Neighborhood · Springfield, MO

West Central Eviction Risk: Moderate

4 census tracts · pop 9,158 · pop-weighted Eviction Risk Score 4.8/10 · range 4.8–4.8

West Central spans 4 census tracts of Springfield, MO, population 9,158. It carries an Eviction Risk Score of 4.8/10, in the Moderate tier. 53% of renters here are cost-burdened at the 30% threshold, well clear of the Springfield rate of 29.4%.

The poverty rate is 41%, which shows up in this model as reduced rent-recovery odds after a judgment. What pushes the score up most is economic stress at 9.1/10. This is a renter market: 84% of occupied units are tenant-occupied.

Severe burden reaches 28%. A tenant at that level absorbs no shock: one cut shift or one repair bill converts directly into arrears. Running cool is rent-regulation exposure, at 1/10. Annualized rent equals 36% of average household income here, past the 30% affordability line, which compresses the margin any screening standard has to work with.

Well under the midpoint is tenant-organizing strength, at 2/10. 16.4% 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. Filings are well documented here: 1,966 across 2 observed tracts.

Food insecurity affects 26.9% of adults, 9.1 points above the national rate. Filing activity peaked in 2017 at 15.0% of renter households.

Average gross rent is $878, 9% below the Springfield average of $964. Among the 25 mapped neighborhoods of Springfield, it ranks #1 by risk, the upper third.

With little internal variation, 4.8/10 is a fair proxy for any address inside the boundary. Scores move when the ACS release, the court-record feed, or the statute ledger behind them moves.

Risk score

4.8

Moderate

4 tracts · population-weighted

West Central vs Springfield How this neighborhood stacks against the citywide average

% of income on rent

53.3% +81%

Springfield: 29.4%

Average gross rent

$878 -9%

Springfield: $964

Average HH income

$29,533 -36%

Springfield: $45,984

Poverty rate

40.9% +111%

Springfield: 19.4%

Renter share

84.3% +50%

Springfield: 56.1%

Peer neighborhoods

Neighborhoods with similar eviction risk

Same county, closest by Eviction Risk Score.

Geographic context

Risk heat across West Central and the region

Click any tract to drill in · 4 tracts span score 4.8–4.8

Why West Central scores 4.8

9 axes · pop-weighted · 1 = landlord-friendly

State political climate

legislature & governorship · Range 2.1–2.1 across tracts

2.1

Regional political climate

County-level mix · 2024 presidential margin · Range 4.0–4.0 across tracts

4.0

Local political climate

Parent city governance · Range 3.5–3.5 across tracts

3.5

Rent control risk

53% of income on rent · Range 1.0–1.0 across tracts

1.0

Eviction process difficulty

State notice requirements & court backlog · Range 2.5–2.5 across tracts

2.5

Tenant organizing strength

84% renter households · Range 2.0–2.0 across tracts

2.0

Housing court bias

County bench composition · Range 2.5–2.5 across tracts

2.5

Economic stress

40.9% below poverty line · Range 6.4–10.0 across tracts

9.1

Supply constraint

Rent-to-FMR gap & zoning friction · Range 3.2–7.2 across tracts

3.8

Risk score comparison

West Central vs. parent city, state, U.S.

Eviction Risk Score (0–10 scale).

Variance across tracts

How uniformly does eviction risk play out in West Central?

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

Score distribution

0246810

Spread of 0 points from 4.8 to 4.8. Tracts are relatively uniform, so conditions feel similar throughout the neighborhood.

Tracts as heat grid

4.8 4.8 4.8 4.8

Each square = one census tract. Color tracks the same green→red ramp as the chloropleth map above.

Census tracts

4 tracts in West Central

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

Tract↕	Score↕	Pop↕	% over 30% on rent↕	Average rent↕
29077000502	4.8	4,023	58%	$815
29077000501	4.8	2,367	41%	$855
29077000102	4.8	1,673	62%	$842
29077000101	4.8	1,095	51%	$1,217

Social Vulnerability Index

CDC SVI percentile: 79

Pop-weighted across 4 tracts. Higher = more vulnerable to disaster, displacement, and rent shocks. Source: CDC/ATSDR SVI 2022.

Socioeconomic status 92%ile

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

Household characteristics 19%ile

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

Racial/ethnic minority 43%ile

Hispanic + non-white share of population

Housing & transport 90%ile

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

Eviction filings · Princeton Eviction Lab

Court-record eviction history in West Central

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

Historic baseline (2000–2018)

1,966Total filings (sum)
9.65%Avg annual filing rate
15.0%Peak year (2017)
11.11%Latest filed (2017)

CDC PLACES 2023 · pop-weighted

Eviction-adjacent indicators in West Central

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

20.4%Housing insecurity
16.9%Utility shutoff threat
27.8%Food insecurity
25.8%SNAP enrollment
13.2%No health insurance
45.3%Any disability

Frequently asked

About West Central

What is the eviction-risk score for West Central?

West Central scores 4.8/10 (Moderate 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.

How does West Central compare to Springfield overall?

West Central scores 1.4 points higher than Springfield overall (3.4/10). Renters spend 53% of income on rent vs 29% citywide. Average rent: $878 vs $964.

What is the average rent in West Central?

Average gross rent in West Central is $878/month (pop-weighted across 4 census tracts, ACS 5-year 2023). 53% of renter households are cost-burdened.

What percentage of West Central residents are renters?

84% of West Central households are renter-occupied (vs 56% in Springfield). The neighborhood has 9,158 residents.

Is West Central a high social-vulnerability area?

West Central sits in the 79th 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.

Which tracts in West Central have the highest eviction risk?

The highest-risk constituent tract in West Central is census tract 29077000502 (score 4.8/10). Across the 4 tracts in this neighborhood the score ranges from 4.8 to 4.8, a spread of 0 points.

How safe is West Central for landlords?

West Central carries a moderate-tier eviction-risk profile for landlords (4.8/10). 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 Springfield as a whole (3.4/10), this neighborhood is higher-risk.

What is the demographic breakdown of West Central?

West Central has 9,081 residents. Top groups: White (non-Hispanic) (72.4%), Other / Multiracial (9.5%), Black (non-Hispanic) (8.2%). Source: ACS 5-year 2023, table B03002.

Nearby

Other neighborhoods near West Central

4 Phelps Grove/University Heights 2 tracts · pop 9,227 4.8 Heart of the Westside 2 tracts · pop 6,579 4.8 Westside 2 tracts · pop 6,665 4.3 Woodland Heights 2 tracts · pop 6,130 3.5 Mark Twain 3 tracts · pop 9,849 4.8 Robberson 2 tracts · pop 7,880

Sibling neighborhoods

Other neighborhoods inside Springfield

Same parent city, ranked by score similarity to West Central.

4.8 Fassnight 1 tracts · pop 5,238 4.8 Ewing 1 tracts · pop 2,576 4.8 Grant Beach 1 tracts · pop 2,765 4.8 Midtown 1 tracts · pop 4,447 4.8 Weller 1 tracts · pop 3,596 4.8 Rountree/Walnut 1 tracts · pop 5,350

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