2 census tracts · pop 7,970 · pop-weighted Eviction Risk Score 8.5/10
· range 8.3–8.7
Birchwood is a 2-tract neighborhood of Bellingham, WA and houses 7,970 people. The Eviction Risk Score is 8.5/10, in the High tier. Cost burden runs 66% against 37.2% citywide, putting Birchwood 28.4% over its own city.
What pushes the score up most is tenant-organizing strength at 9.4/10. Severe burden reaches 30%. A tenant at that level absorbs no shock: one cut shift or one repair bill converts directly into arrears.
Sitting well above the midpoint is rent-regulation exposure at 8.7/10. On the high side is housing-court posture at 8.1/10. The poverty rate is 21%, which shows up in this model as reduced rent-recovery odds after a judgment.
Average gross rent is $1,432, 9% below the Bellingham average of $1,577. That places it #4 of 13 neighborhoods in Bellingham. The closest comparables inside the same city are Happy Valley and York.
The 2 tracts here are tightly clustered, 0.4 points apart at the extremes. Annual rent works out to 30% of average household income of $57,936. 56% of occupied units are renter-occupied.
With little internal variation, 8.5/10 is a fair proxy for any address inside the boundary. The number is rebuilt whenever its ACS, court-record, or statutory inputs change.
Risk score
8.5
High
2 tracts · population-weighted
Birchwood vs BellinghamHow this neighborhood stacks against the citywide average
Single-parent HH, disability, language barriers, age 17- / 65+
Racial/ethnic minority33%ile
Hispanic + non-white share of population
Housing & transport85%ile
Multi-unit structures, mobile homes, crowding, no vehicle
Frequently asked
About Birchwood
Q1
What is the eviction-risk score for Birchwood?
Birchwood scores 8.5/10 (High tier) across 2 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 Birchwood compare to Bellingham overall?
Birchwood scores 1.2 points higher than Bellingham overall (7.3/10). Renters spend 66% of income on rent vs 37% citywide. Average rent: $1,432 vs $1,577.
Q3
What is the average rent in Birchwood?
Average gross rent in Birchwood is $1,432/month (pop-weighted across 2 census tracts, ACS 5-year 2023). 66% of renter households are cost-burdened.
Q4
What percentage of Birchwood residents are renters?
56% of Birchwood households are renter-occupied (vs 55% in Bellingham). The neighborhood has 7,970 residents.
Q5
Is Birchwood a high social-vulnerability area?
Birchwood 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.
Q6
Which tracts in Birchwood have the highest eviction risk?
The highest-risk constituent tract in Birchwood is census tract 53073000302 (score 8.7/10). Across the 2 tracts in this neighborhood the score ranges from 8.3 to 8.7, a spread of 0.4 points.
Q7
How safe is Birchwood for landlords?
Birchwood carries a high-tier eviction-risk profile for landlords (8.5/10). Pop-weighted across 2 constituent tracts, the score blends parent-city rent-control posture, county eviction-process timelines, and tract-specific rent-to-income / poverty signals. Compared to Bellingham as a whole (7.3/10), this neighborhood is higher-risk.
Q8
What is the demographic breakdown of Birchwood?
Birchwood has 8,209 residents. Top groups: White (non-Hispanic) (74%), Hispanic / Latino (16.8%), Other / Multiracial (4.9%). Source: ACS 5-year 2023, table B03002.
