Neighborhood · Ranked #2,005 of 84,120 nationally

Birchwood Eviction Risk: High , Bellingham

Tract 53073000302 · Whatcom County, WA · pop 3,269 · neighborhood within 0.8 mi

Census tract 53073000302 sits in Birchwood in Bellingham eviction risk, Washington eviction laws, and carries an eviction-risk score of 6.1/10. It lands near the 76th percentile nationally for landlord eviction risk.

About 67% of renters carry a rent burden of 30% of income or higher, a severe level, and 33% are severely burdened at 50% or more. Average rent runs $1,454 a month against an average household income of $52,604 a year, roughly 33% of income at the averages. About 76% of occupied units are renter-occupied, a renter-majority tract.

Risk score

High

Confidence 100% · 1–10 scale

Household mix · 100 hh

Burdened renters 51% Stable renters 25% Owners 24%

Tract context

Occupied units1,628

Renter share75.9%

SVI overall0.84

Poverty rate28.4%

Median income$52,604

Percentile rank

Higher percentile = riskier than more peers.

Geographic context

Risk heat across Bellingham and the region

Centroid at 48.7837, -122.4964 · click any tract to drill in

Why Birchwood scores 8

9 axes · 1 = landlord-friendly

Local political climate

Inherited from Bellingham

6.0

Regional political climate

2024 county presidential margin

6.2

State political climate

Washington legislature & governorship

6.0

Economic stress

28.4% poverty · this tract

7.1

Supply constraint

$1,454 rent vs county FMR

3.9

Rent control risk

Inherited from Bellingham

8.7

Eviction process difficulty

State law sets the calendar

6.0

Tenant organizing strength

Inherited from Bellingham

9.4

Housing court bias

Inherited from Bellingham

8.1

How Birchwood compares

Risk score vs. parent city, county, state.

CDC Social Vulnerability Index

SVI percentile: 84

CDC/ATSDR 2022. Higher = more vulnerable. National percentile across 84k tracts.

82%Socioeconomic
23%Household composition
49%Racial/ethnic minority
99%Housing & transportation

Comparable tracts

Census tracts with similar eviction risk

Within Birchwood. Closest by Eviction Risk Score.

Analysis

What drives eviction risk in Birchwood

What moves this score most is tenant organizing strength at 9.4/10. That part comes from the wider legal climate rather than the tract itself. Statewide and court-level factors such as eviction-process speed and rent-control exposure are inherited from Bellingham eviction risk, while the economic and supply signals are measured at the tract level.

Set against its neighbors, this tract scores above the Whatcom County average of 5.2 and above the Washington statewide average of 5.2. Within its own county it reads on the riskier side for landlords.

The tract is predominantly White and ranks around the 84th percentile nationally on the CDC Social Vulnerability Index, a measure of how exposed residents are to housing and economic shocks. High vulnerability tends to track with higher eviction-filing rates when rents climb.

For a landlord, this is a tract where process discipline pays off. Clean paperwork and steady screening keep the elevated risk manageable.

Frequently asked

About tract 53073000302

What is the eviction-risk score for census tract 53073000302?

Census tract 53073000302 in the Birchwood neighborhood scores 8/10 (High tier). The Eviction Risk Score blends state law, county filing rates, parent-city politics, and tract-specific rent-to-income ratios + poverty signals.

What is the average rent in tract 53073000302?

Median gross rent is $1,454/month (ACS 5-year 2023, table B25064). 67% of renter households are cost-burdened.

What is the poverty rate in tract 53073000302?

28.4% of residents in tract 53073000302 live below the federal poverty line (ACS B17001, 2023). Population: 3,269.

How socially vulnerable is tract 53073000302?

CDC Social Vulnerability Index ranks this tract in the 84th percentile nationally. Sub-themes: socioeconomic 82th, household 23th, minority 49th, housing 99th.

Is tract 53073000302 considered part of Birchwood?

Yes. Per Census Bureau 2020 Block Assignment Files, the plurality of blocks in tract 53073000302 fall within Birchwood (neighborhood centroid within 0.8 miles, OSM data).

How does tract 53073000302 compare to Bellingham overall?

Tract 53073000302 scores 8/10, higher than the parent city of Bellingham at 7.1/10. City-scale signals (state law, local rent controls, court bias) are inherited from Bellingham eviction risk; what makes this tract different are its tract-specific economic stress and supply-constraint sub-scores.

Sibling tracts

Highest-risk tracts in Bellingham

Top eight tracts in Bellingham ranked by composite eviction-risk score.