5 census tracts · pop 19,286 · pop-weighted Eviction Risk Score 7.7/10
· range 5.6–9.3
University Heights spans 5 census tracts of Buffalo, NY, population 19,286. That produces an Eviction Risk Score of 7.7/10, Elevated tier. The 5 tracts inside this boundary do not behave alike. Individual scores run 5.6 to 9.3, a 3.7-point gap wide enough that the area average misleads on any specific address.
Cost burden runs 43% against 31.4% citywide, putting University Heights 11.6% over its own city. 17% are severely burdened, paying half their income or more in rent. That cohort has no absorption capacity for an unexpected bill, and it is where non-payment filings originate.
The dominant input is eviction-process difficulty at 7.4/10. The poverty rate is 23%, which shows up in this model as reduced rent-recovery odds after a judgment. At $945 a month, rents sit 10% under what the rest of Buffalo commands.
Among the 21 mapped neighborhoods of Buffalo, it ranks #19 by risk, the lower third. The closest comparables inside the same city are Central Park and Elmwood Village. Annual rent works out to 21% of average household income of $52,929.
49% of occupied units are renter-occupied.
Underwrite the address, not the area: with 3.7 points between its best and worst tract, the per-tract table below is the operative number. The number is rebuilt whenever its ACS, court-record, or statutory inputs change.
Risk score
7.7
Elevated
5 tracts · population-weighted
University Heights vs BuffaloHow this neighborhood stacks against the citywide average
Single-parent HH, disability, language barriers, age 17- / 65+
Racial/ethnic minority56%ile
Hispanic + non-white share of population
Housing & transport44%ile
Multi-unit structures, mobile homes, crowding, no vehicle
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.
15.3%Housing insecurity
10.3%Utility shutoff threat
18.3%Food insecurity
16.9%SNAP enrollment
6.3%No health insurance
24.0%Any disability
Frequently asked
About University Heights
Q1
What is the eviction-risk score for University Heights?
University Heights scores 7.7/10 (Elevated tier) across 5 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 University Heights compare to Buffalo overall?
University Heights scores 0.2 points lower than Buffalo overall (7.9/10). Renters spend 43% of income on rent vs 31% citywide. Average rent: $945 vs $1,046.
Q3
What is the average rent in University Heights?
Average gross rent in University Heights is $945/month (pop-weighted across 5 census tracts, ACS 5-year 2023). 43% of renter households are cost-burdened.
Q4
What percentage of University Heights residents are renters?
49% of University Heights households are renter-occupied (vs 57% in Buffalo). The neighborhood has 19,286 residents.
Q5
Is University Heights a high social-vulnerability area?
University Heights sits in the 34th percentile nationally on the CDC Social Vulnerability Index (less 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 University Heights have the highest eviction risk?
The highest-risk constituent tract in University Heights is census tract 36029004702 (score 9.3/10). Across the 5 tracts in this neighborhood the score ranges from 5.6 to 9.3, a spread of 3.7 points.
Q7
How safe is University Heights for landlords?
University Heights carries a elevated-tier eviction-risk profile for landlords (7.7/10). Pop-weighted across 5 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 (7.9/10), this neighborhood is in line with the citywide level.
Q8
What is the demographic breakdown of University Heights?
University Heights has 19,474 residents. Top groups: White (non-Hispanic) (60.5%), Black (non-Hispanic) (21.4%), Asian (non-Hispanic) (10.8%). Source: ACS 5-year 2023, table B03002.
