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Neighborhood · Boston, MA

Highland Eviction Risk: Lower

5 census tracts · pop 14,866 · pop-weighted Eviction Risk Score 3.8/10 · range 3.8–5.6

Highland is a white (non-hispanic) neighborhood in Boston with 5 census tracts and a population of 14,866 residents. The neighborhood's pop-weighted eviction-risk score of 3.8/10 (Lower tier) blends state law, county-level filing rates, parent-city politics, and tract-specific rent-to-income ratios + poverty. 35% of renters here pay at least 30% of household income on rent, and 18% are severely cost-burdened (≥50% of income). Average gross rent of $2,330/month sits 9% higher than the Boston citywide average ($2,147).

Risk score
3.8
Lower
5 tracts · population-weighted
Highland vs Boston How this neighborhood stacks against the citywide average
% of income on rent
34.7% +13%
Boston: 30.6%
Average gross rent
$2,330 +9%
Boston: $2,147
Average HH income
$157,259 +66%
Boston: $94,755
Poverty rate
3.7% -78%
Boston: 16.9%
Renter share
27.1% -58%
Boston: 64.3%
Peer neighborhoods

Neighborhoods with similar eviction risk

Same county, closest by Eviction Risk Score.

Geographic context

Risk heat across Highland and the region

Click any tract to drill in · 5 tracts span score 3.8–5.6

Why Highland scores 3.8

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 8.2–8.2 across tracts
8.2
Local political climate
Parent city governance · Range 8.5–8.5 across tracts
8.5
Rent control risk
35% of income on rent · Range 8.0–8.0 across tracts
8.0
Eviction process difficulty
State notice requirements & court backlog · Range 8.0–8.0 across tracts
8.0
Tenant organizing strength
27% renter households · Range 8.5–8.5 across tracts
8.5
Housing court bias
County bench composition · Range 8.0–8.0 across tracts
8.0
Economic stress
3.7% below poverty line · Range 1.0–3.0 across tracts
1.0
Supply constraint
Rent-to-FMR gap & zoning friction · Range 1.7–5.0 across tracts
3.2
Risk score comparison

Highland vs. parent city, state, U.S.

Eviction Risk Score (0–10 scale).

Highland score vs. parent city, state, U.S.Highland: 3.83.8HighlandNeighborhoodParent city: 7.17.1Parent cityhost cityState: 6.26.2Stateavg in stateU.S.: 4.74.7U.S.national avgU.S. avg = 5.0
Variance across tracts

How uniformly does eviction risk play out in Highland?

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

Score distribution
0246810
Spread of 1.8 points from 3.8 to 5.6. Moderate variation across constituent tracts.
Tracts as heat grid
Each square = one census tract. Color tracks the same green→red ramp as the chloropleth map above.
Census tracts

5 tracts in Highland

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

Tract Score Pop % over 30% on rent Average rent
25025980900 5.6 30 14% $2,391
25025981900 5.6
25025130101 3.8 6,060 37% $2,615
25025130200 3.8 4,429 39% $1,900
25025130300 3.8 4,347 27% $2,371
Social Vulnerability Index

CDC SVI percentile: 18

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

Socioeconomic status 11%ile
Poverty, unemployment, no-HS-diploma, housing cost burden
Household characteristics 32%ile
Single-parent HH, disability, language barriers, age 17- / 65+
Racial/ethnic minority 36%ile
Hispanic + non-white share of population
Housing & transport 34%ile
Multi-unit structures, mobile homes, crowding, no vehicle
Eviction filings · Princeton Eviction Lab

Court-record eviction history in Highland

Aggregated across 2 validated constituent tracts. Filing rate is filings per 100 renter households, pop-weighted.

Historic baseline (2000–2018)

  • 75Total filings (sum)
  • 1.56%Avg annual filing rate
  • 3.8%Peak year (2016)
  • 1.92%Latest filed (2016)

Pandemic-era tracking (2020–2021)

  • 48Total filings 2020-21
  • 0.3Avg monthly observed
  • 0.6Pre-pandemic baseline
  • 0.62×Ratio to baseline

Pandemic filings ran far below baseline. Tracked under Eviction Lab Eviction Tracking System (Boston, MA).

CDC PLACES 2023 · pop-weighted

Eviction-adjacent indicators in Highland

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

Frequently asked

About Highland

Q1

What is the eviction-risk score for Highland?

Highland scores 3.8/10 (Lower 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.
Q2

How does Highland compare to Boston overall?

Highland scores 3.3 points lower than Boston overall (7.1/10). Renters spend 35% of income on rent vs 31% citywide. Average rent: $2,330 vs $2,147.
Q3

What is the average rent in Highland?

Average gross rent in Highland is $2,330/month (pop-weighted across 5 census tracts, ACS 5-year 2023). 35% of renter households are cost-burdened.
Q4

What percentage of Highland residents are renters?

27% of Highland households are renter-occupied (vs 64% in Boston). The neighborhood has 14,866 residents.
Q5

Is Highland a high social-vulnerability area?

Highland sits in the 18th percentile nationally on the CDC Social Vulnerability Index (low vulnerability). The index combines poverty, unemployment, household composition, racial/ethnic minority share, and housing/transportation factors across all US census tracts.
Q6

Which tracts in Highland have the highest eviction risk?

The highest-risk constituent tract in Highland is census tract 25025980900 (score 5.6/10). Across the 5 tracts in this neighborhood the score ranges from 3.8 to 5.6, a spread of 1.8 points.
Q7

How safe is Highland for landlords?

Highland carries a lower-tier eviction-risk profile for landlords (3.8/10). 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 Boston as a whole (7.1/10), this neighborhood is lower-risk.
Q8

What is the demographic breakdown of Highland?

Highland has 15,220 residents (White (non-Hispanic) Neighborhood). Top groups: White (non-Hispanic) (78.6%), Asian (non-Hispanic) (8.7%), Hispanic / Latino (7.2%). Source: ACS 5-year 2023, table B03002.
Nearby

Other neighborhoods near Highland

Sibling neighborhoods

Other neighborhoods inside Boston

Same parent city, ranked by score similarity to Highland.

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