Neighborhood · Virginia Beach, VA

Lawson Forest Eviction Risk: Lower

3 census tracts · pop 18,067 · pop-weighted Eviction Risk Score 3.2/10 · range 2–4.9

Lawson Forest is a white-black neighborhood in Virginia Beach with 3 census tracts and a population of 18,067 residents. The neighborhood's pop-weighted eviction-risk score of 3.2/10 (Lower tier) blends state law, county-level filing rates, parent-city politics, and tract-specific rent-to-income ratios + poverty. 48% of renters here pay at least 30% of household income on rent, and 31% are severely cost-burdened (≥50% of income). Average gross rent of $1,593/month sits 7% lower than the Virginia Beach citywide average ($1,714).

Risk score

3.2

Lower

3 tracts · population-weighted

Lawson Forest vs Virginia Beach How this neighborhood stacks against the citywide average

% of income on rent

48.3% +50%

Virginia Beach: 32.2%

Average gross rent

$1,593 -7%

Virginia Beach: $1,714

Average HH income

$71,650 -21%

Virginia Beach: $90,685

Poverty rate

16.1% +92%

Virginia Beach: 8.4%

Renter share

44.9% +29%

Virginia Beach: 34.9%

Peer neighborhoods

Neighborhoods with similar eviction risk

Same county, closest by Eviction Risk Score.

Geographic context

Risk heat across Lawson Forest and the region

Click any tract to drill in · 3 tracts span score 2–4.9

Why Lawson Forest scores 3.2

9 axes · pop-weighted · 1 = landlord-friendly

State political climate

legislature & governorship · Range 3.2–3.2 across tracts

3.2

Regional political climate

County-level mix · 2024 presidential margin · Range 5.3–5.3 across tracts

5.3

Local political climate

Parent city governance · Range 4.0–4.0 across tracts

4.0

Rent control risk

48% of income on rent · Range 2.0–2.0 across tracts

2.0

Eviction process difficulty

State notice requirements & court backlog · Range 4.0–4.0 across tracts

4.0

Tenant organizing strength

45% renter households · Range 3.5–3.5 across tracts

3.5

Housing court bias

County bench composition · Range 4.0–4.0 across tracts

4.0

Economic stress

16.1% below poverty line · Range 1.0–9.6 across tracts

4.0

Supply constraint

Rent-to-FMR gap & zoning friction · Range 2.1–6.6 across tracts

4.4

Risk score comparison

Lawson Forest vs. parent city, state, U.S.

Eviction Risk Score (0–10 scale).

Variance across tracts

How uniformly does eviction risk play out in Lawson Forest?

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

Score distribution

0246810

Spread of 2.9 points from 2 to 4.9. This neighborhood crosses multiple risk tiers, so block-by-block conditions vary substantially.

Tracts as heat grid

4.9 3.8 2.0

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

Census tracts

3 tracts in Lawson Forest

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

Tract↕	Score↕	Pop↕	% over 30% on rent↕	Average rent↕
51810040405	4.9	4,222	52%	$1,202
51810040200	3.8	5,468	49%	$1,315
51810040404	2	8,377	46%	$1,971

Social Vulnerability Index

CDC SVI percentile: 60

Pop-weighted across 3 tracts. Higher = more vulnerable to disaster, displacement, and rent shocks. Source: CDC/ATSDR SVI 2022.

Socioeconomic status 49%ile

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

Household characteristics 67%ile

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

Racial/ethnic minority 72%ile

Hispanic + non-white share of population

Housing & transport 60%ile

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

Eviction filings · Princeton Eviction Lab

Court-record eviction history in Lawson Forest

Aggregated across 2 validated constituent tracts. Filing rate is filings per 100 renter households, pop-weighted.

Historic baseline (2000–2018)

725Total filings (sum)
30.52%Avg annual filing rate
62.6%Peak year (2016)
30.52%Latest filed (2016)

CDC PLACES 2023 · pop-weighted

Eviction-adjacent indicators in Lawson Forest

Average across all constituent tracts, population-weighted. Source: CDC PLACES (cwsq-ngmh) crude prevalence.

16.3%Housing insecurity
11.2%Utility shutoff threat
20.3%Food insecurity
18.3%SNAP enrollment
10.5%No health insurance
32.4%Any disability

Frequently asked

About Lawson Forest

What is the eviction-risk score for Lawson Forest?

Lawson Forest scores 3.2/10 (Lower 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.

How does Lawson Forest compare to Virginia Beach overall?

Lawson Forest scores 0.6 points lower than Virginia Beach overall (3.8/10). Renters spend 48% of income on rent vs 32% citywide. Average rent: $1,593 vs $1,714.

What is the average rent in Lawson Forest?

Average gross rent in Lawson Forest is $1,593/month (pop-weighted across 3 census tracts, ACS 5-year 2023). 48% of renter households are cost-burdened.

What percentage of Lawson Forest residents are renters?

45% of Lawson Forest households are renter-occupied (vs 35% in Virginia Beach). The neighborhood has 18,067 residents.

Is Lawson Forest a high social-vulnerability area?

Lawson Forest sits in the 60th 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.

Which tracts in Lawson Forest have the highest eviction risk?

The highest-risk constituent tract in Lawson Forest is census tract 51810040405 (score 4.9/10). Across the 3 tracts in this neighborhood the score ranges from 2 to 4.9, a spread of 2.9 points.

How safe is Lawson Forest for landlords?

Lawson Forest carries a lower-tier eviction-risk profile for landlords (3.2/10). 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 Virginia Beach as a whole (3.8/10), this neighborhood is lower-risk.

What is the demographic breakdown of Lawson Forest?

Lawson Forest has 17,866 residents (White-Black Neighborhood). Top groups: White (non-Hispanic) (40.3%), Black (non-Hispanic) (38.5%), Hispanic / Latino (8.6%). Source: ACS 5-year 2023, table B03002.

Nearby

Other neighborhoods near Lawson Forest

3.6 Euclid Terrace 2 tracts · pop 12,748 2.7 Aragona Village 2 tracts · pop 7,371 3.1 Pocahontas Village 5 tracts · pop 17,621 2.5 Chesapeake Beach 2 tracts · pop 8,173 3 Thalia Manor 3 tracts · pop 8,147 1.9 Fairfield 3 tracts · pop 12,381

Sibling neighborhoods

Other neighborhoods inside Virginia Beach

Same parent city, ranked by score similarity to Lawson Forest.

3.2 Oceana 2 tracts · pop 5,185 3.3 Kings Arm 3 tracts · pop 13,508 3.1 Pocahontas Village 5 tracts · pop 17,621 3.1 Thalia Manor 3 tracts · pop 8,147 3 Hollywood 1 tracts · pop 4,053 3 Lake Smith Terrace 1 tracts · pop 3,904

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