3 census tracts · pop 10,961 · pop-weighted Eviction Risk Score 5.2/10
· range 5.2–5.3
College Heights takes in 3 census tracts of State College, PA, population 10,961. It carries an Eviction Risk Score of 5.2/10, in the Moderate tier. Average gross rent is $739, 42% below the State College average of $1,273.
79% of occupied units are rented, so comparables are plentiful and vacancy risk is low, but a mispriced renewal loses the tenant to a building two streets over. Severe burden reaches 26%. A tenant at that level absorbs no shock: one cut shift or one repair bill converts directly into arrears. Cost burden runs around a third against 43.2% citywide, putting College Heights 9.4% under its own city.
The strongest single driver of the headline number is tenant-organizing strength at 7.4/10. Running hot is rent-regulation exposure at 7.3/10. The poverty rate is 17%. Judgments in high-poverty tracts are collectible far less often than the filing statistics suggest.
Sitting well above the midpoint is housing-court posture at 7.3/10. That places it #6 of 5 neighborhoods in State College. The closest comparables inside the same city are State College South and Orchard Park.
The 3 tracts here are tightly clustered, 0.1 points apart at the extremes. Annual rent works out to 22% of average household income of $40,553.
With little internal variation, 5.2/10 is a fair proxy for any address inside the boundary. Scores move when the ACS release, the court-record feed, or the statute ledger behind them moves.
Risk score
5.2
Moderate
3 tracts · population-weighted
College Heights vs State CollegeHow this neighborhood stacks against the citywide average
Single-parent HH, disability, language barriers, age 17- / 65+
Racial/ethnic minority39%ile
Hispanic + non-white share of population
Housing & transport63%ile
Multi-unit structures, mobile homes, crowding, no vehicle
Frequently asked
About College Heights
Q1
What is the eviction-risk score for College Heights?
College Heights scores 5.2/10 (Moderate 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.
Q2
How does College Heights compare to State College overall?
College Heights scores 1.4 points lower than State College overall (6.6/10). Renters spend 34% of income on rent vs 43% citywide. Average rent: $739 vs $1,273.
Q3
What is the average rent in College Heights?
Average gross rent in College Heights is $739/month (pop-weighted across 3 census tracts, ACS 5-year 2023). 34% of renter households are cost-burdened.
Q4
What percentage of College Heights residents are renters?
79% of College Heights households are renter-occupied (vs 74% in State College). The neighborhood has 10,961 residents.
Q5
Is College Heights a high social-vulnerability area?
College Heights sits in the 14th 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.
Q6
Which tracts in College Heights have the highest eviction risk?
The highest-risk constituent tract in College Heights is census tract 42027011503 (score 5.3/10). Across the 3 tracts in this neighborhood the score ranges from 5.2 to 5.3, a spread of 0.1 points.
Q7
How safe is College Heights for landlords?
College Heights carries a moderate-tier eviction-risk profile for landlords (5.2/10). 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 State College as a whole (6.6/10), this neighborhood is lower-risk.
Q8
What is the demographic breakdown of College Heights?
College Heights has 11,378 residents. Top groups: White (non-Hispanic) (75.8%), Asian (non-Hispanic) (11.2%), Hispanic / Latino (5.4%). Source: ACS 5-year 2023, table B03002.
