1 census tracts · pop 3,052 · pop-weighted Eviction Risk Score 7.6/10
· range 7.6–7.6
South Side is a one-tract neighborhood of Waltham, MA, population 3,052. Scored across those inputs it reaches 7.6/10, placing it in the Elevated tier. Cost burden runs 40% against 27.8% citywide, putting South Side 12.4% over its own city.
The strongest single driver of the headline number is tenant-organizing strength at 9.2/10. This is a renter market: 83% of occupied units are tenant-occupied. Well under the midpoint is supply constraint, at 1.4/10.
18% are severely burdened, paying half their income or more in rent. That cohort has no absorption capacity for an unexpected bill, and it is where non-payment filings originate. At $1,821 a month, rents sit 20% under what the rest of Waltham commands. The filing record is not thin: 134 evictions logged in this tract.
Filing activity peaked in 2013 at 4.1% of renter households. Running cool is economic stress, at 3/10. The most recent observed rate, 2.4% in 2016, is well off that peak.
Among the 8 mapped neighborhoods of Waltham, it ranks #1 by risk, the upper third. For a like-for-like read, Banks Square and The Bleachery score within a fraction of it.
Annual rent works out to 24% of average household income of $90,484.
Because the boundary contains one tract, 7.6/10 is simultaneously the area figure and the address-level figure. The number is rebuilt whenever its ACS, court-record, or statutory inputs change.
Risk score
7.6
Elevated
1 tracts · population-weighted
South Side vs WalthamHow this neighborhood stacks against the citywide average
Single-parent HH, disability, language barriers, age 17- / 65+
Racial/ethnic minority68%ile
Hispanic + non-white share of population
Housing & transport90%ile
Multi-unit structures, mobile homes, crowding, no vehicle
Eviction filings · Princeton Eviction Lab
Court-record eviction history in South Side
Aggregated across 1 validated constituent tract. Filing rate is filings per 100 renter households, pop-weighted.
Historic baseline (2000–2018)
134Total filings (sum)
2.66%Avg annual filing rate
4.1%Peak year (2013)
2.36%Latest filed (2016)
CDC PLACES 2023 · pop-weighted
Eviction-adjacent indicators in South Side
Average across all constituent tracts, population-weighted. Source: CDC PLACES (cwsq-ngmh) crude prevalence.
11.5%Housing insecurity
6.4%Utility shutoff threat
12.0%Food insecurity
12.3%SNAP enrollment
6.1%No health insurance
22.6%Any disability
Frequently asked
About South Side
Q1
What is the eviction-risk score for South Side?
South Side scores 7.6/10 (Elevated tier) across 1 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 Side compare to Waltham overall?
South Side scores 1.1 points higher than Waltham overall (6.5/10). Renters spend 40% of income on rent vs 28% citywide. Average rent: $1,821 vs $2,268.
Q3
What is the average rent in South Side?
Average gross rent in South Side is $1,821/month (pop-weighted across 1 census tracts, ACS 5-year 2023). 40% of renter households are cost-burdened.
Q4
What percentage of South Side residents are renters?
83% of South Side households are renter-occupied (vs 50% in Waltham). The neighborhood has 3,052 residents.
Q5
Is South Side a high social-vulnerability area?
South Side sits in the 66th 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
How safe is South Side for landlords?
South Side carries a elevated-tier eviction-risk profile for landlords (7.6/10). Pop-weighted across 1 constituent tracts, the score blends parent-city rent-control posture, county eviction-process timelines, and tract-specific rent-to-income / poverty signals. Compared to Waltham as a whole (6.5/10), this neighborhood is higher-risk.
Q7
What is the demographic breakdown of South Side?
South Side has 3,405 residents. Top groups: White (non-Hispanic) (50.8%), Asian (non-Hispanic) (19.9%), Hispanic / Latino (19.5%). Source: ACS 5-year 2023, table B03002.
