2 census tracts · pop 9,012 · pop-weighted Eviction Risk Score 6.9/10
· range 6.2–8
South Medford takes in 2 census tracts of Medford, MA, population 9,012. The Eviction Risk Score is 6.9/10, in the Elevated tier. What pushes the score up most is tenant-organizing strength at 8.9/10.
Cost burden runs 36% against 25.6% citywide, putting South Medford 10.4% over its own city. The 2 tracts inside this boundary do not behave alike. Individual scores run 6.2 to 8, a 1.8-point gap wide enough that the area average misleads on any specific address.
Severe burden reaches 18%. A tenant at that level absorbs no shock: one cut shift or one repair bill converts directly into arrears. Running cool is economic stress, at 2.8/10.
Court records carry 121 eviction filings across its 2 observed tracts. Filing activity peaked in 2015 at 1.8% of renter households. 5.3% of adults carry no health insurance against 11.3% nationally, a common route into sudden unpayable debt.
Recent filings have not receded much: 1.4% in 2016 against a 1.8% peak. That places it #3 of 4 neighborhoods in Medford.
Average gross rent runs $2,587, close to the Medford average. Annual rent works out to 28% of average household income of $108,929.
60% of occupied units are renter-occupied.
Underwrite the address, not the area: with 1.8 points between its best and worst tract, the per-tract table below is the operative number. The number is rebuilt whenever its ACS, court-record, or statutory inputs change.
Risk score
6.9
Elevated
2 tracts · population-weighted
South Medford vs MedfordHow this neighborhood stacks against the citywide average
Single-parent HH, disability, language barriers, age 17- / 65+
Racial/ethnic minority57%ile
Hispanic + non-white share of population
Housing & transport31%ile
Multi-unit structures, mobile homes, crowding, no vehicle
Eviction filings · Princeton Eviction Lab
Court-record eviction history in South Medford
Aggregated across 2 validated constituent tracts. Filing rate is filings per 100 renter households, pop-weighted.
Historic baseline (2000–2018)
121Total filings (sum)
1.11%Avg annual filing rate
1.8%Peak year (2015)
1.26%Latest filed (2016)
CDC PLACES 2023 · pop-weighted
Eviction-adjacent indicators in South Medford
Average across all constituent tracts, population-weighted. Source: CDC PLACES (cwsq-ngmh) crude prevalence.
11.6%Housing insecurity
6.9%Utility shutoff threat
12.5%Food insecurity
14.2%SNAP enrollment
5.0%No health insurance
24.7%Any disability
Frequently asked
About South Medford
Q1
What is the eviction-risk score for South Medford?
South Medford scores 6.9/10 (Elevated 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 South Medford compare to Medford overall?
South Medford scores 0.3 points higher than Medford overall (6.6/10). Renters spend 36% of income on rent vs 26% citywide. Average rent: $2,587 vs $2,509.
Q3
What is the average rent in South Medford?
Average gross rent in South Medford eviction risk is $2,587/month (pop-weighted across 2 census tracts, ACS 5-year 2023). 36% of renter households are cost-burdened.
Q4
What percentage of South Medford residents are renters?
60% of South Medford households are renter-occupied (vs 46% in Medford). The neighborhood has 9,012 residents.
Q5
Is South Medford a high social-vulnerability area?
South Medford sits in the 31st 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 South Medford have the highest eviction risk?
The highest-risk constituent tract in South Medford is census tract 25017339700 (score 8/10). Across the 2 tracts in this neighborhood the score ranges from 6.2 to 8, a spread of 1.8 points.
Q7
How safe is South Medford for landlords?
South Medford eviction risk carries a elevated-tier eviction-risk profile for landlords (6.9/10). 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 Medford as a whole (6.6/10), this neighborhood is higher-risk.
Q8
What is the demographic breakdown of South Medford?
South Medford has 8,849 residents. Top groups: White (non-Hispanic) (60.5%), Hispanic / Latino (17.5%), Asian (non-Hispanic) (11.1%). Source: ACS 5-year 2023, table B03002.
