Neighborhood · Houston, TX

Independence Heights Eviction Risk: Moderate

5 census tracts · pop 13,363 · pop-weighted Eviction Risk Score 5.1/10 · range 3.8–6.3

Independence Heights is a hispanic-black neighborhood in Houston with 5 census tracts and a population of 13,363 residents. The neighborhood's pop-weighted eviction-risk score of 5.1/10 (Moderate tier) blends state law, county-level filing rates, parent-city politics, and tract-specific rent-to-income ratios + poverty. 51% of renters here pay at least 30% of household income on rent, and 17% are severely cost-burdened (≥50% of income). Average gross rent of $1,066/month sits 22% lower than the Houston citywide average ($1,361).

Risk score

5.1

Moderate

5 tracts · population-weighted

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

% of income on rent

50.5% +57%

Houston: 32.1%

Average gross rent

$1,066 -22%

Houston: $1,361

Average HH income

$53,192 -15%

Houston: $62,894

Poverty rate

18.6% -6%

Houston: 19.7%

Renter share

51.7% -11%

Houston: 57.9%

Peer neighborhoods

Neighborhoods with similar eviction risk

Same county, closest by Eviction Risk Score.

Geographic context

Risk heat across Independence Heights and the region

Click any tract to drill in · 5 tracts span score 3.8–6.3

Why Independence Heights scores 5.1

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

51% 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

52% 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

18.6% below poverty line · Range 2.2–6.8 across tracts

4.7

Supply constraint

Rent-to-FMR gap & zoning friction · Range 1.3–3.0 across tracts

2.0

Risk score comparison

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

Eviction Risk Score (0–10 scale).

Variance across tracts

How uniformly does eviction risk play out in Independence 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 2.5 points from 3.8 to 6.3. This neighborhood crosses multiple risk tiers, so block-by-block conditions vary substantially.

Tracts as heat grid

6.3 5.7 5.6 4.3 3.8

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

Census tracts

5 tracts in Independence Heights

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

Tract↕	Score↕	Pop↕	% over 30% on rent↕	Average rent↕
48201220500	6.3	3,310	58%	$967
48201530502	5.7	2,412	54%	$1,060
48201530501	5.6	1,706	43%	$990
48201530400	4.3	3,330	43%	$1,091
48201530300	3.8	2,605	52%	$1,217

Social Vulnerability Index

CDC SVI percentile: 89

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

Socioeconomic status 89%ile

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

Household characteristics 73%ile

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

Racial/ethnic minority 93%ile

Hispanic + non-white share of population

Housing & transport 80%ile

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

Eviction filings · Princeton Eviction Lab

Court-record eviction history in Independence Heights

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

Historic baseline (2000–2018)

656Total filings (sum)
5.53%Avg annual filing rate
11.1%Peak year (2013)
4.48%Latest filed (2015)

Pandemic-era tracking (2020–2021)

1,248Total filings 2020-21
3.3Avg monthly observed
2.7Pre-pandemic baseline
1.36×Ratio to baseline

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

Frequently asked

About Independence Heights

What is the eviction-risk score for Independence Heights?

Independence Heights scores 5.1/10 (Moderate 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 Independence Heights compare to Houston overall?

Independence Heights scores 2.3 points higher than Houston overall (2.8/10). Renters spend 51% of income on rent vs 32% citywide. Average rent: $1,066 vs $1,361.

What is the average rent in Independence Heights?

Average gross rent in Independence Heights is $1,066/month (pop-weighted across 5 census tracts, ACS 5-year 2023). 51% of renter households are cost-burdened.

What percentage of Independence Heights residents are renters?

52% of Independence Heights households are renter-occupied (vs 58% in Houston). The neighborhood has 13,363 residents.

Is Independence Heights a high social-vulnerability area?

Independence Heights sits in the 89th 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 Independence Heights have the highest eviction risk?

The highest-risk constituent tract in Independence Heights is census tract 48201220500 (score 6.3/10). Across the 5 tracts in this neighborhood the score ranges from 3.8 to 6.3, a spread of 2.5 points.

How safe is Independence Heights for landlords?

Independence Heights carries a moderate-tier eviction-risk profile for landlords (5.1/10). 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 Independence Heights?

Independence Heights has 13,146 residents (Hispanic-Black Neighborhood). Top groups: Hispanic / Latino (54.5%), Black (non-Hispanic) (33.2%), White (non-Hispanic) (8.6%). Source: ACS 5-year 2023, table B03002.

Nearby

Other neighborhoods near Independence Heights

3.9 Shepherd Park Plaza 3 tracts · pop 11,948 4.8 Lindale Park 6 tracts · pop 19,955 5.7 Hawthorne Place 6 tracts · pop 21,593 3.1 Timbergrove Manor Section 2 2 tracts · pop 7,925 5.9 Melrose Park 4 tracts · pop 21,330 2.7 Woodland Heights 5 tracts · pop 17,576

Sibling neighborhoods

Other neighborhoods inside Houston

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

5.1 Winchester 2 tracts · pop 9,844 5.1 Houmont Park 2 tracts · pop 11,154 5.1 Brays Oaks 11 tracts · pop 37,484 5.1 Spring Branch 9 tracts · pop 30,895 5.1 Cobblestone Court 3 tracts · pop 10,709 5.1 Ashton Village 3 tracts · pop 10,798

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