2 census tracts · pop 9,449 · pop-weighted Eviction Risk Score 4.6/10
· range 4.5–4.7
Preston Heights is a 2-tract neighborhood of Harrisonburg, VA and houses 9,449 people. The Eviction Risk Score is 4.6/10, in the Moderate tier. Severe burden reaches 20%. A tenant at that level absorbs no shock: one cut shift or one repair bill converts directly into arrears.
The clearest offset is rent-regulation exposure, at 2/10. The poverty rate is 24%, which shows up in this model as reduced rent-recovery odds after a judgment. Against a Harrisonburg baseline of 28.6%, roughly one in three of renters here cross the 30%-of-income line.
That places it #3 of 4 neighborhoods in Harrisonburg. The closest comparables inside the same city are Ridge Area and Park View. Social vulnerability runs high at 8.2/10, concentrating the disaster- and displacement-exposure this model treats as a lagging risk input.
Its 2 tracts score within 0.2 points of one another, so the area figure travels well to individual addresses. Average gross rent runs $1,161, close to the Harrisonburg average. Annual rent works out to 22% of average household income of $64,227.
57% of occupied units are renter-occupied.
The area figure travels well to individual addresses here, though the per-tract table below still carries the detail. Scores move when the ACS release, the court-record feed, or the statute ledger behind them moves.
Risk score
4.6
Moderate
2 tracts · population-weighted
Preston Heights vs HarrisonburgHow this neighborhood stacks against the citywide average
Single-parent HH, disability, language barriers, age 17- / 65+
Racial/ethnic minority69%ile
Hispanic + non-white share of population
Housing & transport86%ile
Multi-unit structures, mobile homes, crowding, no vehicle
CDC PLACES 2023 · pop-weighted
Eviction-adjacent indicators in Preston Heights
Average across all constituent tracts, population-weighted. Source: CDC PLACES (cwsq-ngmh) crude prevalence.
16.6%Housing insecurity
10.6%Utility shutoff threat
21.4%Food insecurity
18.4%SNAP enrollment
15.5%No health insurance
34.8%Any disability
Frequently asked
About Preston Heights
Q1
What is the eviction-risk score for Preston Heights?
Preston Heights scores 4.6/10 (Moderate tier) across 2 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.
Q2
How does Preston Heights compare to Harrisonburg overall?
Preston Heights scores 0.3 points higher than Harrisonburg overall (4.3/10). Renters spend 35% of income on rent vs 29% citywide. Average rent: $1,161 vs $1,184.
Q3
What is the average rent in Preston Heights?
Average gross rent in Preston Heights is $1,161/month (pop-weighted across 2 census tracts, ACS 5-year 2023). 35% of renter households are cost-burdened.
Q4
What percentage of Preston Heights residents are renters?
57% of Preston Heights households are renter-occupied (vs 61% in Harrisonburg). The neighborhood has 9,449 residents.
Q5
Is Preston Heights a high social-vulnerability area?
Preston Heights sits in the 81st 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.
Q6
Which tracts in Preston Heights have the highest eviction risk?
The highest-risk constituent tract in Preston Heights is census tract 51660000204 (score 4.7/10). Across the 2 tracts in this neighborhood the score ranges from 4.5 to 4.7, a spread of 0.2 points.
Q7
How safe is Preston Heights for landlords?
Preston Heights carries a moderate-tier eviction-risk profile for landlords (4.6/10). Pop-weighted across 2 constituent tracts, the score blends parent-city rent-control posture, county eviction-process timelines, and tract-specific rent-to-income / poverty signals. Compared to Harrisonburg as a whole (4.3/10), this neighborhood is in line with the citywide level.
Q8
What is the demographic breakdown of Preston Heights?
Preston Heights has 9,325 residents. Top groups: White (non-Hispanic) (45%), Hispanic / Latino (36.6%), Black (non-Hispanic) (8.8%). Source: ACS 5-year 2023, table B03002.
