10 census tracts · pop 34,158 · pop-weighted Eviction Risk Score 8.3/10
· range 7–9.3
South Lake Union is a 10-tract neighborhood of Seattle, WA, population 34,158. The Eviction Risk Score is 8.3/10, in the High tier. This is a renter market: 87% of occupied units are tenant-occupied.
What pushes the score up most is rent-regulation exposure at 9/10. 38% of renters here are cost-burdened at the 30% threshold, well above the Seattle rate of 27.4%.
Running hot is tenant-organizing strength at 9/10. Scores across the 10 constituent tracts range from 7 to 9.3. A 2.3-point internal spread means block-level underwriting beats area-level here.
Sitting well above the midpoint is eviction-process difficulty at 8.5/10. Severe burden reaches 17%. A tenant at that level absorbs no shock: one cut shift or one repair bill converts directly into arrears. Court records for this tract carry 74 eviction filings.
The worst year on record was 2006, when filings touched 0.7% of renter households. The most recent observed rate, 0.1% in 2013, is well off that peak. Among the 65 mapped neighborhoods of Seattle, it ranks #17 by risk, the upper third.
For a like-for-like read, Kenwood and South Seattle score within a fraction of it. Average gross rent runs $2,118, close to the Seattle average.
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. Scores move when the ACS release, the court-record feed, or the statute ledger behind them moves.
Risk score
8.3
High
10 tracts · population-weighted
South Lake Union vs SeattleHow this neighborhood stacks against the citywide average
Single-parent HH, disability, language barriers, age 17- / 65+
Racial/ethnic minority60%ile
Hispanic + non-white share of population
Housing & transport77%ile
Multi-unit structures, mobile homes, crowding, no vehicle
Eviction filings · Princeton Eviction Lab
Court-record eviction history in South Lake Union
Aggregated across 1 validated constituent tract. Filing rate is filings per 100 renter households, pop-weighted.
Historic baseline (2000–2018)
74Total filings (sum)
0.48%Avg annual filing rate
0.7%Peak year (2006)
0.11%Latest filed (2013)
Frequently asked
About South Lake Union
Q1
What is the eviction-risk score for South Lake Union?
South Lake Union scores 8.3/10 (High tier) across 10 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 South Lake Union compare to Seattle overall?
South Lake Union scores 0.4 points higher than Seattle overall (7.9/10). Renters spend 38% of income on rent vs 27% citywide. Average rent: $2,118 vs $2,030.
Q3
What is the average rent in South Lake Union?
Average gross rent in South Lake Union is $2,118/month (pop-weighted across 10 census tracts, ACS 5-year 2023). 38% of renter households are cost-burdened.
Q4
What percentage of South Lake Union residents are renters?
87% of South Lake Union households are renter-occupied (vs 56% in Seattle). The neighborhood has 34,158 residents.
Q5
Is South Lake Union a high social-vulnerability area?
South Lake Union sits in the 34th percentile nationally on the CDC Social Vulnerability Index (less 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 South Lake Union have the highest eviction risk?
The highest-risk constituent tract in South Lake Union is census tract 53033007406 (score 9.3/10). Across the 10 tracts in this neighborhood the score ranges from 7 to 9.3, a spread of 2.3 points.
Q7
How safe is South Lake Union for landlords?
South Lake Union carries a high-tier eviction-risk profile for landlords (8.3/10). Pop-weighted across 10 constituent tracts, the score blends parent-city rent-control posture, county eviction-process timelines, and tract-specific rent-to-income / poverty signals. Compared to Seattle as a whole (7.9/10), this neighborhood is higher-risk.
Q8
What is the demographic breakdown of South Lake Union?
South Lake Union has 34,498 residents. Top groups: White (non-Hispanic) (52.5%), Asian (non-Hispanic) (26.8%), Other / Multiracial (9.3%). Source: ACS 5-year 2023, table B03002.
