Merrimack-Middle Street Historic District Eviction Risk: Elevated
4 census tracts · pop 17,466 · pop-weighted Eviction Risk Score 7.9/10
· range 7.5–8
Merrimack-Middle Street Historic District spans 4 census tracts of Lowell, MA, population 17,466. It carries an Eviction Risk Score of 7.9/10, in the Elevated tier. 59% of renters here are cost-burdened at the 30% threshold, dramatically above the Lowell rate of 31.1%.
Severe burden reaches 28%. A tenant at that level absorbs no shock: one cut shift or one repair bill converts directly into arrears. The main counterweight is supply constraint, at 1.1/10. Filings are well documented here: 679 across 3 observed tracts.
The poverty rate is 18%, which shows up in this model as reduced rent-recovery odds after a judgment. SNAP participation is 23.9% of households versus 15.2% nationally.
Filing activity peaked in 2014 at 9.7% of renter households. The most recent observed rate, 5.7% in 2016, is well off that peak.
Among the 4 mapped neighborhoods of Lowell, it ranks #2 by risk, the middle third. The 4 tracts here are tightly clustered, 0.5 points apart at the extremes.
Average gross rent runs $1,637, close to the Lowell average. Annual rent works out to 26% of average household income of $76,636.
The area figure travels well to individual addresses here, though the per-tract table below still carries the detail. The number is rebuilt whenever its ACS, court-record, or statutory inputs change.
Risk score
7.9
Elevated
4 tracts · population-weighted
Merrimack-Middle Street Historic District vs LowellHow this neighborhood stacks against the citywide average
Single-parent HH, disability, language barriers, age 17- / 65+
Racial/ethnic minority62%ile
Hispanic + non-white share of population
Housing & transport77%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
Q1
What is the eviction-risk score for Merrimack-Middle Street Historic District?
Merrimack-Middle Street Historic District scores 7.9/10 (Elevated 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.
Q2
How does Merrimack-Middle Street Historic District compare to Lowell overall?
Merrimack-Middle Street Historic District scores 1.3 points higher than Lowell overall (6.6/10). Renters spend 59% of income on rent vs 31% citywide. Average rent: $1,637 vs $1,625.
Q3
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.
Q4
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.
Q5
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.
Q6
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 25017310200 (score 8/10). Across the 4 tracts in this neighborhood the score ranges from 7.5 to 8, a spread of 0.5 points.
Q7
How safe is Merrimack-Middle Street Historic District for landlords?
Merrimack-Middle Street Historic District carries a elevated-tier eviction-risk profile for landlords (7.9/10). 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 (6.6/10), this neighborhood is higher-risk.
Q8
What is the demographic breakdown of Merrimack-Middle Street Historic District?
Merrimack-Middle Street Historic District has 17,407 residents. Top groups: White (non-Hispanic) (51.6%), Hispanic / Latino (23.1%), Black (non-Hispanic) (10%). Source: ACS 5-year 2023, table B03002.
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Other neighborhoods near Merrimack-Middle Street Historic District
