1 census tracts · pop 5,369 · pop-weighted Eviction Risk Score 7.3/10
· range 7.3–7.3
South Side is a one-tract neighborhood of Bethlehem, PA, population 5,369. It carries an Eviction Risk Score of 7.3/10, in the Elevated tier. 63% of renters here are cost-burdened at the 30% threshold, dramatically above the Bethlehem rate of 31.1%.
The dominant input is tenant-organizing strength at 9.1/10. Annualized rent equals 33% of average household income here, past the 30% affordability line, which compresses the margin any screening standard has to work with.
Severe burden reaches 23%. A tenant at that level absorbs no shock: one cut shift or one repair bill converts directly into arrears. This is a renter market: 70% of occupied units are tenant-occupied. Court records for this tract carry 689 eviction filings.
Running hot is rent-regulation exposure at 7.1/10. Sitting well above the midpoint is housing-court posture at 7.1/10.
Filing activity peaked in 2006 at 13.8% of renter households. At $1,267 a month, rents sit 8% under what the rest of Bethlehem commands.
That places it #1 of 18 neighborhoods in Bethlehem. Judgments average 5.2% of renter households a year, the share of filings that actually convert to an order. The closest comparables inside the same city are Central Bethlehem and Historic Bethlehem.
One tract means one number: 7.3/10 applies directly to any address inside the boundary. The number is rebuilt whenever its ACS, court-record, or statutory inputs change.
Risk score
7.3
Elevated
1 tracts · population-weighted
South Side vs BethlehemHow this neighborhood stacks against the citywide average
Single-parent HH, disability, language barriers, age 17- / 65+
Racial/ethnic minority83%ile
Hispanic + non-white share of population
Housing & transport82%ile
Multi-unit structures, mobile homes, crowding, no vehicle
Eviction filings · Princeton Eviction Lab
Court-record eviction history in South Side
Aggregated across 1 validated constituent tract. Filing rate is filings per 100 renter households, pop-weighted.
Historic baseline (2000–2018)
689Total filings (sum)
9.69%Avg annual filing rate
13.8%Peak year (2006)
13.79%Latest filed (2006)
Frequently asked
About South Side
Q1
What is the eviction-risk score for South Side?
South Side scores 7.3/10 (Elevated 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 Side compare to Bethlehem overall?
South Side scores 1.4 points higher than Bethlehem overall (5.9/10). Renters spend 63% of income on rent vs 31% citywide. Average rent: $1,267 vs $1,382.
Q3
What is the average rent in South Side?
Average gross rent in South Side is $1,267/month (pop-weighted across 1 census tracts, ACS 5-year 2023). 63% of renter households are cost-burdened.
Q4
What percentage of South Side residents are renters?
70% of South Side households are renter-occupied (vs 50% in Bethlehem). The neighborhood has 5,369 residents.
Q5
Is South Side a high social-vulnerability area?
South Side sits in the 98th 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 Side for landlords?
South Side carries a elevated-tier eviction-risk profile for landlords (7.3/10). 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 Bethlehem as a whole (5.9/10), this neighborhood is higher-risk.
Q7
What is the demographic breakdown of South Side?
South Side has 5,268 residents. Top groups: Hispanic / Latino (47.1%), Black (non-Hispanic) (25.3%), White (non-Hispanic) (22.6%). Source: ACS 5-year 2023, table B03002.
