2 census tracts · pop 9,812 · pop-weighted Eviction Risk Score 3.5/10
· range 3.4–3.7
Essex is a white (non-hispanic) neighborhood in Charleston with 2 census tracts and a population of 9,812 residents. The neighborhood's pop-weighted eviction-risk score of 3.5/10 (Lower tier) blends state law, county-level filing rates, parent-city politics, and tract-specific rent-to-income ratios + poverty. 42% of renters here pay at least 30% of household income on rent, and 16% are severely cost-burdened (≥50% of income). Average gross rent of $1,321/month sits 23% lower than the Charleston citywide average ($1,722).
Risk score
3.5
Lower
2 tracts · population-weighted
Essex vs CharlestonHow this neighborhood stacks against the citywide average
Single-parent HH, disability, language barriers, age 17- / 65+
Racial/ethnic minority49%ile
Hispanic + non-white share of population
Housing & transport88%ile
Multi-unit structures, mobile homes, crowding, no vehicle
Eviction filings · Princeton Eviction Lab
Court-record eviction history in Essex
Aggregated across 2 validated constituent tracts. Filing rate is filings per 100 renter households, pop-weighted.
Historic baseline (2000–2018)
1,632Total filings (sum)
16.19%Avg annual filing rate
34.9%Peak year (2014)
11.99%Latest filed (2015)
Pandemic-era tracking (2020–2021)
941Total filings 2020-21
6.6Avg monthly observed
13.4Pre-pandemic baseline
0.48×Ratio to baseline
Pandemic filings ran far below baseline. Tracked under Eviction Lab Eviction Tracking System (Charleston, SC).
CDC PLACES 2023 · pop-weighted
Eviction-adjacent indicators in Essex
Average across all constituent tracts, population-weighted. Source: CDC PLACES (cwsq-ngmh) crude prevalence.
10.9%Housing insecurity
7.2%Utility shutoff threat
13.3%Food insecurity
7.5%SNAP enrollment
10.4%No health insurance
26.8%Any disability
Frequently asked
About Essex
Q1
What is the eviction-risk score for Essex?
Essex scores 3.5/10 (Lower 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 Essex compare to Charleston overall?
Essex scores 0.9 points higher than Charleston overall (2.6/10). Renters spend 42% of income on rent vs 33% citywide. Average rent: $1,321 vs $1,722.
Q3
What is the average rent in Essex?
Average gross rent in Essex is $1,321/month (pop-weighted across 2 census tracts, ACS 5-year 2023). 42% of renter households are cost-burdened.
Q4
What percentage of Essex residents are renters?
47% of Essex households are renter-occupied (vs 44% in Charleston). The neighborhood has 9,812 residents.
Q5
Is Essex a high social-vulnerability area?
Essex sits in the 67th 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 Essex have the highest eviction risk?
The highest-risk constituent tract in Essex is census tract 45019002614 (score 3.7/10). Across the 2 tracts in this neighborhood the score ranges from 3.4 to 3.7, a spread of 0.3 points.
Q7
How safe is Essex for landlords?
Essex carries a lower-tier eviction-risk profile for landlords (3.5/10). 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 Charleston as a whole (2.6/10), this neighborhood is higher-risk.
Q8
What is the demographic breakdown of Essex?
Essex has 9,264 residents (White (non-Hispanic) Neighborhood). Top groups: White (non-Hispanic) (65.8%), Black (non-Hispanic) (21.7%), Hispanic / Latino (5.6%). Source: ACS 5-year 2023, table B03002.
