1 census tracts · pop 2,357 · pop-weighted Eviction Risk Score 5.8/10
· range 5.8–5.8
Riverwest is a one-tract suburb of Milwaukee, WI, population 2,357. Scored across those inputs it reaches 5.8/10, placing it in the Moderate tier. 55% of renters here are cost-burdened at the 30% threshold, far above the Milwaukee rate of 30.5%.
This is a renter market: 85% of occupied units are tenant-occupied. The poverty rate is 26%. Judgments in high-poverty tracts are collectible far less often than the filing statistics suggest. The severe-burden share is 18%. Those renters are past the 50% mark, and they miss rent for reasons that have nothing to do with willingness to pay.
The clearest offset is supply constraint, at 2.4/10. Running cool is rent-regulation exposure, at 2.5/10. CDC survey data puts housing insecurity at 23.5% of adults, against 14.2% nationally.
The filing record is not thin: 1,447 evictions logged in this tract. 15.2% of adults report being unable to pay a utility bill, against a 9.2% national figure. Utility arrears usually lead rent arrears by a month or two. At $925 a month, rents sit 13% under what the rest of Milwaukee commands.
Filing activity peaked in 2008 at 14.1% of renter households. Recent filings have not receded much: 9.8% in 2017 against a 14.1% peak.
That places it #1 of 53 neighborhoods in Milwaukee. The closest comparables inside the same city are Silverswan and West End.
Because the boundary contains one tract, 5.8/10 is simultaneously the area figure and the address-level figure. Scores move when the ACS release, the court-record feed, or the statute ledger behind them moves.
Risk score
5.8
Moderate
1 tracts · population-weighted
Riverwest vs MilwaukeeHow this neighborhood stacks against the citywide average
Single-parent HH, disability, language barriers, age 17- / 65+
Racial/ethnic minority83%ile
Hispanic + non-white share of population
Housing & transport72%ile
Multi-unit structures, mobile homes, crowding, no vehicle
Eviction filings · Princeton Eviction Lab
Court-record eviction history in Riverwest
Aggregated across 1 validated constituent tract. Filing rate is filings per 100 renter households, pop-weighted.
Historic baseline (2000–2018)
1,447Total filings (sum)
9.64%Avg annual filing rate
14.1%Peak year (2008)
9.76%Latest filed (2017)
Pandemic-era tracking (2020–2021)
397Total filings 2020-21
5.2Avg monthly observed
8.9Pre-pandemic baseline
0.58×Ratio to baseline
Pandemic filings ran far below baseline. Tracked under Eviction Lab Eviction Tracking System (Milwaukee, WI).
CDC PLACES 2023 · pop-weighted
Eviction-adjacent indicators in Riverwest
Average across all constituent tracts, population-weighted. Source: CDC PLACES (cwsq-ngmh) crude prevalence.
23.5%Housing insecurity
15.2%Utility shutoff threat
30.8%Food insecurity
35.8%SNAP enrollment
11.5%No health insurance
34.6%Any disability
Frequently asked
About Riverwest
Q1
What is the eviction-risk score for Riverwest?
Riverwest scores 5.8/10 (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.
Q2
How does Riverwest compare to Milwaukee overall?
Riverwest scores 1.4 points higher than Milwaukee overall (4.4/10). Renters spend 55% of income on rent vs 31% citywide. Average rent: $925 vs $1,059.
Q3
What is the average rent in Riverwest?
Average gross rent in Riverwest is $925/month (pop-weighted across 1 census tracts, ACS 5-year 2023). 55% of renter households are cost-burdened.
Q4
What percentage of Riverwest residents are renters?
85% of Riverwest households are renter-occupied (vs 58% in Milwaukee). The neighborhood has 2,357 residents.
Q5
Is Riverwest a high social-vulnerability area?
Riverwest sits in the 73rd 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
How safe is Riverwest for landlords?
Riverwest carries a moderate-tier eviction-risk profile for landlords (5.8/10). 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 Milwaukee as a whole (4.4/10), this neighborhood is higher-risk.
Q7
What is the demographic breakdown of Riverwest?
Riverwest has 2,096 residents. Top groups: Black (non-Hispanic) (70.8%), White (non-Hispanic) (19.1%), Hispanic / Latino (7.6%). Source: ACS 5-year 2023, table B03002.
