2 census tracts · pop 7,184 · pop-weighted Eviction Risk Score 9.4/10
· range 8.3–9.9
Old Cambridge is a 2-tract neighborhood of Cambridge, MA, population 7,184. It carries an Eviction Risk Score of 9.4/10, in the High tier. Cost burden runs 51% against 27.9% citywide, putting Old Cambridge 23.2% over its own city.
Severe burden reaches 29%. A tenant at that level absorbs no shock: one cut shift or one repair bill converts directly into arrears. The strongest single driver of the headline number is rent-regulation exposure at 8.5/10.
Running hot is eviction-process difficulty at 8.5/10. Sitting well above the midpoint is tenant-organizing strength at 8.5/10. Scores across the 2 constituent tracts range from 8.3 to 9.9. A 1.6-point internal spread means block-level underwriting beats area-level here.
Court records carry 39 eviction filings across its 2 observed tracts. The poverty rate is 16%, which shows up in this model as reduced rent-recovery odds after a judgment.
3.1% of adults carry no health insurance against 11.3% nationally, a common route into sudden unpayable debt. Food insecurity affects 7.5% of adults, 10.3 points below the national rate.
Filing activity peaked in 2015 at 0.6% of renter households. Recent filings have not receded much: 0.5% in 2016 against a 0.6% peak.
Among the 13 mapped neighborhoods of Cambridge, it ranks #3 by risk, the upper third. For a like-for-like read, Harlow Square and Brickbottom score within a fraction of it.
For a specific building, read the per-tract breakdown below rather than the 9.4 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
9.4
High
2 tracts · population-weighted
Old Cambridge vs CambridgeHow this neighborhood stacks against the citywide average
Single-parent HH, disability, language barriers, age 17- / 65+
Racial/ethnic minority46%ile
Hispanic + non-white share of population
Housing & transport83%ile
Multi-unit structures, mobile homes, crowding, no vehicle
Eviction filings · Princeton Eviction Lab
Court-record eviction history in Old Cambridge
Aggregated across 2 validated constituent tracts. Filing rate is filings per 100 renter households, pop-weighted.
Historic baseline (2000–2018)
39Total filings (sum)
0.45%Avg annual filing rate
0.6%Peak year (2015)
0.44%Latest filed (2016)
CDC PLACES 2023 · pop-weighted
Eviction-adjacent indicators in Old Cambridge
Average across all constituent tracts, population-weighted. Source: CDC PLACES (cwsq-ngmh) crude prevalence.
7.7%Housing insecurity
4.8%Utility shutoff threat
8.1%Food insecurity
8.6%SNAP enrollment
3.2%No health insurance
22.1%Any disability
Frequently asked
About Old Cambridge
Q1
What is the eviction-risk score for Old Cambridge?
Old Cambridge scores 9.4/10 (High tier) across 2 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 Old Cambridge compare to Cambridge overall?
Old Cambridge scores 0.5 points higher than Cambridge overall (8.9/10). Renters spend 51% of income on rent vs 28% citywide. Average rent: $2,852 vs $2,787.
Q3
What is the average rent in Old Cambridge?
Average gross rent in Old Cambridge eviction risk is $2,852/month (pop-weighted across 2 census tracts, ACS 5-year 2023). 51% of renter households are cost-burdened.
Q4
What percentage of Old Cambridge residents are renters?
57% of Old Cambridge households are renter-occupied (vs 67% in Cambridge). The neighborhood has 7,184 residents.
Q5
Is Old Cambridge a high social-vulnerability area?
Old Cambridge sits in the 27th 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 Old Cambridge have the highest eviction risk?
The highest-risk constituent tract in Old Cambridge is census tract 25017354000 (score 9.9/10). Across the 2 tracts in this neighborhood the score ranges from 8.3 to 9.9, a spread of 1.6 points.
Q7
How safe is Old Cambridge for landlords?
Old Cambridge eviction risk carries a high-tier eviction-risk profile for landlords (9.4/10). Pop-weighted across 2 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 Old Cambridge?
Old Cambridge has 7,039 residents. Top groups: White (non-Hispanic) (67.5%), Asian (non-Hispanic) (13.2%), Hispanic / Latino (11.1%). Source: ACS 5-year 2023, table B03002.
