Neighborhood · Worcester, MA

Rice Square Eviction Risk: Moderate

1 census tracts · pop 4,352 · pop-weighted Eviction Risk Score 5.1/10 · range 5.1–5.1

Rice Square is a white-hispanic neighborhood in Worcester with 1 census tract and a population of 4,352 residents. The neighborhood's pop-weighted eviction-risk score of 5.1/10 (Moderate tier) blends state law, county-level filing rates, parent-city politics, and tract-specific rent-to-income ratios + poverty. 64% of renters here pay at least 30% of household income on rent, and 25% are severely cost-burdened (≥50% of income). Average gross rent of $1,575/month sits 6% higher than the Worcester citywide average ($1,487).

Risk score

5.1

Moderate

1 tracts · population-weighted

Rice Square vs Worcester How this neighborhood stacks against the citywide average

% of income on rent

63.8% +99%

Worcester: 32.0%

Average gross rent

$1,575 +6%

Worcester: $1,487

Average HH income

$64,864 -4%

Worcester: $67,544

Poverty rate

13.5% -32%

Worcester: 19.8%

Renter share

56.9% -1%

Worcester: 57.3%

Peer neighborhoods

Neighborhoods with similar eviction risk

Same county, closest by Eviction Risk Score.

Geographic context

Risk heat across Rice Square and the region

Click any tract to drill in · 1 tracts span score 5.1–5.1

Why Rice Square scores 5.1

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 5.9–5.9 across tracts

5.9

Local political climate

Parent city governance · Range 7.0–7.0 across tracts

7.0

Rent control risk

64% of income on rent · Range 6.0–6.0 across tracts

6.0

Eviction process difficulty

State notice requirements & court backlog · Range 7.0–7.0 across tracts

7.0

Tenant organizing strength

57% renter households · Range 7.0–7.0 across tracts

7.0

Housing court bias

County bench composition · Range 7.0–7.0 across tracts

7.0

Economic stress

13.5% below poverty line · Range 3.4–3.4 across tracts

3.4

Supply constraint

Rent-to-FMR gap & zoning friction · Range 3.5–3.5 across tracts

3.5

Risk score comparison

Rice Square vs. parent city, state, U.S.

Eviction Risk Score (0–10 scale).

Census tracts

1 tracts in Rice Square

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

Tract↕	Score↕	Pop↕	% over 30% on rent↕	Average rent↕
25027732302	5.1	4,352	64%	$1,575

Social Vulnerability Index

CDC SVI percentile: 86

Pop-weighted across 1 tracts. Higher = more vulnerable to disaster, displacement, and rent shocks. Source: CDC/ATSDR SVI 2022.

Socioeconomic status 64%ile

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

Household characteristics 96%ile

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

Racial/ethnic minority 65%ile

Hispanic + non-white share of population

Housing & transport 87%ile

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

Eviction filings · Princeton Eviction Lab

Court-record eviction history in Rice Square

Aggregated across 1 validated constituent tract. Filing rate is filings per 100 renter households, pop-weighted.

Historic baseline (2000–2018)

40Total filings (sum)
4.68%Avg annual filing rate
4.7%Peak year (2015)
4.68%Latest filed (2015)

CDC PLACES 2023 · pop-weighted

Eviction-adjacent indicators in Rice Square

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

17.9%Housing insecurity
11.7%Utility shutoff threat
21.0%Food insecurity
23.7%SNAP enrollment
8.4%No health insurance
30.9%Any disability

Frequently asked

About Rice Square

What is the eviction-risk score for Rice Square?

Rice Square scores 5.1/10 (Moderate 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.

How does Rice Square compare to Worcester overall?

Rice Square scores 1.3 points lower than Worcester overall (6.4/10). Renters spend 64% of income on rent vs 32% citywide. Average rent: $1,575 vs $1,487.

What is the average rent in Rice Square?

Average gross rent in Rice Square is $1,575/month (pop-weighted across 1 census tracts, ACS 5-year 2023). 64% of renter households are cost-burdened.

What percentage of Rice Square residents are renters?

57% of Rice Square households are renter-occupied (vs 57% in Worcester). The neighborhood has 4,352 residents.

Is Rice Square a high social-vulnerability area?

Rice Square sits in the 86th 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.

How safe is Rice Square for landlords?

Rice Square carries a moderate-tier eviction-risk profile for landlords (5.1/10). 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 Worcester as a whole (6.4/10), this neighborhood is lower-risk.

What is the demographic breakdown of Rice Square?

Rice Square has 4,558 residents (White-Hispanic Neighborhood). Top groups: White (non-Hispanic) (46.9%), Hispanic / Latino (32%), Other / Multiracial (9.2%). Source: ACS 5-year 2023, table B03002.

Nearby

Other neighborhoods near Rice Square

4.1 Hamilton 3 tracts · pop 10,785 5.8 Fay Street Historic District 2 tracts · pop 6,030 5.1 Providence Street Historic District 4 tracts · pop 18,957 4.7 Redwood Hills 3 tracts · pop 15,225 4.2 Lincoln Square 7 tracts · pop 29,850 6.5 Main South 2 tracts · pop 9,006

Sibling neighborhoods

Other neighborhoods inside Worcester

Same parent city, ranked by score similarity to Rice Square.

5.4 Providence Street Historic District 4 tracts · pop 18,957 5.4 Webster Square 4 tracts · pop 14,212 5.4 Piedmont 2 tracts · pop 8,169 5.5 Morningdale 2 tracts · pop 10,741 4.6 Redwood Hills 3 tracts · pop 15,225 5.7 Fay Street Historic District 2 tracts · pop 6,030

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