1 census tracts · pop 6,835 · pop-weighted Eviction Risk Score 5.6/10
· range 5.6–5.6
South Poplar is a one-tract neighborhood of Allentown, PA, population 6,835. It carries an Eviction Risk Score of 5.6/10, in the Moderate tier. Cost burden runs 52% against 35.0% citywide, putting South Poplar 16.7% over its own city.
19% 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 main counterweight is economic stress, at 2.7/10. Court records for this tract carry 2,295 eviction filings.
Average gross rent is $1,515, 15% above the Allentown average of $1,317. The worst year on record was 2004, when filings touched 30.9% of renter households.
Recent filings have not receded much: 24.0% in 2006 against a 30.9% peak. Among the 26 mapped neighborhoods of Allentown, it ranks #21 by risk, the lower third. The closest comparables inside the same city are Eighth Ward and Park Ridge.
Social vulnerability runs high at 8.2/10, concentrating the disaster- and displacement-exposure this model treats as a lagging risk input. Annual rent works out to 28% of average household income of $65,221.
62% of occupied units are renter-occupied.
Because the boundary contains one tract, 5.6/10 is simultaneously the area figure and the address-level figure. The number is rebuilt whenever its ACS, court-record, or statutory inputs change.
Risk score
5.6
Moderate
1 tracts · population-weighted
South Poplar vs AllentownHow this neighborhood stacks against the citywide average
Single-parent HH, disability, language barriers, age 17- / 65+
Racial/ethnic minority88%ile
Hispanic + non-white share of population
Housing & transport84%ile
Multi-unit structures, mobile homes, crowding, no vehicle
Eviction filings · Princeton Eviction Lab
Court-record eviction history in South Poplar
Aggregated across 1 validated constituent tract. Filing rate is filings per 100 renter households, pop-weighted.
Historic baseline (2000–2018)
2,295Total filings (sum)
28.28%Avg annual filing rate
30.9%Peak year (2004)
23.97%Latest filed (2006)
Frequently asked
About South Poplar
Q1
What is the eviction-risk score for South Poplar?
South Poplar scores 5.6/10 (Moderate tier) across 1 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 South Poplar compare to Allentown overall?
South Poplar scores 0.4 points higher than Allentown overall (5.2/10). Renters spend 52% of income on rent vs 35% citywide. Average rent: $1,515 vs $1,317.
Q3
What is the average rent in South Poplar?
Average gross rent in South Poplar is $1,515/month (pop-weighted across 1 census tracts, ACS 5-year 2023). 52% of renter households are cost-burdened.
Q4
What percentage of South Poplar residents are renters?
62% of South Poplar households are renter-occupied (vs 57% in Allentown). The neighborhood has 6,835 residents.
Q5
Is South Poplar a high social-vulnerability area?
South Poplar sits in the 80th percentile nationally on the CDC Social Vulnerability Index (highly vulnerable). The index combines poverty, unemployment, household composition, racial/ethnic minority share, and housing/transportation factors across all US census tracts.
Q6
How safe is South Poplar for landlords?
South Poplar carries a moderate-tier eviction-risk profile for landlords (5.6/10). Pop-weighted across 1 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 (5.2/10), this neighborhood is higher-risk.
Q7
What is the demographic breakdown of South Poplar?
South Poplar has 6,899 residents. Top groups: Hispanic / Latino (60.7%), White (non-Hispanic) (16.2%), Black (non-Hispanic) (12.5%). Source: ACS 5-year 2023, table B03002.
