Neighborhood · Columbia, SC

Forest Hills Eviction Risk: Moderate

1 census tracts · pop 3,864 · pop-weighted Eviction Risk Score 5/10 · range 5–5

Forest Hills is a white-black neighborhood in Columbia with 1 census tract and a population of 3,864 residents. The neighborhood's pop-weighted eviction-risk score of 5/10 (Moderate tier) blends state law, county-level filing rates, parent-city politics, and tract-specific rent-to-income ratios + poverty. 48% of renters here pay at least 30% of household income on rent, and 24% are severely cost-burdened (≥50% of income). Average gross rent of $1,054/month sits 12% lower than the Columbia citywide average ($1,204).

Risk score

Moderate

1 tracts · population-weighted

Forest Hills vs Columbia How this neighborhood stacks against the citywide average

% of income on rent

47.5% +32%

Columbia: 36.0%

Average gross rent

$1,054 -12%

Columbia: $1,204

Average HH income

$55,441 0%

Columbia: $55,653

Poverty rate

21.6% -7%

Columbia: 23.3%

Renter share

38.8% -29%

Columbia: 54.5%

Peer neighborhoods

Neighborhoods with similar eviction risk

Same county, closest by Eviction Risk Score.

Geographic context

Risk heat across Forest Hills and the region

Click any tract to drill in · 1 tracts span score 5–5

Why Forest Hills scores 5

9 axes · pop-weighted · 1 = landlord-friendly

State political climate

legislature & governorship · Range 2.1–2.1 across tracts

2.1

Regional political climate

County-level mix · 2024 presidential margin · Range 6.9–6.9 across tracts

6.9

Local political climate

Parent city governance · Range 5.0–5.0 across tracts

5.0

Rent control risk

48% of income on rent · Range 1.0–1.0 across tracts

1.0

Eviction process difficulty

State notice requirements & court backlog · Range 3.0–3.0 across tracts

3.0

Tenant organizing strength

39% renter households · Range 4.0–4.0 across tracts

4.0

Housing court bias

County bench composition · Range 3.0–3.0 across tracts

3.0

Economic stress

21.6% below poverty line · Range 5.4–5.4 across tracts

5.4

Supply constraint

Rent-to-FMR gap & zoning friction · Range 3.1–3.1 across tracts

3.1

Risk score comparison

Forest Hills vs. parent city, state, U.S.

Eviction Risk Score (0–10 scale).

Census tracts

1 tracts in Forest Hills

Ranked highest-risk first. Click for per-tract detail.

Tract↕	Score↕	Pop↕	% over 30% on rent↕	Average rent↕
45079001100	5	3,864	48%	$1,054

Social Vulnerability Index

CDC SVI percentile: 79

Pop-weighted across 1 tracts. Higher = more vulnerable to disaster, displacement, and rent shocks. Source: CDC/ATSDR SVI 2022.

Socioeconomic status 83%ile

Poverty, unemployment, no-HS-diploma, housing cost burden

Household characteristics 72%ile

Single-parent HH, disability, language barriers, age 17- / 65+

Racial/ethnic minority 68%ile

Hispanic + non-white share of population

Housing & transport 58%ile

Multi-unit structures, mobile homes, crowding, no vehicle

Eviction filings · Princeton Eviction Lab

Court-record eviction history in Forest Hills

Aggregated across 1 validated constituent tract. Filing rate is filings per 100 renter households, pop-weighted.

Historic baseline (2000–2018)

958Total filings (sum)
20.15%Avg annual filing rate
21.7%Peak year (2011)
20.68%Latest filed (2014)

CDC PLACES 2023 · pop-weighted

Eviction-adjacent indicators in Forest Hills

Average across all constituent tracts, population-weighted. Source: CDC PLACES (cwsq-ngmh) crude prevalence.

13.8%Housing insecurity
9.9%Utility shutoff threat
16.8%Food insecurity
11.9%SNAP enrollment
10.7%No health insurance
33.7%Any disability

Frequently asked

About Forest Hills

What is the eviction-risk score for Forest Hills?

Forest Hills scores 5/10 (Moderate tier) across 1 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.

How does Forest Hills compare to Columbia overall?

Forest Hills scores 2.1 points higher than Columbia overall (2.9/10). Renters spend 48% of income on rent vs 36% citywide. Average rent: $1,054 vs $1,204.

What is the average rent in Forest Hills?

Average gross rent in Forest Hills is $1,054/month (pop-weighted across 1 census tracts, ACS 5-year 2023). 48% of renter households are cost-burdened.

What percentage of Forest Hills residents are renters?

39% of Forest Hills households are renter-occupied (vs 54% in Columbia). The neighborhood has 3,864 residents.

Is Forest Hills a high social-vulnerability area?

Forest Hills sits in the 79th 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.

How safe is Forest Hills for landlords?

Forest Hills carries a moderate-tier eviction-risk profile for landlords (5/10). Pop-weighted across 1 constituent tracts, the score blends parent-city rent-control posture, county eviction-process timelines, and tract-specific rent-to-income / poverty signals. Compared to Columbia as a whole (2.9/10), this neighborhood is higher-risk.

What is the demographic breakdown of Forest Hills?

Forest Hills has 4,129 residents (White-Black Neighborhood). Top groups: White (non-Hispanic) (49.1%), Black (non-Hispanic) (42.8%), Other / Multiracial (3.4%). Source: ACS 5-year 2023, table B03002.

Nearby

Other neighborhoods near Forest Hills

2.6 Kilbourne Heights 3 tracts · pop 7,310 5.2 Hollywood-Rose Hill 7 tracts · pop 23,050 2.6 Heathwood 2 tracts · pop 6,462 5 Three Points 6 tracts · pop 11,377 5 Governor's Hill 4 tracts · pop 10,009 5.6 Belmont 3 tracts · pop 10,531

Sibling neighborhoods

Other neighborhoods inside Columbia

Same parent city, ranked by score similarity to Forest Hills.

5 Three Points 6 tracts · pop 11,377 5.1 Governor's Hill 4 tracts · pop 10,009 5.3 Hollywood-Rose Hill 7 tracts · pop 23,050 5.4 Rosewood 1 tracts · pop 5,298 4.5 The Arbors At Harbison 2 tracts · pop 12,659 5.6 Belmont 3 tracts · pop 10,531

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