Neighborhood · Allentown, PA

Eighth Ward Eviction Risk: Moderate

2 census tracts · pop 8,648 · pop-weighted Eviction Risk Score 5.8/10 · range 4.2–6.9

Eighth Ward is a hispanic-white neighborhood in Allentown with 2 census tracts and a population of 8,648 residents. The neighborhood's pop-weighted eviction-risk score of 5.8/10 (Moderate tier) blends state law, county-level filing rates, parent-city politics, and tract-specific rent-to-income ratios + poverty. 44% of renters here pay at least 30% of household income on rent, and 26% are severely cost-burdened (≥50% of income). Average gross rent of $1,425/month sits 8% higher than the Allentown citywide average ($1,317).

Risk score

5.8

Moderate

2 tracts · population-weighted

Eighth Ward vs Allentown How this neighborhood stacks against the citywide average

% of income on rent

44.0% +26%

Allentown: 35.0%

Average gross rent

$1,425 +8%

Allentown: $1,317

Average HH income

$61,508 +15%

Allentown: $53,403

Poverty rate

19.0% -12%

Allentown: 21.6%

Renter share

59.2% +4%

Allentown: 56.8%

Peer neighborhoods

Neighborhoods with similar eviction risk

Same county, closest by Eviction Risk Score.

Geographic context

Risk heat across Eighth Ward and the region

Click any tract to drill in · 2 tracts span score 4.2–6.9

Why Eighth Ward scores 5.8

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

State political climate

legislature & governorship · Range 3.4–3.4 across tracts

3.4

Regional political climate

County-level mix · 2024 presidential margin · Range 5.4–5.4 across tracts

5.4

Local political climate

Parent city governance · Range 5.5–5.8 across tracts

5.6

Rent control risk

44% of income on rent · Range 4.0–7.8 across tracts

5.6

Eviction process difficulty

State notice requirements & court backlog · Range 3.1–5.5 across tracts

4.5

Tenant organizing strength

59% renter households · Range 5.0–9.0 across tracts

6.7

Housing court bias

County bench composition · Range 5.5–7.4 across tracts

6.3

Economic stress

19.0% below poverty line · Range 1.4–7.3 across tracts

4.8

Supply constraint

Rent-to-FMR gap & zoning friction · Range 4.3–4.7 across tracts

4.5

Risk score comparison

Eighth Ward vs. parent city, state, U.S.

Eviction Risk Score (0–10 scale).

Census tracts

2 tracts in Eighth Ward

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

Tract↕	Score↕	Pop↕	% over 30% on rent↕	Average rent↕
42077001700	6.9	4,980	52%	$1,394
42077005704	4.2	3,668	33%	$1,466

Social Vulnerability Index

CDC SVI percentile: 67

Pop-weighted across 2 tracts. Higher = more vulnerable to disaster, displacement, and rent shocks. Source: CDC/ATSDR SVI 2022.

Socioeconomic status 66%ile

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

Household characteristics 78%ile

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

Racial/ethnic minority 79%ile

Hispanic + non-white share of population

Housing & transport 36%ile

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

Eviction filings · Princeton Eviction Lab

Court-record eviction history in Eighth Ward

Aggregated across 2 validated constituent tracts. Filing rate is filings per 100 renter households, pop-weighted.

Historic baseline (2000–2018)

1,085Total filings (sum)
14.28%Avg annual filing rate
19.0%Peak year (2006)
17.71%Latest filed (2006)

Frequently asked

About Eighth Ward

What is the eviction-risk score for Eighth Ward?

Eighth Ward scores 5.8/10 (Moderate 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.

How does Eighth Ward compare to Allentown overall?

Eighth Ward scores 0.8 points higher than Allentown overall (5/10). Renters spend 44% of income on rent vs 35% citywide. Average rent: $1,425 vs $1,317.

What is the average rent in Eighth Ward?

Average gross rent in Eighth Ward is $1,425/month (pop-weighted across 2 census tracts, ACS 5-year 2023). 44% of renter households are cost-burdened.

What percentage of Eighth Ward residents are renters?

59% of Eighth Ward households are renter-occupied (vs 57% in Allentown). The neighborhood has 8,648 residents.

Is Eighth Ward a high social-vulnerability area?

Eighth Ward sits in the 67th 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 Eighth Ward have the highest eviction risk?

The highest-risk constituent tract in Eighth Ward is census tract 42077001700 (score 6.9/10). Across the 2 tracts in this neighborhood the score ranges from 4.2 to 6.9, a spread of 2.7 points.

How safe is Eighth Ward for landlords?

Eighth Ward carries a moderate-tier eviction-risk profile for landlords (5.8/10). 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 Allentown as a whole (5/10), this neighborhood is higher-risk.

What is the demographic breakdown of Eighth Ward?

Eighth Ward has 8,407 residents (Hispanic-White Neighborhood). Top groups: Hispanic / Latino (50.6%), White (non-Hispanic) (33.4%), Black (non-Hispanic) (11.3%). Source: ACS 5-year 2023, table B03002.

Nearby

Other neighborhoods near Eighth Ward

6.1 West End Theatre District 3 tracts · pop 13,339 6.5 North of Tilghman 2 tracts · pop 8,896 4 Biery's Port Historic District 2 tracts · pop 10,769 2.2 Locust Valley 2 tracts · pop 8,098

Sibling neighborhoods

Other neighborhoods inside Allentown

Same parent city, ranked by score similarity to Eighth Ward.

5.9 1st Ward 1 tracts · pop 2,521 5.9 7th Street 1 tracts · pop 4,419 5.9 South Side 1 tracts · pop 6,411 5.9 East Allentown 1 tracts · pop 4,473 5.6 Old Allentown 1 tracts · pop 4,127 5.6 Fairview 1 tracts · pop 7,598

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