Neighborhood · Tacoma, WA

Lower Portland Eviction Risk: Moderate

1 census tracts · pop 3,463 · pop-weighted Eviction Risk Score 5.5/10 · range 5.5–5.5

Lower Portland is a white-other neighborhood in Tacoma with 1 census tract and a population of 3,463 residents. The neighborhood's pop-weighted eviction-risk score of 5.5/10 (Moderate tier) blends state law, county-level filing rates, parent-city politics, and tract-specific rent-to-income ratios + poverty. 51% of renters here pay at least 30% of household income on rent, and 18% are severely cost-burdened (≥50% of income). Average gross rent of $1,691/month sits 1% higher than the Tacoma citywide average ($1,676).

Risk score

5.5

Moderate

1 tracts · population-weighted

Lower Portland vs Tacoma How this neighborhood stacks against the citywide average

% of income on rent

51.0% +57%

Tacoma: 32.4%

Average gross rent

$1,691 +1%

Tacoma: $1,676

Average HH income

$80,375 -4%

Tacoma: $83,857

Poverty rate

11.5% -4%

Tacoma: 12.0%

Renter share

27.4% -38%

Tacoma: 44.2%

Peer neighborhoods

Neighborhoods with similar eviction risk

Same county, closest by Eviction Risk Score.

Geographic context

Risk heat across Lower Portland and the region

Click any tract to drill in · 1 tracts span score 5.5–5.5

Why Lower Portland scores 5.5

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

State political climate

legislature & governorship · Range 6.0–6.0 across tracts

6.0

Regional political climate

County-level mix · 2024 presidential margin · Range 5.6–5.6 across tracts

5.6

Local political climate

Parent city governance · Range 7.8–7.8 across tracts

7.8

Rent control risk

51% of income on rent · Range 7.5–7.5 across tracts

7.5

Eviction process difficulty

State notice requirements & court backlog · Range 7.5–7.5 across tracts

7.5

Tenant organizing strength

27% renter households · Range 7.0–7.0 across tracts

7.0

Housing court bias

County bench composition · Range 7.5–7.5 across tracts

7.5

Economic stress

11.5% below poverty line · Range 2.9–2.9 across tracts

2.9

Supply constraint

Rent-to-FMR gap & zoning friction · Range 3.2–3.2 across tracts

3.2

Risk score comparison

Lower Portland vs. parent city, state, U.S.

Eviction Risk Score (0–10 scale).

Census tracts

1 tracts in Lower Portland

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

Tract↕	Score↕	Pop↕	% over 30% on rent↕	Average rent↕
53053940007	5.5	3,463	51%	$1,691

Social Vulnerability Index

CDC SVI percentile: 83

Pop-weighted across 1 tracts. Higher = more vulnerable to disaster, displacement, and rent shocks. Source: CDC/ATSDR SVI 2022.

Socioeconomic status 81%ile

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

Household characteristics 88%ile

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

Racial/ethnic minority 76%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 Lower Portland

Aggregated across 1 validated constituent tract. Filing rate is filings per 100 renter households, pop-weighted.

Historic baseline (2000–2018)

189Total filings (sum)
4.53%Avg annual filing rate
7.0%Peak year (2006)
4.27%Latest filed (2015)

Pandemic-era tracking (2020–2021)

82Total filings 2020-21
1.1Avg monthly observed
1.1Pre-pandemic baseline
0.94×Ratio to baseline

Pandemic filings ran below baseline. Tracked under Eviction Lab Eviction Tracking System (St Louis, MO).

Frequently asked

About Lower Portland

What is the eviction-risk score for Lower Portland?

Lower Portland scores 5.5/10 (Moderate 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.

How does Lower Portland compare to Tacoma overall?

Lower Portland scores 2.3 points lower than Tacoma overall (7.8/10). Renters spend 51% of income on rent vs 32% citywide. Average rent: $1,691 vs $1,676.

What is the average rent in Lower Portland?

Average gross rent in Lower Portland is $1,691/month (pop-weighted across 1 census tracts, ACS 5-year 2023). 51% of renter households are cost-burdened.

What percentage of Lower Portland residents are renters?

27% of Lower Portland households are renter-occupied (vs 44% in Tacoma). The neighborhood has 3,463 residents.

Is Lower Portland a high social-vulnerability area?

Lower Portland sits in the 83rd 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.

How safe is Lower Portland for landlords?

Lower Portland carries a moderate-tier eviction-risk profile for landlords (5.5/10). 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 Tacoma as a whole (7.8/10), this neighborhood is lower-risk.

What is the demographic breakdown of Lower Portland?

Lower Portland has 3,103 residents (White-Other Neighborhood). Top groups: White (non-Hispanic) (41.3%), Other / Multiracial (22.1%), Hispanic / Latino (17.3%). Source: ACS 5-year 2023, table B03002.

Nearby

Other neighborhoods near Lower Portland

6 Salishan 3 tracts · pop 13,905 5.5 Pacific Avenue 5 tracts · pop 24,311 4.9 Willow Green Village 3 tracts · pop 12,263 6.4 Stadium District 3 tracts · pop 7,679 5.3 Lincoln International District 2 tracts · pop 7,283 6.2 McCarver Neighborhood 2 tracts · pop 8,916

Sibling neighborhoods

Other neighborhoods inside Tacoma

Same parent city, ranked by score similarity to Lower Portland.

5.5 Pacific Avenue 5 tracts · pop 24,311 5.3 Lincoln International District 2 tracts · pop 7,283 5.3 Lincoln 1 tracts · pop 1,972 5.3 6th Avenue 3 tracts · pop 16,510 5.3 Orchard Glen 1 tracts · pop 4,259 5.8 Oakland Madrona 2 tracts · pop 10,784

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