4 census tracts · pop 14,212 · pop-weighted Eviction Risk Score 7.4/10
· range 6.1–8
Webster Square takes in 4 census tracts of Worcester, MA, population 14,212. Scored across those inputs it reaches 7.4/10, placing it in the Elevated tier. Cost burden runs 61% against 32.0% citywide, putting Webster Square 28.7% over its own city.
Severe burden reaches 34%. A tenant at that level absorbs no shock: one cut shift or one repair bill converts directly into arrears. Scores across the 4 constituent tracts range from 6.1 to 8. A 1.9-point internal spread means block-level underwriting beats area-level here.
The clearest offset is supply constraint, at 2.4/10. The poverty rate is 18%. Judgments in high-poverty tracts are collectible far less often than the filing statistics suggest.
Filings are well documented here: 139 across 4 observed tracts. At $1,257 a month, rents sit 15% under what the rest of Worcester commands. SNAP participation is 25.8% of households versus 15.2% nationally.
Running hot is eviction-process difficulty at 7/10. The worst year on record was 2015, when filings touched 8.0% of renter households. On the high side is tenant-organizing strength at 7/10.
Among the 17 mapped neighborhoods of Worcester, it ranks #12 by risk, the lower third. Judgments average 2.0% of renter households a year, the share of filings that actually convert to an order.
The closest comparables inside the same city are Morningdale and Providence Street Historic District. Social vulnerability runs high at 7.9/10, concentrating the disaster- and displacement-exposure this model treats as a lagging risk input.
For a specific building, read the per-tract breakdown below rather than the 7.4 headline, because the internal range is too wide to average safely. The number is rebuilt whenever its ACS, court-record, or statutory inputs change.
Risk score
7.4
Elevated
4 tracts · population-weighted
Webster Square vs WorcesterHow this neighborhood stacks against the citywide average
Single-parent HH, disability, language barriers, age 17- / 65+
Racial/ethnic minority66%ile
Hispanic + non-white share of population
Housing & transport72%ile
Multi-unit structures, mobile homes, crowding, no vehicle
Eviction filings · Princeton Eviction Lab
Court-record eviction history in Webster Square
Aggregated across 4 validated constituent tracts. Filing rate is filings per 100 renter households, pop-weighted.
Historic baseline (2000–2018)
139Total filings (sum)
5.83%Avg annual filing rate
8.0%Peak year (2015)
5.83%Latest filed (2015)
CDC PLACES 2023 · pop-weighted
Eviction-adjacent indicators in Webster Square
Average across all constituent tracts, population-weighted. Source: CDC PLACES (cwsq-ngmh) crude prevalence.
17.9%Housing insecurity
12.2%Utility shutoff threat
22.9%Food insecurity
26.1%SNAP enrollment
8.9%No health insurance
33.0%Any disability
Frequently asked
About Webster Square
Q1
What is the eviction-risk score for Webster Square?
Webster Square scores 7.4/10 (Elevated tier) across 4 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 Webster Square compare to Worcester overall?
Webster Square scores 0.8 points higher than Worcester overall (6.6/10). Renters spend 61% of income on rent vs 32% citywide. Average rent: $1,257 vs $1,487.
Q3
What is the average rent in Webster Square?
Average gross rent in Webster Square is $1,257/month (pop-weighted across 4 census tracts, ACS 5-year 2023). 61% of renter households are cost-burdened.
Q4
What percentage of Webster Square residents are renters?
50% of Webster Square households are renter-occupied (vs 57% in Worcester). The neighborhood has 14,212 residents.
Q5
Is Webster Square a high social-vulnerability area?
Webster Square sits in the 77th 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
Which tracts in Webster Square have the highest eviction risk?
The highest-risk constituent tract in Webster Square is census tract 25027731002 (score 8/10). Across the 4 tracts in this neighborhood the score ranges from 6.1 to 8, a spread of 1.9 points.
Q7
How safe is Webster Square for landlords?
Webster Square carries a elevated-tier eviction-risk profile for landlords (7.4/10). Pop-weighted across 4 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 (6.6/10), this neighborhood is higher-risk.
Q8
What is the demographic breakdown of Webster Square?
Webster Square has 14,142 residents. Top groups: White (non-Hispanic) (49.1%), Hispanic / Latino (26.1%), Asian (non-Hispanic) (11.3%). Source: ACS 5-year 2023, table B03002.
