2 census tracts · pop 6,663 · pop-weighted Eviction Risk Score 7.1/10
· range 6.9–8
Upper Holmesburg is a 2-tract neighborhood of Philadelphia, PA, population 6,663. Scored across those inputs it reaches 7.1/10, placing it in the Elevated tier. Cost burden runs 47% against 31.4% citywide, putting Upper Holmesburg 15.7% over its own city.
At $907 a month, rents sit 35% under what the rest of Philadelphia commands. Severe burden reaches 27%. A tenant at that level absorbs no shock: one cut shift or one repair bill converts directly into arrears. The main counterweight is supply constraint, at 1.9/10.
The poverty rate is 24%. Judgments in high-poverty tracts are collectible far less often than the filing statistics suggest. Internally this is not one market. Tract scores span 6.9 to 8, so two buildings inside the same boundary can carry materially different risk.
Sitting well above the midpoint is eviction-process difficulty at 7.5/10. Court records carry 296 eviction filings across its 2 observed tracts.
Running hot is tenant-organizing strength at 7.5/10. Filing activity peaked in 2012 at 9.2% of renter households.
Recent filings have not receded much: 7.5% in 2016 against a 9.2% peak. That places it #56 of 152 neighborhoods in Philadelphia.
Annual rent works out to 25% of average household income of $44,306.
Underwrite the address, not the area: with 1.1 points between its best and worst tract, the per-tract table below is the operative number. The number is rebuilt whenever its ACS, court-record, or statutory inputs change.
Risk score
7.1
Elevated
2 tracts · population-weighted
Upper Holmesburg vs PhiladelphiaHow this neighborhood stacks against the citywide average
Single-parent HH, disability, language barriers, age 17- / 65+
Racial/ethnic minority75%ile
Hispanic + non-white share of population
Housing & transport53%ile
Multi-unit structures, mobile homes, crowding, no vehicle
Eviction filings · Princeton Eviction Lab
Court-record eviction history in Upper Holmesburg
Aggregated across 2 validated constituent tracts. Filing rate is filings per 100 renter households, pop-weighted.
Historic baseline (2000–2018)
296Total filings (sum)
6.52%Avg annual filing rate
9.2%Peak year (2012)
6.06%Latest filed (2016)
Pandemic-era tracking (2020–2021)
278Total filings 2020-21
2.7Avg monthly observed
4.4Pre-pandemic baseline
0.67×Ratio to baseline
Pandemic filings ran far below baseline. Tracked under Eviction Lab Eviction Tracking System (Palm Beach).
Frequently asked
About Upper Holmesburg
Q1
What is the eviction-risk score for Upper Holmesburg?
Upper Holmesburg scores 7.1/10 (Elevated 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.
Q2
How does Upper Holmesburg compare to Philadelphia overall?
Upper Holmesburg scores 0.5 points higher than Philadelphia overall (6.6/10). Renters spend 47% of income on rent vs 31% citywide. Average rent: $907 vs $1,397.
Q3
What is the average rent in Upper Holmesburg?
Average gross rent in Upper Holmesburg is $907/month (pop-weighted across 2 census tracts, ACS 5-year 2023). 47% of renter households are cost-burdened.
Q4
What percentage of Upper Holmesburg residents are renters?
31% of Upper Holmesburg households are renter-occupied (vs 48% in Philadelphia). The neighborhood has 6,663 residents.
Q5
Is Upper Holmesburg a high social-vulnerability area?
Upper Holmesburg sits in the 76th 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
Which tracts in Upper Holmesburg have the highest eviction risk?
The highest-risk constituent tract in Upper Holmesburg is census tract 42101989100 (score 8/10). Across the 2 tracts in this neighborhood the score ranges from 6.9 to 8, a spread of 1.1 points.
Q7
How safe is Upper Holmesburg for landlords?
Upper Holmesburg carries a elevated-tier eviction-risk profile for landlords (7.1/10). 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 Philadelphia as a whole (6.6/10), this neighborhood is higher-risk.
Q8
What is the demographic breakdown of Upper Holmesburg?
Upper Holmesburg has 6,726 residents. Top groups: Black (non-Hispanic) (39.2%), White (non-Hispanic) (29.3%), Hispanic / Latino (17.7%). Source: ACS 5-year 2023, table B03002.
