Neighborhood · Milwaukee, WI

Downer Avenue Eviction Risk: Moderate

8 census tracts · pop 24,586 · pop-weighted Eviction Risk Score 4.9/10 · range 3.7–6.2

Downer Avenue is a white (non-hispanic) neighborhood in Milwaukee with 8 census tracts and a population of 24,586 residents. The neighborhood's pop-weighted eviction-risk score of 4.9/10 (Moderate tier) blends state law, county-level filing rates, parent-city politics, and tract-specific rent-to-income ratios + poverty. 49% of renters here pay at least 30% of household income on rent, and 29% are severely cost-burdened (≥50% of income). Average gross rent of $1,361/month sits 29% higher than the Milwaukee citywide average ($1,059).

Risk score

4.9

Moderate

8 tracts · population-weighted

Downer Avenue vs Milwaukee How this neighborhood stacks against the citywide average

% of income on rent

49.0% +61%

Milwaukee: 30.5%

Average gross rent

$1,361 +29%

Milwaukee: $1,059

Average HH income

$76,249 +47%

Milwaukee: $51,888

Poverty rate

22.9% -2%

Milwaukee: 23.3%

Renter share

63.5% +9%

Milwaukee: 58.2%

Peer neighborhoods

Neighborhoods with similar eviction risk

Same county, closest by Eviction Risk Score.

Geographic context

Risk heat across Downer Avenue and the region

Click any tract to drill in · 8 tracts span score 3.7–6.2

Why Downer Avenue scores 4.9

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

State political climate

legislature & governorship · Range 2.9–2.9 across tracts

2.9

Regional political climate

County-level mix · 2024 presidential margin · Range 7.0–7.0 across tracts

7.0

Local political climate

Parent city governance · Range 7.3–7.5 across tracts

7.5

Rent control risk

49% of income on rent · Range 2.5–4.6 across tracts

2.8

Eviction process difficulty

State notice requirements & court backlog · Range 2.7–5.5 across tracts

5.1

Tenant organizing strength

64% renter households · Range 6.0–9.3 across tracts

6.5

Housing court bias

County bench composition · Range 5.5–5.5 across tracts

5.5

Economic stress

22.9% below poverty line · Range 4.1–10.0 across tracts

5.5

Supply constraint

Rent-to-FMR gap & zoning friction · Range 3.4–9.4 across tracts

5.8

Risk score comparison

Downer Avenue vs. parent city, state, U.S.

Eviction Risk Score (0–10 scale).

Variance across tracts

How uniformly does eviction risk play out in Downer Avenue?

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

Score distribution

0246810

Spread of 2.5 points from 3.7 to 6.2. This neighborhood crosses multiple risk tiers, so block-by-block conditions vary substantially.

Tracts as heat grid

6.2 5.5 5.5 5.0 4.9 4.9 3.7 3.7

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

Census tracts

8 tracts in Downer Avenue

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

Tract↕	Score↕	Pop↕	% over 30% on rent↕	Average rent↕
55079007800	6.2	2,844	60%	$1,554
55079007700	5.5	3,915	49%	$1,105
55079080400	5.5	3,568	49%	$1,208
55079007600	5	3,450	40%	$1,165
55079007200	4.9	2,731	46%	$1,058
55079007300	4.9	1,865	69%	$1,223
55079007400	3.7	3,706	53%	$1,816
55079007500	3.7	2,507	31%	$1,794

Social Vulnerability Index

CDC SVI percentile: 35

Pop-weighted across 8 tracts. Higher = more vulnerable to disaster, displacement, and rent shocks. Source: CDC/ATSDR SVI 2022.

Socioeconomic status 46%ile

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

Household characteristics 14%ile

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

Racial/ethnic minority 36%ile

Hispanic + non-white share of population

Housing & transport 61%ile

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

Eviction filings · Princeton Eviction Lab

Court-record eviction history in Downer Avenue

Aggregated across 8 validated constituent tracts. Filing rate is filings per 100 renter households, pop-weighted.

Historic baseline (2000–2018)

1,243Total filings (sum)
1.22%Avg annual filing rate
4.4%Peak year (2016)
1.41%Latest filed (2017)

Pandemic-era tracking (2020–2021)

530Total filings 2020-21
0.9Avg monthly observed
1.0Pre-pandemic baseline
1.05×Ratio to baseline

Pandemic filings ran near baseline. Tracked under Eviction Lab Eviction Tracking System (Milwaukee, WI).

CDC PLACES 2023 · pop-weighted

Eviction-adjacent indicators in Downer Avenue

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

9.4%Housing insecurity
5.6%Utility shutoff threat
12.9%Food insecurity
13.0%SNAP enrollment
7.1%No health insurance
26.8%Any disability

Frequently asked

About Downer Avenue

What is the eviction-risk score for Downer Avenue?

Downer Avenue scores 4.9/10 (Moderate tier) across 8 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 Downer Avenue compare to Milwaukee overall?

Downer Avenue scores 0.9 points higher than Milwaukee overall (4/10). Renters spend 49% of income on rent vs 31% citywide. Average rent: $1,361 vs $1,059.

What is the average rent in Downer Avenue?

Average gross rent in Downer Avenue is $1,361/month (pop-weighted across 8 census tracts, ACS 5-year 2023). 49% of renter households are cost-burdened.

What percentage of Downer Avenue residents are renters?

64% of Downer Avenue households are renter-occupied (vs 58% in Milwaukee). The neighborhood has 24,586 residents.

Is Downer Avenue a high social-vulnerability area?

Downer Avenue sits in the 35th 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.

Which tracts in Downer Avenue have the highest eviction risk?

The highest-risk constituent tract in Downer Avenue is census tract 55079007800 (score 6.2/10). Across the 8 tracts in this neighborhood the score ranges from 3.7 to 6.2, a spread of 2.5 points.

How safe is Downer Avenue for landlords?

Downer Avenue carries a moderate-tier eviction-risk profile for landlords (4.9/10). Pop-weighted across 8 constituent tracts, the score blends parent-city rent-control posture, county eviction-process timelines, and tract-specific rent-to-income / poverty signals. Compared to Milwaukee as a whole (4/10), this neighborhood is higher-risk.

What is the demographic breakdown of Downer Avenue?

Downer Avenue has 24,430 residents (White (non-Hispanic) Neighborhood). Top groups: White (non-Hispanic) (77%), Black (non-Hispanic) (6.9%), Hispanic / Latino (5.8%). Source: ACS 5-year 2023, table B03002.

Nearby

Other neighborhoods near Downer Avenue

4.8 East Village 3 tracts · pop 6,915 5.9 Bronzeville 17 tracts · pop 26,623 4.4 Historic Water Tower Neighborhood 3 tracts · pop 8,351 2.8 Estabrook Park 4 tracts · pop 16,791 4.6 Beerline B 2 tracts · pop 2,508 5 Brady Street 3 tracts · pop 4,393

Sibling neighborhoods

Other neighborhoods inside Milwaukee

Same parent city, ranked by score similarity to Downer Avenue.

4.9 Hegelmeyer's 1 tracts · pop 5,659 4.9 Theater District 1 tracts · pop 3,231 4.9 Meadowmere 4 tracts · pop 13,019 5 Lynndale 6 tracts · pop 20,504 4.8 East Village 3 tracts · pop 6,915 4.8 Historic Financial District 1 tracts · pop 2,454

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