts · pop 17,813 3 Spring Hill Historic District 3 tracts · pop 9,517 2.9 Spring Hill 2 tracts · pop 6,657

Sibling neighborhoods

Other neighborhoods inside Cambridge

Same parent city, ranked by score similarity to Harvard Yard.

5.2 Brickbottom 2 tracts · pop 4,177 5.1 Harlow Square 5 tracts · pop 17,813 5.1 Old Cambridge 2 tracts · pop 7,184 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

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