Neighborhood · Buffalo, NY

Kensington Eviction Risk: Elevated

11 census tracts · pop 41,070 · pop-weighted Eviction Risk Score 7.5/10 · range 3.8–9.1

Kensington is a black (non-hispanic) neighborhood in Buffalo with 11 census tracts and a population of 41,070 residents. The neighborhood's pop-weighted eviction-risk score of 7.5/10 (Elevated tier) blends state law, county-level filing rates, parent-city politics, and tract-specific rent-to-income ratios + poverty. 48% of renters here pay at least 30% of household income on rent, and 29% are severely cost-burdened (≥50% of income). Average gross rent of $981/month sits 6% lower than the Buffalo citywide average ($1,046).

Risk score

7.5

Elevated

11 tracts · population-weighted

Kensington vs Buffalo How this neighborhood stacks against the citywide average

% of income on rent

48.1% +53%

Buffalo: 31.4%

Average gross rent

$981 -6%

Buffalo: $1,046

Average HH income

$56,186 +17%

Buffalo: $48,050

Poverty rate

25.8% -6%

Buffalo: 27.4%

Renter share

44.2% -22%

Buffalo: 57.0%

Peer neighborhoods

Neighborhoods with similar eviction risk

Same county, closest by Eviction Risk Score.

Geographic context

Risk heat across Kensington and the region

Click any tract to drill in · 11 tracts span score 3.8–9.1

Why Kensington scores 7.5

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

State political climate

legislature & governorship · Range 7.3–7.3 across tracts

7.3

Regional political climate

County-level mix · 2024 presidential margin · Range 5.7–5.7 across tracts

5.7

Local political climate

Parent city governance · Range 6.2–8.0 across tracts

7.5

Rent control risk

48% of income on rent · Range 4.3–7.5 across tracts

6.8

Eviction process difficulty

State notice requirements & court backlog · Range 6.8–8.0 across tracts

7.6

Tenant organizing strength

44% renter households · Range 6.0–7.5 across tracts

7.1

Housing court bias

County bench composition · Range 4.8–7.5 across tracts

6.8

Economic stress

25.8% below poverty line · Range 1.7–10.0 across tracts

6.1

Supply constraint

Rent-to-FMR gap & zoning friction · Range 1.0–4.8 across tracts

3.4

Risk score comparison

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

Eviction Risk Score (0–10 scale).

Variance across tracts

How uniformly does eviction risk play out in Kensington?

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

Score distribution

0246810

Spread of 5.3 points from 3.8 to 9.1. This neighborhood crosses multiple risk tiers, so block-by-block conditions vary substantially.

Tracts as heat grid

9.1 9.0 8.9 8.9 8.8 8.4 8.1 8.1 5.7 5.2 3.8

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

Census tracts

11 tracts in Kensington

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

Tract↕	Score↕	Pop↕	% over 30% on rent↕	Average rent↕
36029004402	9.1	2,698	51%	$565
36029004300	9	6,969	53%	$1,140
36029004200	8.9	3,784	57%	$1,057
36029004701	8.9	2,299	55%	$1,148
36029003901	8.8	1,219	75%	$833
36029004100	8.4	4,500	50%	$917
36029004401	8.1	4,631	45%	$954
36029017000	8.1	2,486	77%	$980
36029010202	5.7	4,975	53%	$1,043
36029010201	5.2	2,519	30%	$971
36029009501	3.8	4,990	14%	$913

Social Vulnerability Index

CDC SVI percentile: 58

Pop-weighted across 11 tracts. Higher = more vulnerable to disaster, displacement, and rent shocks. Source: CDC/ATSDR SVI 2022.

Socioeconomic status 56%ile

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

Household characteristics 67%ile

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

Racial/ethnic minority 80%ile

Hispanic + non-white share of population

Housing & transport 37%ile

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

CDC PLACES 2023 · pop-weighted

Eviction-adjacent indicators in Kensington

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

25.8%Housing insecurity
18.9%Utility shutoff threat
30.6%Food insecurity
32.7%SNAP enrollment
8.1%No health insurance
30.1%Any disability

Frequently asked

About Kensington

What is the eviction-risk score for Kensington?

Kensington scores 7.5/10 (Elevated tier) across 11 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 Kensington compare to Buffalo overall?

Kensington scores 1.9 points lower than Buffalo overall (9.4/10). Renters spend 48% of income on rent vs 31% citywide. Average rent: $981 vs $1,046.

What is the average rent in Kensington?

Average gross rent in Kensington is $981/month (pop-weighted across 11 census tracts, ACS 5-year 2023). 48% of renter households are cost-burdened.

What percentage of Kensington residents are renters?

44% of Kensington households are renter-occupied (vs 57% in Buffalo). The neighborhood has 41,070 residents.

Is Kensington a high social-vulnerability area?

Kensington sits in the 58th 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.

Which tracts in Kensington have the highest eviction risk?

The highest-risk constituent tract in Kensington is census tract 36029004402 (score 9.1/10). Across the 11 tracts in this neighborhood the score ranges from 3.8 to 9.1, a spread of 5.3 points.

How safe is Kensington for landlords?

Kensington carries a elevated-tier eviction-risk profile for landlords (7.5/10). Pop-weighted across 11 constituent tracts, the score blends parent-city rent-control posture, county eviction-process timelines, and tract-specific rent-to-income / poverty signals. Compared to Buffalo as a whole (9.4/10), this neighborhood is lower-risk.

What is the demographic breakdown of Kensington?

Kensington has 41,217 residents (Black (non-Hispanic) Neighborhood). Top groups: Black (non-Hispanic) (60.3%), White (non-Hispanic) (25%), Asian (non-Hispanic) (6.1%). Source: ACS 5-year 2023, table B03002.

Nearby

Other neighborhoods near Kensington

7.3 University Heights 5 tracts · pop 19,286 7.6 Central Park 2 tracts · pop 8,913 8.8 East Side 8 tracts · pop 21,349 7.8 Parkside 6 tracts · pop 17,694 6.5 North Park 8 tracts · pop 30,073 8.9 Fruit Belt 8 tracts · pop 17,287

Sibling neighborhoods

Other neighborhoods inside Buffalo

Same parent city, ranked by score similarity to Kensington.

7.6 Parkside 6 tracts · pop 17,694 7.6 RiverBend 4 tracts · pop 14,093 7.2 Central Park 2 tracts · pop 8,913 7.2 Kaisertown 9 tracts · pop 29,760 7.8 Five Points 5 tracts · pop 15,401 7.1 University Heights 5 tracts · pop 19,286

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