4 census tracts · pop 18,331 · pop-weighted Eviction Risk Score 4.3/10
· range 4.2–4.4
West Ashley is a 4-tract suburb of Charleston, SC, population 18,331. It carries an Eviction Risk Score of 4.3/10, in the Moderate tier. The main counterweight is rent-regulation exposure, at 1/10.
Against a Charleston baseline of 32.7%, 43% of renters here cross the 30%-of-income line. Severe burden reaches 27%. A tenant at that level absorbs no shock: one cut shift or one repair bill converts directly into arrears.
Average gross rent is $1,354, 21% below the Charleston average of $1,722. Running cool is supply constraint, at 2.4/10. Court records carry 8,083 eviction filings across its 4 observed tracts.
The worst year on record was 2014, when filings touched 72.0% of renter households. On the softer side is eviction-process difficulty, at 3/10. The most recent observed rate, 34.1% in 2015, is well off that peak.
Among the 23 mapped neighborhoods of Charleston, it ranks #8 by risk, the middle third. The closest comparables inside the same city are Saltgrass and Ashley Villas.
Its 4 tracts score within 0.2 points of one another, so the area figure travels well to individual addresses. Annual rent works out to 23% of average household income of $70,357.
The area figure travels well to individual addresses here, though the per-tract table below still carries the detail. Scores move when the ACS release, the court-record feed, or the statute ledger behind them moves.
Risk score
4.3
Moderate
4 tracts · population-weighted
West Ashley vs CharlestonHow this neighborhood stacks against the citywide average
Single-parent HH, disability, language barriers, age 17- / 65+
Racial/ethnic minority65%ile
Hispanic + non-white share of population
Housing & transport63%ile
Multi-unit structures, mobile homes, crowding, no vehicle
Eviction filings · Princeton Eviction Lab
Court-record eviction history in West Ashley
Aggregated across 4 validated constituent tracts. Filing rate is filings per 100 renter households, pop-weighted.
Historic baseline (2000–2018)
8,083Total filings (sum)
44.93%Avg annual filing rate
72.0%Peak year (2014)
36.88%Latest filed (2015)
Pandemic-era tracking (2020–2021)
4,861Total filings 2020-21
18.5Avg monthly observed
39.0Pre-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 West Ashley
Average across all constituent tracts, population-weighted. Source: CDC PLACES (cwsq-ngmh) crude prevalence.
14.4%Housing insecurity
9.8%Utility shutoff threat
18.2%Food insecurity
11.6%SNAP enrollment
11.4%No health insurance
28.5%Any disability
Frequently asked
About West Ashley
Q1
What is the eviction-risk score for West Ashley?
West Ashley scores 4.3/10 (Moderate 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 West Ashley compare to Charleston overall?
West Ashley scores 0.8 points higher than Charleston overall (3.5/10). Renters spend 43% of income on rent vs 33% citywide. Average rent: $1,354 vs $1,722.
Q3
What is the average rent in West Ashley?
Average gross rent in West Ashley is $1,354/month (pop-weighted across 4 census tracts, ACS 5-year 2023). 43% of renter households are cost-burdened.
Q4
What percentage of West Ashley residents are renters?
57% of West Ashley households are renter-occupied (vs 44% in Charleston). The neighborhood has 18,331 residents.
Q5
Is West Ashley a high social-vulnerability area?
West Ashley sits in the 61st 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 West Ashley have the highest eviction risk?
The highest-risk constituent tract in West Ashley is census tract 45019002605 (score 4.4/10). Across the 4 tracts in this neighborhood the score ranges from 4.2 to 4.4, a spread of 0.2 points.
Q7
How safe is West Ashley for landlords?
West Ashley carries a moderate-tier eviction-risk profile for landlords (4.3/10). 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 Charleston as a whole (3.5/10), this neighborhood is higher-risk.
Q8
What is the demographic breakdown of West Ashley?
West Ashley has 18,803 residents. Top groups: White (non-Hispanic) (48.6%), Black (non-Hispanic) (37.7%), Hispanic / Latino (6.5%). Source: ACS 5-year 2023, table B03002.
