4 census tracts · pop 23,887 · pop-weighted Eviction Risk Score 6.5/10
· range 3.9–8
Merino spans 4 census tracts of Providence, RI and houses 23,887 people. Scored across those inputs it reaches 6.5/10, placing it in the Elevated tier. Cost burden runs roughly one in two against 29.2% citywide, putting Merino 19.1% over its own city.
Scores across the 4 constituent tracts range from 3.9 to 8. A 4.1-point internal spread means block-level underwriting beats area-level here. The clearest offset is supply constraint, at 2.1/10.
Severe burden reaches 18%. A tenant at that level absorbs no shock: one cut shift or one repair bill converts directly into arrears. CDC survey data puts housing insecurity at 25.0% of adults, against 14.2% nationally.
At $1,133 a month, rents sit 20% under what the rest of Providence commands. Filings are well documented here: 462 across 3 observed tracts.
The poverty rate is 18%, which shows up in this model as reduced rent-recovery odds after a judgment. Food insecurity affects 28.9% of adults, 11.1 points above the national rate. The worst year on record was 2016, when filings touched 11.6% of renter households.
Among the 15 mapped neighborhoods of Providence, it ranks #12 by risk, the lower third. Judgments average 3.9% of renter households a year, the share of filings that actually convert to an order.
Against average income of $72,008, annual rent is only 19%, a wide affordability cushion. 40% of occupied units are renter-occupied.
Underwrite the address, not the area: with 4.1 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
6.5
Elevated
4 tracts · population-weighted
Merino vs ProvidenceHow this neighborhood stacks against the citywide average
Single-parent HH, disability, language barriers, age 17- / 65+
Racial/ethnic minority73%ile
Hispanic + non-white share of population
Housing & transport43%ile
Multi-unit structures, mobile homes, crowding, no vehicle
Eviction filings · Princeton Eviction Lab
Court-record eviction history in Merino
Aggregated across 3 validated constituent tracts. Filing rate is filings per 100 renter households, pop-weighted.
Historic baseline (2000–2018)
462Total filings (sum)
7.72%Avg annual filing rate
11.6%Peak year (2016)
7.97%Latest filed (2016)
Pandemic-era tracking (2020–2021)
1,079Total filings 2020-21
3.7Avg monthly observed
5.8Pre-pandemic baseline
0.57×Ratio to baseline
Pandemic filings ran far below baseline. Tracked under Eviction Lab Eviction Tracking System (Portland, OR).
CDC PLACES 2023 · pop-weighted
Eviction-adjacent indicators in Merino
Average across all constituent tracts, population-weighted. Source: CDC PLACES (cwsq-ngmh) crude prevalence.
24.1%Housing insecurity
13.5%Utility shutoff threat
28.1%Food insecurity
23.1%SNAP enrollment
17.2%No health insurance
32.0%Any disability
Frequently asked
About Merino
Q1
What is the eviction-risk score for Merino?
Merino scores 6.5/10 (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 Merino compare to Providence overall?
Merino scores 0.1 points lower than Providence overall (6.6/10). Renters spend 48% of income on rent vs 29% citywide. Average rent: $1,133 vs $1,408.
Q3
What is the average rent in Merino?
Average gross rent in Merino is $1,133/month (pop-weighted across 4 census tracts, ACS 5-year 2023). 48% of renter households are cost-burdened.
Q4
What percentage of Merino residents are renters?
40% of Merino households are renter-occupied (vs 59% in Providence). The neighborhood has 23,887 residents.
Q5
Is Merino a high social-vulnerability area?
Merino sits in the 65th 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 Merino have the highest eviction risk?
The highest-risk constituent tract in Merino is census tract 44007001800 (score 8/10). Across the 4 tracts in this neighborhood the score ranges from 3.9 to 8, a spread of 4.1 points.
Q7
How safe is Merino for landlords?
Merino carries a elevated-tier eviction-risk profile for landlords (6.5/10). 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 Providence as a whole (6.6/10), this neighborhood is in line with the citywide level.
Q8
What is the demographic breakdown of Merino?
Merino has 22,661 residents. Top groups: Hispanic / Latino (50.6%), White (non-Hispanic) (33.4%), Black (non-Hispanic) (10.1%). Source: ACS 5-year 2023, table B03002.
