Neighborhood · Houston, TX

Central City Eviction Risk: Moderate

7 census tracts · pop 17,141 · pop-weighted Eviction Risk Score 4.9/10 · range 3.9–5.9

Central City is a white-asian neighborhood in Houston with 7 census tracts and a population of 17,141 residents. The neighborhood's pop-weighted eviction-risk score of 4.9/10 (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 21% are severely cost-burdened (≥50% of income). Average gross rent of $1,503/month sits 10% higher than the Houston citywide average ($1,361).

Risk score

4.9

Moderate

7 tracts · population-weighted

Central City vs Houston How this neighborhood stacks against the citywide average

% of income on rent

48.1% +50%

Houston: 32.1%

Average gross rent

$1,503 +10%

Houston: $1,361

Average HH income

$64,380 +2%

Houston: $62,894

Poverty rate

19.4% -1%

Houston: 19.7%

Renter share

82.0% +42%

Houston: 57.9%

Peer neighborhoods

Neighborhoods with similar eviction risk

Same county, closest by Eviction Risk Score.

Geographic context

Risk heat across Central City and the region

Click any tract to drill in · 7 tracts span score 3.9–5.9

Why Central City scores 4.9

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

State political climate

legislature & governorship · Range 1.5–1.5 across tracts

1.5

Regional political climate

County-level mix · 2024 presidential margin · Range 5.7–5.7 across tracts

5.7

Local political climate

Parent city governance · Range 5.5–5.5 across tracts

5.5

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 3.5–3.5 across tracts

3.5

Tenant organizing strength

82% renter households · Range 3.5–3.5 across tracts

3.5

Housing court bias

County bench composition · Range 2.5–2.5 across tracts

2.5

Economic stress

19.4% below poverty line · Range 3.2–9.3 across tracts

4.9

Supply constraint

Rent-to-FMR gap & zoning friction · Range 2.6–7.4 across tracts

4.8

Risk score comparison

Central City vs. parent city, state, U.S.

Eviction Risk Score (0–10 scale).

Variance across tracts

How uniformly does eviction risk play out in Central City?

Left: distribution of constituent tract scores. Right: every tract as a heat square. Click any square to drill in.

Score distribution

0246810

Spread of 2 points from 3.9 to 5.9. This neighborhood crosses multiple risk tiers, so block-by-block conditions vary substantially.

Tracts as heat grid

5.9 5.9 5.4 4.6 4.5 4.4 3.9

Each square = one census tract. Color tracks the same green→red ramp as the chloropleth map above.

Census tracts

7 tracts in Central City

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

Tract↕	Score↕	Pop↕	% over 30% on rent↕	Average rent↕
48201314003	5.9	2,322	46%	$1,162
48201314004	5.9	1,755	44%	$1,205
48201314005	5.4	2,993	53%	$1,334
48201313901	4.6	2,903	55%	$1,720
48201314001	4.5	2,855	46%	$1,367
48201313102	4.4	1,727	63%	$1,834
48201313101	3.9	2,586	32%	$1,891

Social Vulnerability Index

CDC SVI percentile: 39

Pop-weighted across 7 tracts. Higher = more vulnerable to disaster, displacement, and rent shocks. Source: CDC/ATSDR SVI 2022.

Socioeconomic status 44%ile

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

Household characteristics 5%ile

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

Racial/ethnic minority 75%ile

Hispanic + non-white share of population

Housing & transport 72%ile

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

Eviction filings · Princeton Eviction Lab

Court-record eviction history in Central City

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

Historic baseline (2000–2018)

116Total filings (sum)
1.33%Avg annual filing rate
2.9%Peak year (2010)
0.86%Latest filed (2015)

Pandemic-era tracking (2020–2021)

2,480Total filings 2020-21
4.7Avg monthly observed
2.6Pre-pandemic baseline
8.27×Ratio to baseline

Pandemic filings ran above baseline. Tracked under Eviction Lab Eviction Tracking System (Houston, TX).

Frequently asked

About Central City

What is the eviction-risk score for Central City?

Central City scores 4.9/10 (Moderate tier) across 7 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 Central City compare to Houston overall?

Central City scores 2.1 points higher than Houston overall (2.8/10). Renters spend 48% of income on rent vs 32% citywide. Average rent: $1,503 vs $1,361.

What is the average rent in Central City?

Average gross rent in Central City is $1,503/month (pop-weighted across 7 census tracts, ACS 5-year 2023). 48% of renter households are cost-burdened.

What percentage of Central City residents are renters?

82% of Central City households are renter-occupied (vs 58% in Houston). The neighborhood has 17,141 residents.

Is Central City a high social-vulnerability area?

Central City sits in the 39th percentile nationally on the CDC Social Vulnerability Index (less vulnerable). The index combines poverty, unemployment, household composition, racial/ethnic minority share, and housing/transportation factors across all US census tracts.

Which tracts in Central City have the highest eviction risk?

The highest-risk constituent tract in Central City is census tract 48201314003 (score 5.9/10). Across the 7 tracts in this neighborhood the score ranges from 3.9 to 5.9, a spread of 2 points.

How safe is Central City for landlords?

Central City carries a moderate-tier eviction-risk profile for landlords (4.9/10). Pop-weighted across 7 constituent tracts, the score blends parent-city rent-control posture, county eviction-process timelines, and tract-specific rent-to-income / poverty signals. Compared to Houston as a whole (2.8/10), this neighborhood is higher-risk.

What is the demographic breakdown of Central City?

Central City has 17,565 residents (White-Asian Neighborhood). Top groups: White (non-Hispanic) (35%), Asian (non-Hispanic) (24%), Black (non-Hispanic) (22.7%). Source: ACS 5-year 2023, table B03002.

Nearby

Other neighborhoods near Central City

4.2 Southgate 5 tracts · pop 11,701 5.4 South Lawn 4 tracts · pop 8,469 4.1 Westridge 5 tracts · pop 14,274 5 Timbercrest 2 tracts · pop 4,868 2.7 Southampton 2 tracts · pop 6,810 4.8 Riverside Terrace 4 tracts · pop 12,752

Sibling neighborhoods

Other neighborhoods inside Houston

Same parent city, ranked by score similarity to Central City.

4.9 Greens Bayou 2 tracts · pop 11,414 4.9 Westmoreland 2 tracts · pop 3,649 4.9 Remington Ranch 4 tracts · pop 23,012 4.9 Maplewood South/North 6 tracts · pop 16,651 4.9 Hidden Valley 1 tracts · pop 4,206 4.9 Timbercrest 2 tracts · pop 4,868

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