1 census tracts · pop 4,545 · pop-weighted Eviction Risk Score 9.2/10
· range 9.2–9.2
Park Square is a one-tract neighborhood of Chelsea, MA and houses 4,545 people. That produces an Eviction Risk Score of 9.2/10, High tier. Cost burden runs 57% against 34.7% citywide, putting Park Square 22.3% over its own city.
What pushes the score up most is tenant-organizing strength at 9.8/10. Food insecurity affects 46.0% of adults, 28.2 points above the national rate.
This is a renter market: 90% of occupied units are tenant-occupied. 22.3% of adults report being unable to pay a utility bill, against a 9.2% national figure. Utility arrears usually lead rent arrears by a month or two.
Set annual rent against average household income of $73,889 and the ratio lands at 34%, above the conventional 30% ceiling. 24% 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.
The poverty rate is 29%. Judgments in high-poverty tracts are collectible far less often than the filing statistics suggest. Sitting well above the midpoint is housing-court posture at 7.9/10.
On the high side is rent-regulation exposure at 7.7/10. The filing record is not thin: 188 evictions logged in this tract.
The worst year on record was 2015, when filings touched 4.3% of renter households. Recent filings have not receded much: 3.6% in 2016 against a 4.3% peak. Average gross rent is $2,097, 7% above the Chelsea average of $1,956.
One tract means one number: 9.2/10 applies directly to any address inside the boundary. The number is rebuilt whenever its ACS, court-record, or statutory inputs change.
Risk score
9.2
High
1 tracts · population-weighted
Park Square vs ChelseaHow this neighborhood stacks against the citywide average
Single-parent HH, disability, language barriers, age 17- / 65+
Racial/ethnic minority92%ile
Hispanic + non-white share of population
Housing & transport84%ile
Multi-unit structures, mobile homes, crowding, no vehicle
Eviction filings · Princeton Eviction Lab
Court-record eviction history in Park Square
Aggregated across 1 validated constituent tract. Filing rate is filings per 100 renter households, pop-weighted.
Historic baseline (2000–2018)
188Total filings (sum)
3.48%Avg annual filing rate
4.3%Peak year (2015)
3.55%Latest filed (2016)
Pandemic-era tracking (2020–2021)
95Total filings 2020-21
2.0Avg monthly observed
3.0Pre-pandemic baseline
0.67×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 Park Square
Average across all constituent tracts, population-weighted. Source: CDC PLACES (cwsq-ngmh) crude prevalence.
37.2%Housing insecurity
22.3%Utility shutoff threat
46.0%Food insecurity
48.6%SNAP enrollment
26.0%No health insurance
40.3%Any disability
Frequently asked
About Park Square
Q1
What is the eviction-risk score for Park Square?
Park Square scores 9.2/10 (High 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 Park Square compare to Chelsea overall?
Park Square scores 1.4 points higher than Chelsea overall (7.8/10). Renters spend 57% of income on rent vs 35% citywide. Average rent: $2,097 vs $1,956.
Q3
What is the average rent in Park Square?
Average gross rent in Park Square is $2,097/month (pop-weighted across 1 census tracts, ACS 5-year 2023). 57% of renter households are cost-burdened.
Q4
What percentage of Park Square residents are renters?
90% of Park Square households are renter-occupied (vs 74% in Chelsea). The neighborhood has 4,545 residents.
Q5
Is Park Square a high social-vulnerability area?
Park Square sits in the 94th percentile nationally on the CDC Social Vulnerability Index (highly 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 Park Square for landlords?
Park Square carries a high-tier eviction-risk profile for landlords (9.2/10). 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 Chelsea as a whole (7.8/10), this neighborhood is higher-risk.
Q7
What is the demographic breakdown of Park Square?
Park Square has 4,444 residents. Top groups: Hispanic / Latino (91.9%), White (non-Hispanic) (5.8%), Black (non-Hispanic) (1.8%). Source: ACS 5-year 2023, table B03002.
