Neighborhood · Lowell, MA

Merrimack-Middle Street Historic District Eviction Risk: Moderate

4 census tracts · pop 17,466 · pop-weighted Eviction Risk Score 5/10 · range 4.2–5.7

Merrimack-Middle Street Historic District is a white-hispanic neighborhood in Lowell with 4 census tracts and a population of 17,466 residents. The neighborhood's pop-weighted eviction-risk score of 5/10 (Moderate tier) blends state law, county-level filing rates, parent-city politics, and tract-specific rent-to-income ratios + poverty. 59% of renters here pay at least 30% of household income on rent, and 28% are severely cost-burdened (≥50% of income). Average gross rent of $1,637/month sits 1% higher than the Lowell citywide average ($1,625).

Risk score

Moderate

4 tracts · population-weighted

Merrimack-Middle Street Historic District vs Lowell How this neighborhood stacks against the citywide average

% of income on rent

58.8% +89%

Lowell: 31.1%

Average gross rent

$1,637 +1%

Lowell: $1,625

Average HH income

$76,636 +1%

Lowell: $76,205

Poverty rate

17.5% +9%

Lowell: 16.0%

Renter share

50.6% -11%

Lowell: 56.8%

Peer neighborhoods

Neighborhoods with similar eviction risk

Same county, closest by Eviction Risk Score.

Geographic context

Risk heat across Merrimack-Middle Street Historic District and the region

Click any tract to drill in · 4 tracts span score 4.2–5.7

Why Merrimack-Middle Street Historic District scores 5

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 6.5–6.5 across tracts

6.5

Rent control risk

59% of income on rent · Range 5.0–5.0 across tracts

5.0

Eviction process difficulty

State notice requirements & court backlog · Range 6.5–6.5 across tracts

6.5

Tenant organizing strength

51% renter households · Range 6.0–6.0 across tracts

6.0

Housing court bias

County bench composition · Range 6.5–6.5 across tracts

6.5

Economic stress

17.5% below poverty line · Range 3.4–4.8 across tracts

4.4

Supply constraint

Rent-to-FMR gap & zoning friction · Range 1.0–1.3 across tracts

1.1

Risk score comparison

Merrimack-Middle Street Historic District vs. parent city, state, U.S.

Eviction Risk Score (0–10 scale).

Variance across tracts

How uniformly does eviction risk play out in Merrimack-Middle Street Historic District?

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

Score distribution

0246810

Spread of 1.5 points from 4.2 to 5.7. Moderate variation across constituent tracts.

Tracts as heat grid

5.7 5.3 5.3 4.2

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

Census tracts

4 tracts in Merrimack-Middle Street Historic District

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

Tract↕	Score↕	Pop↕	% over 30% on rent↕	Average rent↕
25017312400	5.7	2,186	54%	$1,389
25017310200	5.3	6,781	64%	$1,799
25017310101	5.3	3,722	53%	$1,587
25017312501	4.2	4,777	58%	$1,558

Social Vulnerability Index

CDC SVI percentile: 72

Pop-weighted across 4 tracts. Higher = more vulnerable to disaster, displacement, and rent shocks. Source: CDC/ATSDR SVI 2022.

Socioeconomic status 53%ile

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

Household characteristics 78%ile

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

Racial/ethnic minority 62%ile

Hispanic + non-white share of population

Housing & transport 77%ile

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

Eviction filings · Princeton Eviction Lab

Court-record eviction history in Merrimack-Middle Street Historic District

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

Historic baseline (2000–2018)

679Total filings (sum)
6.58%Avg annual filing rate
9.7%Peak year (2014)
5.56%Latest filed (2016)

CDC PLACES 2023 · pop-weighted

Eviction-adjacent indicators in Merrimack-Middle Street Historic District

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

16.6%Housing insecurity
10.1%Utility shutoff threat
19.4%Food insecurity
22.6%SNAP enrollment
8.2%No health insurance
31.9%Any disability

Frequently asked

About Merrimack-Middle Street Historic District

What is the eviction-risk score for Merrimack-Middle Street Historic District?

Merrimack-Middle Street Historic District scores 5/10 (Moderate tier) across 4 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 Merrimack-Middle Street Historic District compare to Lowell overall?

Merrimack-Middle Street Historic District scores 1.1 points lower than Lowell overall (6.1/10). Renters spend 59% of income on rent vs 31% citywide. Average rent: $1,637 vs $1,625.

What is the average rent in Merrimack-Middle Street Historic District?

Average gross rent in Merrimack-Middle Street Historic District is $1,637/month (pop-weighted across 4 census tracts, ACS 5-year 2023). 59% of renter households are cost-burdened.

What percentage of Merrimack-Middle Street Historic District residents are renters?

51% of Merrimack-Middle Street Historic District households are renter-occupied (vs 57% in Lowell). The neighborhood has 17,466 residents.

Is Merrimack-Middle Street Historic District a high social-vulnerability area?

Merrimack-Middle Street Historic District sits in the 72nd percentile nationally on the CDC Social Vulnerability Index (moderately vulnerable). The index combines poverty, unemployment, household composition, racial/ethnic minority share, and housing/transportation factors across all US census tracts.

Which tracts in Merrimack-Middle Street Historic District have the highest eviction risk?

The highest-risk constituent tract in Merrimack-Middle Street Historic District is census tract 25017312400 (score 5.7/10). Across the 4 tracts in this neighborhood the score ranges from 4.2 to 5.7, a spread of 1.5 points.

How safe is Merrimack-Middle Street Historic District for landlords?

Merrimack-Middle Street Historic District carries a moderate-tier eviction-risk profile for landlords (5/10). Pop-weighted across 4 constituent tracts, the score blends parent-city rent-control posture, county eviction-process timelines, and tract-specific rent-to-income / poverty signals. Compared to Lowell as a whole (6.1/10), this neighborhood is lower-risk.

What is the demographic breakdown of Merrimack-Middle Street Historic District?

Merrimack-Middle Street Historic District has 17,407 residents (White-Hispanic Neighborhood). Top groups: White (non-Hispanic) (51.6%), Hispanic / Latino (23.1%), Black (non-Hispanic) (10%). Source: ACS 5-year 2023, table B03002.

Nearby

Other neighborhoods near Merrimack-Middle Street Historic District

5.9 City Hall Historic District 5 tracts · pop 22,586 4.7 South Common Historic District 5 tracts · pop 18,253 4.9 Cambodia Town 9 tracts · pop 39,038 1.1 Avalon Oaks 2 tracts · pop 8,857 2.3 Kimball Towers and Court 5 tracts · pop 26,430 1.4 Woburn Street Historic District 3 tracts · pop 12,798

Sibling neighborhoods

Other neighborhoods inside Lowell

Same parent city, ranked by score similarity to Merrimack-Middle Street Historic District.

4.8 Cambodia Town 9 tracts · pop 39,038 4.6 South Common Historic District 5 tracts · pop 18,253 5.9 City Hall Historic District 5 tracts · pop 22,586

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