1 census tracts · pop 3,872 · pop-weighted Eviction Risk Score 7.2/10
· range 7.2–7.2
Western Hills is a one-tract neighborhood of Petersburg, VA, population 3,872. Scored across those inputs it reaches 7.2/10, placing it in the Elevated tier. The severe-burden share is 41%. Those renters are past the 50% mark, and they miss rent for reasons that have nothing to do with willingness to pay.
54% of renters here are cost-burdened at the 30% threshold, well clear of the Petersburg rate of 30.7%. The strongest single driver of the headline number is tenant-organizing strength at 9.7/10.
The poverty rate is 33%, which shows up in this model as reduced rent-recovery odds after a judgment. 20.7% of adults report being unable to pay a utility bill, against a 9.2% national figure. Utility arrears usually lead rent arrears by a month or two.
On the high side is economic stress at 8.3/10. On the softer side is supply constraint, at 1.9/10. The filing record is not thin: 3,356 evictions logged in this tract.
Disability prevalence reaches 44.0% against a 31.5% national average, which raises the odds a reasonable-accommodation request accompanies any dispute. Filing activity peaked in 2013 at 84.1% of renter households. The most recent observed rate, 50.4% in 2016, is well off that peak.
Among the 10 mapped neighborhoods of Petersburg, it ranks #2 by risk, the upper third. For a like-for-like read, Lakemont and Heights score within a fraction of it.
Social vulnerability runs high at 9.9/10, concentrating the disaster- and displacement-exposure this model treats as a lagging risk input.
Because the boundary contains one tract, 7.2/10 is simultaneously the area figure and the address-level figure. The number is rebuilt whenever its ACS, court-record, or statutory inputs change.
Risk score
7.2
Elevated
1 tracts · population-weighted
Western Hills vs PetersburgHow this neighborhood stacks against the citywide average
Single-parent HH, disability, language barriers, age 17- / 65+
Racial/ethnic minority99%ile
Hispanic + non-white share of population
Housing & transport95%ile
Multi-unit structures, mobile homes, crowding, no vehicle
Eviction filings · Princeton Eviction Lab
Court-record eviction history in Western Hills
Aggregated across 1 validated constituent tract. Filing rate is filings per 100 renter households, pop-weighted.
Historic baseline (2000–2018)
3,356Total filings (sum)
59.47%Avg annual filing rate
84.1%Peak year (2013)
50.38%Latest filed (2016)
CDC PLACES 2023 · pop-weighted
Eviction-adjacent indicators in Western Hills
Average across all constituent tracts, population-weighted. Source: CDC PLACES (cwsq-ngmh) crude prevalence.
26.5%Housing insecurity
20.7%Utility shutoff threat
34.7%Food insecurity
37.3%SNAP enrollment
11.9%No health insurance
44.0%Any disability
Frequently asked
About Western Hills
Q1
What is the eviction-risk score for Western Hills?
Western Hills scores 7.2/10 (Elevated tier) across 1 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 Western Hills compare to Petersburg overall?
Western Hills scores 1.3 points higher than Petersburg overall (5.9/10). Renters spend 54% of income on rent vs 31% citywide. Average rent: $1,179 vs $1,174.
Q3
What is the average rent in Western Hills?
Average gross rent in Western Hills is $1,179/month (pop-weighted across 1 census tracts, ACS 5-year 2023). 54% of renter households are cost-burdened.
Q4
What percentage of Western Hills residents are renters?
58% of Western Hills households are renter-occupied (vs 61% in Petersburg). The neighborhood has 3,872 residents.
Q5
Is Western Hills a high social-vulnerability area?
Western Hills sits in the 99th 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
How safe is Western Hills for landlords?
Western Hills carries a elevated-tier eviction-risk profile for landlords (7.2/10). Pop-weighted across 1 constituent tracts, the score blends parent-city rent-control posture, county eviction-process timelines, and tract-specific rent-to-income / poverty signals. Compared to Petersburg as a whole (5.9/10), this neighborhood is higher-risk.
Q7
What is the demographic breakdown of Western Hills?
Western Hills has 4,111 residents. Top groups: Black (non-Hispanic) (71.5%), Hispanic / Latino (21.1%), White (non-Hispanic) (3.8%). Source: ACS 5-year 2023, table B03002.
