4 census tracts · pop 18,175 · pop-weighted Eviction Risk Score 6.3/10
· range 5.2–8
Kensington is a 4-tract neighborhood of Philadelphia, PA, population 18,175. Scored across those inputs it reaches 6.3/10, placing it in the Elevated tier. 45% of renters here are cost-burdened at the 30% threshold, well above the Philadelphia rate of 31.4%.
Scores across the 4 constituent tracts range from 5.2 to 8. A 2.8-point internal spread means block-level underwriting beats area-level here. The severe-burden share is 18%. Those renters are past the 50% mark, and they miss rent for reasons that have nothing to do with willingness to pay.
The dominant input is eviction-process difficulty at 7.5/10. The poverty rate is 23%, which shows up in this model as reduced rent-recovery odds after a judgment. Sitting well above the midpoint is tenant-organizing strength at 7.5/10.
Court records carry 522 eviction filings across its 3 observed tracts. Running hot is housing-court posture at 7.5/10.
Filing activity peaked in 2016 at 9.2% of renter households. Among the 152 mapped neighborhoods of Philadelphia, it ranks #75 by risk, the middle third. Judgments average 3.1% of renter households a year, the share of filings that actually convert to an order.
Social vulnerability runs high at 7.5/10, concentrating the disaster- and displacement-exposure this model treats as a lagging risk input.
Underwrite the address, not the area: with 2.8 points between its best and worst tract, the per-tract table below is the operative number. Scores move when the ACS release, the court-record feed, or the statute ledger behind them moves.
Risk score
6.3
Elevated
4 tracts · population-weighted
Kensington vs PhiladelphiaHow this neighborhood stacks against the citywide average
Single-parent HH, disability, language barriers, age 17- / 65+
Racial/ethnic minority67%ile
Hispanic + non-white share of population
Housing & transport83%ile
Multi-unit structures, mobile homes, crowding, no vehicle
Eviction filings · Princeton Eviction Lab
Court-record eviction history in Kensington
Aggregated across 3 validated constituent tracts. Filing rate is filings per 100 renter households, pop-weighted.
Historic baseline (2000–2018)
522Total filings (sum)
5.54%Avg annual filing rate
9.2%Peak year (2016)
5.08%Latest filed (2016)
Pandemic-era tracking (2020–2021)
689Total filings 2020-21
2.4Avg monthly observed
2.4Pre-pandemic baseline
0.92×Ratio to baseline
Pandemic filings ran below baseline. Tracked under Eviction Lab Eviction Tracking System (Palm Beach).
Frequently asked
About Kensington
Q1
What is the eviction-risk score for Kensington?
Kensington scores 6.3/10 (Elevated tier) across 4 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 Kensington compare to Philadelphia overall?
Kensington scores 0.3 points lower than Philadelphia overall (6.6/10). Renters spend 45% of income on rent vs 31% citywide. Average rent: $1,337 vs $1,397.
Q3
What is the average rent in Kensington?
Average gross rent in Kensington is $1,337/month (pop-weighted across 4 census tracts, ACS 5-year 2023). 45% of renter households are cost-burdened.
Q4
What percentage of Kensington residents are renters?
52% of Kensington households are renter-occupied (vs 48% in Philadelphia). The neighborhood has 18,175 residents.
Q5
Is Kensington a high social-vulnerability area?
Kensington sits in the 72nd 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.
Q6
Which tracts in Kensington have the highest eviction risk?
The highest-risk constituent tract in Kensington is census tract 42101017601 (score 8/10). Across the 4 tracts in this neighborhood the score ranges from 5.2 to 8, a spread of 2.8 points.
Q7
How safe is Kensington for landlords?
Kensington carries a elevated-tier eviction-risk profile for landlords (6.3/10). Pop-weighted across 4 constituent tracts, the score blends parent-city rent-control posture, county eviction-process timelines, and tract-specific rent-to-income / poverty signals. Compared to Philadelphia as a whole (6.6/10), this neighborhood is in line with the citywide level.
Q8
What is the demographic breakdown of Kensington?
Kensington has 18,249 residents. Top groups: Hispanic / Latino (44.4%), White (non-Hispanic) (38.6%), Other / Multiracial (6.9%). Source: ACS 5-year 2023, table B03002.
