2 census tracts · pop 7,968 · pop-weighted Eviction Risk Score 7.2/10
· range 6–8.4
Hillcrest takes in 2 census tracts of Trenton, NJ, population 7,968. Scored across those inputs it reaches 7.2/10, placing it in the Elevated tier. Pulling the other way is supply constraint, at 1.1/10.
Scores across the 2 constituent tracts range from 6 to 8.4. A 2.4-point internal spread means block-level underwriting beats area-level here. The severe-burden share is 20%. Those renters are past the 50% mark, and they miss rent for reasons that have nothing to do with willingness to pay.
Running hot is rent-regulation exposure at 7.2/10. Filings are well documented here: 1,199 across 2 observed tracts. Cost burden runs 39% against 34.0% citywide, putting Hillcrest 4.7% over its own city.
The poverty rate is 17%. Judgments in high-poverty tracts are collectible far less often than the filing statistics suggest. CDC survey data puts housing insecurity at 21.3% of adults, against 14.2% nationally.
Filing activity peaked in 2018 at 51.8% of renter households. That places it #13 of 13 neighborhoods in Trenton. Judgments average 2.4% of renter households a year, the share of filings that actually convert to an order.
The closest comparables inside the same city are East Trenton and Chambersburg. Social vulnerability runs high at 8.2/10, concentrating the disaster- and displacement-exposure this model treats as a lagging risk input. Against average income of $74,315, annual rent is only 20%, a wide affordability cushion.
For a specific building, read the per-tract breakdown below rather than the 7.2 headline, because the internal range is too wide to average safely. Scores move when the ACS release, the court-record feed, or the statute ledger behind them moves.
Risk score
7.2
Elevated
2 tracts · population-weighted
Hillcrest vs TrentonHow this neighborhood stacks against the citywide average
Single-parent HH, disability, language barriers, age 17- / 65+
Racial/ethnic minority82%ile
Hispanic + non-white share of population
Housing & transport75%ile
Multi-unit structures, mobile homes, crowding, no vehicle
Eviction filings · Princeton Eviction Lab
Court-record eviction history in Hillcrest
Aggregated across 2 validated constituent tracts. Filing rate is filings per 100 renter households, pop-weighted.
Historic baseline (2000–2018)
1,199Total filings (sum)
24.62%Avg annual filing rate
51.8%Peak year (2018)
22.41%Latest filed (2018)
CDC PLACES 2023 · pop-weighted
Eviction-adjacent indicators in Hillcrest
Average across all constituent tracts, population-weighted. Source: CDC PLACES (cwsq-ngmh) crude prevalence.
21.4%Housing insecurity
13.4%Utility shutoff threat
24.2%Food insecurity
17.2%SNAP enrollment
12.8%No health insurance
27.5%Any disability
Frequently asked
About Hillcrest
Q1
What is the eviction-risk score for Hillcrest?
Hillcrest scores 7.2/10 (Elevated tier) across 2 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 Hillcrest compare to Trenton overall?
Hillcrest scores 0.2 points higher than Trenton overall (7/10). Renters spend 39% of income on rent vs 34% citywide. Average rent: $1,225 vs $1,294.
Q3
What is the average rent in Hillcrest?
Average gross rent in Hillcrest is $1,225/month (pop-weighted across 2 census tracts, ACS 5-year 2023). 39% of renter households are cost-burdened.
Q4
What percentage of Hillcrest residents are renters?
46% of Hillcrest households are renter-occupied (vs 62% in Trenton). The neighborhood has 7,968 residents.
Q5
Is Hillcrest a high social-vulnerability area?
Hillcrest sits in the 80th 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 Hillcrest have the highest eviction risk?
The highest-risk constituent tract in Hillcrest is census tract 34021001300 (score 8.4/10). Across the 2 tracts in this neighborhood the score ranges from 6 to 8.4, a spread of 2.4 points.
Q7
How safe is Hillcrest for landlords?
Hillcrest carries a elevated-tier eviction-risk profile for landlords (7.2/10). Pop-weighted across 2 constituent tracts, the score blends parent-city rent-control posture, county eviction-process timelines, and tract-specific rent-to-income / poverty signals. Compared to Trenton as a whole (7/10), this neighborhood is in line with the citywide level.
Q8
What is the demographic breakdown of Hillcrest?
Hillcrest has 7,373 residents. Top groups: Black (non-Hispanic) (52.1%), White (non-Hispanic) (25.3%), Hispanic / Latino (14.9%). Source: ACS 5-year 2023, table B03002.
