Neighborhood · Houston, TX

Highland Heights Eviction Risk: Elevated

5 census tracts · pop 16,141 · pop-weighted Eviction Risk Score 6.1/10 · range 5.7–6.5

Highland Heights is a black-hispanic neighborhood in Houston with 5 census tracts and a population of 16,141 residents. The neighborhood's pop-weighted eviction-risk score of 6.1/10 (Elevated tier) blends state law, county-level filing rates, parent-city politics, and tract-specific rent-to-income ratios + poverty. 58% of renters here pay at least 30% of household income on rent, and 46% are severely cost-burdened (≥50% of income). Average gross rent of $867/month sits 36% lower than the Houston citywide average ($1,361).

Risk score

6.1

Elevated

5 tracts · population-weighted

Highland Heights vs Houston How this neighborhood stacks against the citywide average

% of income on rent

58.4% +82%

Houston: 32.1%

Average gross rent

$867 -36%

Houston: $1,361

Average HH income

$34,026 -46%

Houston: $62,894

Poverty rate

31.0% +57%

Houston: 19.7%

Renter share

50.6% -13%

Houston: 57.9%

Peer neighborhoods

Neighborhoods with similar eviction risk

Same county, closest by Eviction Risk Score.

Geographic context

Risk heat across Highland Heights and the region

Click any tract to drill in · 5 tracts span score 5.7–6.5

Why Highland Heights scores 6.1

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

58% 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

51% 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

31.0% below poverty line · Range 5.3–10.0 across tracts

7.4

Supply constraint

Rent-to-FMR gap & zoning friction · Range 1.5–5.0 across tracts

2.5

Risk score comparison

Highland Heights vs. parent city, state, U.S.

Eviction Risk Score (0–10 scale).

Variance across tracts

How uniformly does eviction risk play out in Highland Heights?

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

Score distribution

0246810

Spread of 0.8 points from 5.7 to 6.5. Tracts are relatively uniform, so conditions feel similar throughout the neighborhood.

Tracts as heat grid

6.5 6.3 6.2 5.7 5.7

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

Census tracts

5 tracts in Highland Heights

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

Tract↕	Score↕	Pop↕	% over 30% on rent↕	Average rent↕
48201531800	6.5	3,122	83%	$1,072
48201533200	6.3	4,498	69%	$1,090
48201530701	6.2	1,466	47%	$1,114
48201530800	5.7	4,133	44%	$995
48201533301	5.7	2,922	43%	—

Social Vulnerability Index

CDC SVI percentile: 97

Pop-weighted across 5 tracts. Higher = more vulnerable to disaster, displacement, and rent shocks. Source: CDC/ATSDR SVI 2022.

Socioeconomic status 97%ile

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

Household characteristics 89%ile

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

Racial/ethnic minority 93%ile

Hispanic + non-white share of population

Housing & transport 75%ile

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

Eviction filings · Princeton Eviction Lab

Court-record eviction history in Highland Heights

Aggregated across 3 validated constituent tracts. Filing rate is filings per 100 renter households, pop-weighted.

Historic baseline (2000–2018)

1,417Total filings (sum)
14.76%Avg annual filing rate
28.0%Peak year (2014)
11.17%Latest filed (2015)

Pandemic-era tracking (2020–2021)

1,399Total filings 2020-21
3.7Avg monthly observed
4.1Pre-pandemic baseline
1.06×Ratio to baseline

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

Frequently asked

About Highland Heights

What is the eviction-risk score for Highland Heights?

Highland Heights scores 6.1/10 (Elevated tier) across 5 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 Highland Heights compare to Houston overall?

Highland Heights scores 3.3 points higher than Houston overall (2.8/10). Renters spend 58% of income on rent vs 32% citywide. Average rent: $867 vs $1,361.

What is the average rent in Highland Heights?

Average gross rent in Highland Heights is $867/month (pop-weighted across 5 census tracts, ACS 5-year 2023). 58% of renter households are cost-burdened.

What percentage of Highland Heights residents are renters?

51% of Highland Heights households are renter-occupied (vs 58% in Houston). The neighborhood has 16,141 residents.

Is Highland Heights a high social-vulnerability area?

Highland Heights sits in the 97th 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.

Which tracts in Highland Heights have the highest eviction risk?

The highest-risk constituent tract in Highland Heights is census tract 48201531800 (score 6.5/10). Across the 5 tracts in this neighborhood the score ranges from 5.7 to 6.5, a spread of 0.8 points.

How safe is Highland Heights for landlords?

Highland Heights carries a elevated-tier eviction-risk profile for landlords (6.1/10). Pop-weighted across 5 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 Highland Heights?

Highland Heights has 15,689 residents (Black-Hispanic Neighborhood). Top groups: Black (non-Hispanic) (57.2%), Hispanic / Latino (33.9%), White (non-Hispanic) (5.8%). Source: ACS 5-year 2023, table B03002.

Nearby

Other neighborhoods near Highland Heights

4.3 Candlelight Place 3 tracts · pop 11,638 3.9 Shepherd Park Plaza 3 tracts · pop 11,948 2.8 Ella Lee Forest 2 tracts · pop 7,441 4.4 Parkway Ranch 2 tracts · pop 11,843 5.8 Airline 4 tracts · pop 18,029 5.9 Melrose Park 4 tracts · pop 21,330

Sibling neighborhoods

Other neighborhoods inside Houston

Same parent city, ranked by score similarity to Highland Heights.

6.1 Westwood South 11 tracts · pop 35,891 6.1 Royal Crest 2 tracts · pop 7,172 6.1 Gulfton 1 tracts · pop 3,350 6.1 Schroeder Oaks Village 1 tracts · pop 5,407 6.1 Yorkwood 2 tracts · pop 7,529 6 Settegast 1 tracts · pop 5,795

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