3 census tracts · pop 12,966 · pop-weighted Eviction Risk Score 8.2/10
· range 8.1–8.5
South Seattle is a 3-tract neighborhood of Seattle, WA and houses 12,966 people. The Eviction Risk Score is 8.2/10, in the High tier. The dominant input is rent-regulation exposure at 9/10.
Against a Seattle baseline of 27.4%, 38% of renters here cross the 30%-of-income line. Sitting well above the midpoint is tenant-organizing strength at 9/10. 20% are severely burdened, paying half their income or more in rent. That cohort has no absorption capacity for an unexpected bill, and it is where non-payment filings originate.
Running hot is eviction-process difficulty at 8.5/10. Court records carry 280 eviction filings across its 3 observed tracts.
The worst year on record was 2011, when filings touched 4.5% of renter households. The most recent observed rate, 1.2% in 2013, is well off that peak. That places it #20 of 65 neighborhoods in Seattle.
For a like-for-like read, Kenwood and South Lake Union score within a fraction of it. The 3 tracts here are tightly clustered, 0.4 points apart at the extremes.
Average gross rent runs $2,078, close to the Seattle average.
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
8.2
High
3 tracts · population-weighted
South Seattle vs SeattleHow this neighborhood stacks against the citywide average
Single-parent HH, disability, language barriers, age 17- / 65+
Racial/ethnic minority73%ile
Hispanic + non-white share of population
Housing & transport88%ile
Multi-unit structures, mobile homes, crowding, no vehicle
Eviction filings · Princeton Eviction Lab
Court-record eviction history in South Seattle
Aggregated across 3 validated constituent tracts. Filing rate is filings per 100 renter households, pop-weighted.
Historic baseline (2000–2018)
280Total filings (sum)
1.43%Avg annual filing rate
4.5%Peak year (2011)
1.09%Latest filed (2013)
Frequently asked
About South Seattle
Q1
What is the eviction-risk score for South Seattle?
South Seattle scores 8.2/10 (High 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 South Seattle compare to Seattle overall?
South Seattle scores 0.3 points higher than Seattle overall (7.9/10). Renters spend 38% of income on rent vs 27% citywide. Average rent: $2,078 vs $2,030.
Q3
What is the average rent in South Seattle?
Average gross rent in South Seattle eviction risk is $2,078/month (pop-weighted across 3 census tracts, ACS 5-year 2023). 38% of renter households are cost-burdened.
Q4
What percentage of South Seattle residents are renters?
43% of South Seattle households are renter-occupied (vs 56% in Seattle). The neighborhood has 12,966 residents.
Q5
Is South Seattle a high social-vulnerability area?
South Seattle sits in the 61st 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 South Seattle have the highest eviction risk?
The highest-risk constituent tract in South Seattle is census tract 53033010402 (score 8.5/10). Across the 3 tracts in this neighborhood the score ranges from 8.1 to 8.5, a spread of 0.4 points.
Q7
How safe is South Seattle for landlords?
South Seattle eviction risk carries a high-tier eviction-risk profile for landlords (8.2/10). 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 Seattle as a whole (7.9/10), this neighborhood is in line with the citywide level.
Q8
What is the demographic breakdown of South Seattle?
South Seattle has 12,889 residents. Top groups: White (non-Hispanic) (37.2%), Asian (non-Hispanic) (34.1%), Other / Multiracial (10.2%). Source: ACS 5-year 2023, table B03002.
