3 census tracts · pop 16,712 · pop-weighted Eviction Risk Score 4.6/10
· range 3.4–5.7
Ridge Area is a 3-tract neighborhood of Harrisonburg, VA and houses 16,712 people. That produces an Eviction Risk Score of 4.6/10, Moderate tier. 55% of renters here are cost-burdened at the 30% threshold, dramatically above the Harrisonburg rate of 28.6%.
The severe-burden share is 38%. Those renters are past the 50% mark, and they miss rent for reasons that have nothing to do with willingness to pay. The poverty rate is 41%, which shows up in this model as reduced rent-recovery odds after a judgment. At $781 a month, rents sit 34% under what the rest of Harrisonburg commands.
Scores across the 3 constituent tracts range from 3.4 to 5.7. A 2.3-point internal spread means block-level underwriting beats area-level here. Pulling the other way is rent-regulation exposure, at 2/10.
On the high side is economic stress at 7.7/10. That places it #3 of 4 neighborhoods in Harrisonburg.
The closest comparables inside the same city are Preston Heights and Park View. Against average income of $72,605, annual rent is only 13%, a wide affordability cushion. 61% of occupied units are renter-occupied.
Underwrite the address, not the area: with 2.3 points between its best and worst tract, the per-tract table below is the operative number. The number is rebuilt whenever its ACS, court-record, or statutory inputs change.
Risk score
4.6
Moderate
3 tracts · population-weighted
Ridge Area vs HarrisonburgHow this neighborhood stacks against the citywide average
Single-parent HH, disability, language barriers, age 17- / 65+
Racial/ethnic minority46%ile
Hispanic + non-white share of population
Housing & transport60%ile
Multi-unit structures, mobile homes, crowding, no vehicle
CDC PLACES 2023 · pop-weighted
Eviction-adjacent indicators in Ridge Area
Average across all constituent tracts, population-weighted. Source: CDC PLACES (cwsq-ngmh) crude prevalence.
16.7%Housing insecurity
11.5%Utility shutoff threat
25.5%Food insecurity
22.7%SNAP enrollment
13.0%No health insurance
38.2%Any disability
Frequently asked
About Ridge Area
Q1
What is the eviction-risk score for Ridge Area?
Ridge Area scores 4.6/10 (Moderate tier) across 3 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 Ridge Area compare to Harrisonburg overall?
Ridge Area scores 0.3 points higher than Harrisonburg overall (4.3/10). Renters spend 55% of income on rent vs 29% citywide. Average rent: $781 vs $1,184.
Q3
What is the average rent in Ridge Area?
Average gross rent in Ridge Area is $781/month (pop-weighted across 3 census tracts, ACS 5-year 2023). 55% of renter households are cost-burdened.
Q4
What percentage of Ridge Area residents are renters?
61% of Ridge Area households are renter-occupied (vs 61% in Harrisonburg). The neighborhood has 16,712 residents.
Q5
Is Ridge Area a high social-vulnerability area?
Ridge Area sits in the 56th percentile nationally on the CDC Social Vulnerability Index (moderately 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 Ridge Area have the highest eviction risk?
The highest-risk constituent tract in Ridge Area is census tract 51660000207 (score 5.7/10). Across the 3 tracts in this neighborhood the score ranges from 3.4 to 5.7, a spread of 2.3 points.
Q7
How safe is Ridge Area for landlords?
Ridge Area carries a moderate-tier eviction-risk profile for landlords (4.6/10). Pop-weighted across 3 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 Ridge Area?
Ridge Area has 16,327 residents. Top groups: White (non-Hispanic) (68.6%), Hispanic / Latino (15.5%), Black (non-Hispanic) (6.7%). Source: ACS 5-year 2023, table B03002.
