Neighborhood · Lowell, MA

South Common Historic District Eviction Risk: Moderate

5 census tracts · pop 18,253 · pop-weighted Eviction Risk Score 4.6/10 · range 3.7–5.9

South Common Historic District is a diverse neighborhood in Lowell with 5 census tracts and a population of 18,253 residents. The neighborhood's pop-weighted eviction-risk score of 4.6/10 (Moderate tier) blends state law, county-level filing rates, parent-city politics, and tract-specific rent-to-income ratios + poverty. 46% of renters here pay at least 30% of household income on rent, and 24% are severely cost-burdened (≥50% of income). Average gross rent of $1,553/month sits 4% lower than the Lowell citywide average ($1,625).

Risk score

4.6

Moderate

5 tracts · population-weighted

South Common Historic District vs Lowell How this neighborhood stacks against the citywide average

% of income on rent

45.7% +47%

Lowell: 31.1%

Average gross rent

$1,553 -4%

Lowell: $1,625

Average HH income

$78,751 +3%

Lowell: $76,205

Poverty rate

12.7% -21%

Lowell: 16.0%

Renter share

51.6% -9%

Lowell: 56.8%

Peer neighborhoods

Neighborhoods with similar eviction risk

Same county, closest by Eviction Risk Score.

Geographic context

Risk heat across South Common Historic District and the region

Click any tract to drill in · 5 tracts span score 3.7–5.9

Why South Common Historic District scores 4.6

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

46% 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

52% 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

12.7% below poverty line · Range 1.7–5.8 across tracts

3.2

Supply constraint

Rent-to-FMR gap & zoning friction · Range 1.0–1.1 across tracts

1.0

Risk score comparison

South Common 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 South Common 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 2.2 points from 3.7 to 5.9. This neighborhood crosses multiple risk tiers, so block-by-block conditions vary substantially.

Tracts as heat grid

5.9 5.3 4.4 4.3 3.7

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

Census tracts

5 tracts in South Common Historic District

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

Tract↕	Score↕	Pop↕	% over 30% on rent↕	Average rent↕
25017311900	5.9	2,931	47%	$1,129
25017312000	5.3	3,046	41%	$1,645
25017312100	4.4	3,446	49%	$1,738
25017312200	4.3	4,956	51%	$1,691
25017312502	3.7	3,874	39%	$1,459

Social Vulnerability Index

CDC SVI percentile: 65

Pop-weighted across 5 tracts. Higher = more vulnerable to disaster, displacement, and rent shocks. Source: CDC/ATSDR SVI 2022.

Socioeconomic status 59%ile

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

Household characteristics 76%ile

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

Racial/ethnic minority 64%ile

Hispanic + non-white share of population

Housing & transport 52%ile

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

Eviction filings · Princeton Eviction Lab

Court-record eviction history in South Common Historic District

Aggregated across 5 validated constituent tracts. Filing rate is filings per 100 renter households, pop-weighted.

Historic baseline (2000–2018)

897Total filings (sum)
5.21%Avg annual filing rate
8.2%Peak year (2016)
5.47%Latest filed (2016)

CDC PLACES 2023 · pop-weighted

Eviction-adjacent indicators in South Common Historic District

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

16.9%Housing insecurity
9.8%Utility shutoff threat
19.8%Food insecurity
22.0%SNAP enrollment
8.3%No health insurance
31.3%Any disability

Frequently asked

About South Common Historic District

What is the eviction-risk score for South Common Historic District?

South Common Historic District scores 4.6/10 (Moderate 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.

How does South Common Historic District compare to Lowell overall?

South Common Historic District scores 1.5 points lower than Lowell overall (6.1/10). Renters spend 46% of income on rent vs 31% citywide. Average rent: $1,553 vs $1,625.

What is the average rent in South Common Historic District?

Average gross rent in South Common Historic District is $1,553/month (pop-weighted across 5 census tracts, ACS 5-year 2023). 46% of renter households are cost-burdened.

What percentage of South Common Historic District residents are renters?

52% of South Common Historic District households are renter-occupied (vs 57% in Lowell). The neighborhood has 18,253 residents.

Is South Common Historic District a high social-vulnerability area?

South Common Historic District sits in the 65th 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 South Common Historic District have the highest eviction risk?

The highest-risk constituent tract in South Common Historic District is census tract 25017311900 (score 5.9/10). Across the 5 tracts in this neighborhood the score ranges from 3.7 to 5.9, a spread of 2.2 points.

How safe is South Common Historic District for landlords?

South Common Historic District carries a moderate-tier eviction-risk profile for landlords (4.6/10). 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 Lowell as a whole (6.1/10), this neighborhood is lower-risk.

What is the demographic breakdown of South Common Historic District?

South Common Historic District has 18,305 residents (Diverse Neighborhood). Top groups: White (non-Hispanic) (45.6%), Asian (non-Hispanic) (19.3%), Hispanic / Latino (17.5%). Source: ACS 5-year 2023, table B03002.

Nearby

Other neighborhoods near South Common Historic District

5.1 Merrimack-Middle Street Historic District 4 tracts · pop 17,466 4.9 Cambodia Town 9 tracts · pop 39,038 5.9 City Hall Historic District 5 tracts · pop 22,586 1.1 Avalon Oaks 2 tracts · pop 8,857 2.3 Kimball Towers and Court 5 tracts · pop 26,430 1.3 North Lexington 2 tracts · pop 12,238

Sibling neighborhoods

Other neighborhoods inside Lowell

Same parent city, ranked by score similarity to South Common Historic District.

4.8 Cambodia Town 9 tracts · pop 39,038 5 Merrimack-Middle Street Historic District 4 tracts · pop 17,466 5.9 City Hall Historic District 5 tracts · pop 22,586

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