To determine displacement risk, researchers at the University of Texas conducted a three-part analysis: the presence of vulnerable populations, residential market appreciation, and demographic change. To determine vulnerable populations, the authors used indicators to identify residents who, according to academic research, are least able to absorb housing costs, which includes: communities of color, low-income households, heads of households without a bachelor's degree or higher, families with children in poverty, and renters.

In 2019 and 2020, the City of Austin Housing and Planning staff updated the data and simplified the categories below.

Vulnerable: Vulnerable populations present, no significant demographic change, some tracts are near or contain high-value and high-appreciation areas. Active Displacement Risk: Vulnerable populations present, active demographic change, accelerating or appreciating housing market. Chronic Displacement Risk: Vulnerable populations have been displaced, demographic change has occurred and the housing market is high value and appreciated or appreciating. Historic Displacement: Tracts previously identified as at-risk to displacement in earlier Uprooted models (2016, 2019)