3 census tracts · pop 9,838 · pop-weighted Eviction Risk Score 5.9/10
· range 5.4–6.6
Westwood takes in 3 census tracts of Kalamazoo, MI and houses 9,838 people. It carries an Eviction Risk Score of 5.9/10, in the Moderate tier. 54% of renters here are cost-burdened at the 30% threshold, clearly above the Kalamazoo rate of 34.5%.
What pushes the score up most is tenant-organizing strength at 9.2/10. Severe burden reaches 24%. A tenant at that level absorbs no shock: one cut shift or one repair bill converts directly into arrears. Scores across the 3 constituent tracts range from 5.4 to 6.6. A 1.2-point internal spread means block-level underwriting beats area-level here.
Running hot is housing-court posture at 7.6/10. The filing record is not thin: 258 evictions logged in this tract. Sitting well above the midpoint is rent-regulation exposure at 7.4/10.
The worst year on record was 2016, when filings touched 13.2% of renter households. At $1,196 a month, rents sit 11% over what the rest of Kalamazoo commands. Recent filings have not receded much: 11.7% in 2018 against a 13.2% peak.
That places it #14 of 16 neighborhoods in Kalamazoo. The closest comparables inside the same city are Douglas and South Westnedge. Annual rent works out to 26% of average household income of $56,142.
Underwrite the address, not the area: with 1.2 points between its best and worst tract, the per-tract table below is the operative number. Scores move when the ACS release, the court-record feed, or the statute ledger behind them moves.
Risk score
5.9
Moderate
3 tracts · population-weighted
Westwood vs KalamazooHow this neighborhood stacks against the citywide average
Single-parent HH, disability, language barriers, age 17- / 65+
Racial/ethnic minority46%ile
Hispanic + non-white share of population
Housing & transport56%ile
Multi-unit structures, mobile homes, crowding, no vehicle
Eviction filings · Princeton Eviction Lab
Court-record eviction history in Westwood
Aggregated across 1 validated constituent tract. Filing rate is filings per 100 renter households, pop-weighted.
Historic baseline (2000–2018)
258Total filings (sum)
12.47%Avg annual filing rate
13.2%Peak year (2016)
11.69%Latest filed (2018)
CDC PLACES 2023 · pop-weighted
Eviction-adjacent indicators in Westwood
Average across all constituent tracts, population-weighted. Source: CDC PLACES (cwsq-ngmh) crude prevalence.
10.2%Housing insecurity
7.4%Utility shutoff threat
13.7%Food insecurity
12.2%SNAP enrollment
6.3%No health insurance
30.3%Any disability
Frequently asked
About Westwood
Q1
What is the eviction-risk score for Westwood?
Westwood scores 5.9/10 (Moderate tier) across 3 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 Westwood compare to Kalamazoo overall?
Westwood scores 0.0 points higher than Kalamazoo overall (5.9/10). Renters spend 54% of income on rent vs 35% citywide. Average rent: $1,196 vs $1,078.
Q3
What is the average rent in Westwood?
Average gross rent in Westwood is $1,196/month (pop-weighted across 3 census tracts, ACS 5-year 2023). 54% of renter households are cost-burdened.
Q4
What percentage of Westwood residents are renters?
64% of Westwood households are renter-occupied (vs 58% in Kalamazoo). The neighborhood has 9,838 residents.
Q5
Is Westwood a high social-vulnerability area?
Westwood sits in the 50th 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
Which tracts in Westwood have the highest eviction risk?
The highest-risk constituent tract in Westwood is census tract 26077002906 (score 6.6/10). Across the 3 tracts in this neighborhood the score ranges from 5.4 to 6.6, a spread of 1.2 points.
Q7
How safe is Westwood for landlords?
Westwood carries a moderate-tier eviction-risk profile for landlords (5.9/10). Pop-weighted across 3 constituent tracts, the score blends parent-city rent-control posture, county eviction-process timelines, and tract-specific rent-to-income / poverty signals. Compared to Kalamazoo as a whole (5.9/10), this neighborhood is in line with the citywide level.
Q8
What is the demographic breakdown of Westwood?
Westwood has 10,078 residents. Top groups: White (non-Hispanic) (67.4%), Black (non-Hispanic) (16.7%), Other / Multiracial (7.5%). Source: ACS 5-year 2023, table B03002.
