Neighborhood · Newark, NJ

University Heights Eviction Risk: High

31 census tracts · pop 86,459 · pop-weighted Eviction Risk Score 8.2/10 · range 5.1–9.4

University Heights is a black-hispanic neighborhood in Newark with 31 census tracts and a population of 86,459 residents. The neighborhood's pop-weighted eviction-risk score of 8.2/10 (High tier) blends state law, county-level filing rates, parent-city politics, and tract-specific rent-to-income ratios + poverty. 57% of renters here pay at least 30% of household income on rent, and 34% are severely cost-burdened (≥50% of income). Average gross rent of $1,364/month sits 2% lower than the Newark citywide average ($1,392).

Risk score

8.2

High

31 tracts · population-weighted

University Heights vs Newark How this neighborhood stacks against the citywide average

% of income on rent

56.8% +69%

Newark: 33.7%

Average gross rent

$1,364 -2%

Newark: $1,392

Average HH income

$50,453 +4%

Newark: $48,416

Poverty rate

25.9% +5%

Newark: 24.7%

Renter share

70.8% -6%

Newark: 75.6%

Peer neighborhoods

Neighborhoods with similar eviction risk

Same county, closest by Eviction Risk Score.

Geographic context

Risk heat across University Heights and the region

Click any tract to drill in · 31 tracts span score 5.1–9.4

Why University Heights scores 8.2

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

State political climate

legislature & governorship · Range 6.8–6.8 across tracts

6.8

Regional political climate

County-level mix · 2024 presidential margin · Range 7.8–7.8 across tracts

7.8

Local political climate

Parent city governance · Range 6.8–8.5 across tracts

8.4

Rent control risk

57% of income on rent · Range 6.8–9.0 across tracts

8.8

Eviction process difficulty

State notice requirements & court backlog · Range 5.0–8.5 across tracts

8.2

Tenant organizing strength

71% renter households · Range 4.0–9.8 across tracts

7.9

Housing court bias

County bench composition · Range 5.0–8.0 across tracts

7.8

Economic stress

25.9% below poverty line · Range 2.0–10.0 across tracts

6.2

Supply constraint

Rent-to-FMR gap & zoning friction · Range 1.0–4.1 across tracts

1.9

Risk score comparison

University Heights vs. parent city, state, U.S.

Eviction Risk Score (0–10 scale).

Variance across tracts

How uniformly does eviction risk play out in University Heights?

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

Score distribution

0246810

Spread of 4.3 points from 5.1 to 9.4. This neighborhood crosses multiple risk tiers, so block-by-block conditions vary substantially.

Tracts as heat grid

9.4 9.2 9.2 9.1 9.0 9.0 9.0 9.0 9.0 9.0 8.9 8.8 8.7 8.7 8.6 8.5 8.4 8.3 8.2 8.2 7.9 7.9 7.9 7.8 7.7 7.6 7.2 7.2 7.0 6.9 5.1

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

Census tracts

31 tracts in University Heights

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

Tract↕	Score↕	Pop↕	% over 30% on rent↕	Average rent↕
34013023000	9.4	3,378	57%	$472
34013003500	9.2	2,909	76%	$1,593
34013008200	9.2	2,325	55%	$905
34013001000	9.1	3,838	47%	$1,171
34013001700	9	2,516	77%	$1,526
34013001900	9	2,447	41%	$1,184
34013003700	9	2,333	47%	$1,241
34013001500	9	2,054	38%	$539
34013003800	9	2,030	73%	$1,197
34013003900	9	1,350	54%	$642
34013003100	8.9	1,828	50%	$1,088
34013001300	8.8	2,183	70%	$1,793
34013002800	8.7	2,388	54%	$1,729
34013008900	8.7	2,377	59%	$1,328
34013010800	8.6	2,845	61%	$1,571
34013010900	8.5	2,487	68%	$1,120
34013006400	8.4	1,398	71%	$1,949
34013000900	8.3	3,191	46%	$963
34013000700	8.2	5,974	47%	$1,284
34013001600	8.2	2,151	47%	$1,439
34013023100	7.9	2,422	56%	$1,431
34013002600	7.9	1,567	48%	$1,028
34013009000	7.9	1,561	51%	$1,435
34013000800	7.8	5,593	45%	$1,736
34013008700	7.7	3,985	63%	$1,296
34013009100	7.6	3,662	77%	$1,735
34013001400	7.2	3,255	52%	$1,407
34013001800	7.2	2,456	61%	$1,570
34013008800	7	2,091	63%	$1,637
34013001100	6.9	3,524	70%	$1,938
34013013300	5.1	4,341	52%	$1,574

Social Vulnerability Index

CDC SVI percentile: 91

Pop-weighted across 31 tracts. Higher = more vulnerable to disaster, displacement, and rent shocks. Source: CDC/ATSDR SVI 2022.

Socioeconomic status 90%ile

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

Household characteristics 82%ile

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

Racial/ethnic minority 95%ile

Hispanic + non-white share of population

Housing & transport 76%ile

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

Eviction filings · Princeton Eviction Lab

Court-record eviction history in University Heights

Aggregated across 31 validated constituent tracts. Filing rate is filings per 100 renter households, pop-weighted.

Historic baseline (2000–2018)

36,186Total filings (sum)
30.21%Avg annual filing rate
96.1%Peak year (2018)
30.45%Latest filed (2018)

CDC PLACES 2023 · pop-weighted

Eviction-adjacent indicators in University Heights

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

30.8%Housing insecurity
19.5%Utility shutoff threat
37.2%Food insecurity
29.3%SNAP enrollment
21.9%No health insurance
32.0%Any disability

Frequently asked

About University Heights

What is the eviction-risk score for University Heights?

University Heights scores 8.2/10 (High tier) across 31 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 University Heights compare to Newark overall?

University Heights scores 0.8 points lower than Newark overall (9/10). Renters spend 57% of income on rent vs 34% citywide. Average rent: $1,364 vs $1,392.

What is the average rent in University Heights?

Average gross rent in University Heights is $1,364/month (pop-weighted across 31 census tracts, ACS 5-year 2023). 57% of renter households are cost-burdened.

What percentage of University Heights residents are renters?

71% of University Heights households are renter-occupied (vs 76% in Newark). The neighborhood has 86,459 residents.

Is University Heights a high social-vulnerability area?

University Heights sits in the 91st 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 University Heights have the highest eviction risk?

The highest-risk constituent tract in University Heights is census tract 34013023000 (score 9.4/10). Across the 31 tracts in this neighborhood the score ranges from 5.1 to 9.4, a spread of 4.3 points.

How safe is University Heights for landlords?

University Heights carries a high-tier eviction-risk profile for landlords (8.2/10). Pop-weighted across 31 constituent tracts, the score blends parent-city rent-control posture, county eviction-process timelines, and tract-specific rent-to-income / poverty signals. Compared to Newark as a whole (9/10), this neighborhood is lower-risk.

What is the demographic breakdown of University Heights?

University Heights has 87,796 residents (Black-Hispanic Neighborhood). Top groups: Black (non-Hispanic) (55.4%), Hispanic / Latino (33.7%), Other / Multiracial (4.5%). Source: ACS 5-year 2023, table B03002.

Nearby

Other neighborhoods near University Heights

8.6 Teachers Village 17 tracts · pop 59,548 4.7 Academy Heights 15 tracts · pop 66,349 7.9 East Ferry 7 tracts · pop 32,169 4.1 Hutton Park 12 tracts · pop 55,735

Sibling neighborhoods

Other neighborhoods inside Newark

Same parent city, ranked by score similarity to University Heights.

7.9 East Ferry 7 tracts · pop 32,169 8.5 Teachers Village 17 tracts · pop 59,548 4.8 Academy Heights 15 tracts · pop 66,349

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