Neighborhood · Metuchen, NJ

Pumptown Eviction Risk: Lower

3 census tracts · pop 15,756 · pop-weighted Eviction Risk Score 2.5/10 · range 2.5–2.5

Pumptown is a asian-white neighborhood in Metuchen with 3 census tracts and a population of 15,756 residents. The neighborhood's pop-weighted eviction-risk score of 2.5/10 (Lower tier) blends state law, county-level filing rates, parent-city politics, and tract-specific rent-to-income ratios + poverty. 29% of renters here pay at least 30% of household income on rent, and 21% are severely cost-burdened (≥50% of income). Average gross rent of $1,569/month sits 24% lower than the Metuchen citywide average ($2,078).

Risk score

2.5

Lower

3 tracts · population-weighted

Pumptown vs Metuchen How this neighborhood stacks against the citywide average

% of income on rent

28.8% +6%

Metuchen: 27.1%

Average gross rent

$1,569 -24%

Metuchen: $2,078

Average HH income

$183,907 +17%

Metuchen: $157,779

Poverty rate

2.2% -50%

Metuchen: 4.4%

Renter share

23.7% -7%

Metuchen: 25.4%

Peer neighborhoods

Neighborhoods with similar eviction risk

Same county, closest by Eviction Risk Score.

Geographic context

Risk heat across Pumptown and the region

Click any tract to drill in · 3 tracts span score 2.5–2.5

Why Pumptown scores 2.5

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 6.1–6.1 across tracts

6.1

Local political climate

Parent city governance · Range 6.5–6.8 across tracts

6.7

Rent control risk

29% of income on rent · Range 5.2–6.8 across tracts

6.3

Eviction process difficulty

State notice requirements & court backlog · Range 5.0–6.5 across tracts

5.5

Tenant organizing strength

24% renter households · Range 4.0–5.7 across tracts

4.5

Housing court bias

County bench composition · Range 4.0–5.0 across tracts

4.7

Economic stress

2.2% below poverty line · Range 1.0–1.6 across tracts

1.2

Supply constraint

Rent-to-FMR gap & zoning friction · Range 5.0–6.5 across tracts

5.5

Risk score comparison

Pumptown vs. parent city, state, U.S.

Eviction Risk Score (0–10 scale).

Variance across tracts

How uniformly does eviction risk play out in Pumptown?

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 2.5 to 2.5. Tracts are relatively uniform, so conditions feel similar throughout the neighborhood.

Tracts as heat grid

2.5 2.5 2.5

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

Census tracts

3 tracts in Pumptown

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

Tract↕	Score↕	Pop↕	% over 30% on rent↕	Average rent↕
34023001414	2.5	5,815	27%	$2,218
34023001415	2.5	5,206	32%	—
34023002000	2.5	4,735	28%	$2,498

Social Vulnerability Index

CDC SVI percentile: 16

Pop-weighted across 3 tracts. Higher = more vulnerable to disaster, displacement, and rent shocks. Source: CDC/ATSDR SVI 2022.

Socioeconomic status 5%ile

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

Household characteristics 33%ile

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

Racial/ethnic minority 77%ile

Hispanic + non-white share of population

Housing & transport 26%ile

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

Eviction filings · Princeton Eviction Lab

Court-record eviction history in Pumptown

Aggregated across 3 validated constituent tracts. Filing rate is filings per 100 renter households, pop-weighted.

Historic baseline (2000–2018)

49Total filings (sum)
4.70%Avg annual filing rate
5.3%Peak year (2015)
4.70%Latest filed (2015)

CDC PLACES 2023 · pop-weighted

Eviction-adjacent indicators in Pumptown

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

6.3%Housing insecurity
3.3%Utility shutoff threat
7.4%Food insecurity
3.0%SNAP enrollment
5.1%No health insurance
16.6%Any disability

Frequently asked

About Pumptown

What is the eviction-risk score for Pumptown?

Pumptown scores 2.5/10 (Lower 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.

How does Pumptown compare to Metuchen overall?

Pumptown scores 5.1 points lower than Metuchen overall (7.6/10). Renters spend 29% of income on rent vs 27% citywide. Average rent: $1,569 vs $2,078.

What is the average rent in Pumptown?

Average gross rent in Pumptown is $1,569/month (pop-weighted across 3 census tracts, ACS 5-year 2023). 29% of renter households are cost-burdened.

What percentage of Pumptown residents are renters?

24% of Pumptown households are renter-occupied (vs 25% in Metuchen). The neighborhood has 15,756 residents.

Is Pumptown a high social-vulnerability area?

Pumptown sits in the 16th percentile nationally on the CDC Social Vulnerability Index (low vulnerability). The index combines poverty, unemployment, household composition, racial/ethnic minority share, and housing/transportation factors across all US census tracts.

Which tracts in Pumptown have the highest eviction risk?

The highest-risk constituent tract in Pumptown is census tract 34023001414 (score 2.5/10). Across the 3 tracts in this neighborhood the score ranges from 2.5 to 2.5, a spread of 0 points.

How safe is Pumptown for landlords?

Pumptown carries a lower-tier eviction-risk profile for landlords (2.5/10). 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 Metuchen as a whole (7.6/10), this neighborhood is lower-risk.

What is the demographic breakdown of Pumptown?

Pumptown has 15,777 residents (Asian-White Neighborhood). Top groups: Asian (non-Hispanic) (53.9%), White (non-Hispanic) (30.4%), Other / Multiracial (7.8%). Source: ACS 5-year 2023, table B03002.

Nearby

Other neighborhoods near Pumptown

2.7 Robinvale 3 tracts · pop 10,161 2.8 Menlo Park 7 tracts · pop 28,542 2.6 Bonhamtown 3 tracts · pop 15,190 2.8 Fords 4 tracts · pop 15,442 2.9 Iselin 4 tracts · pop 15,823 2.1 Colonia 3 tracts · pop 13,794

Sibling neighborhoods

Other neighborhoods inside Metuchen

Same parent city, ranked by score similarity to Pumptown.

2.6 Bonhamtown 3 tracts · pop 15,190 2.8 Robinvale 3 tracts · pop 10,161

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