Eviction Filings Surge in Major U.S. Cities—Newcomers Face Housing Instability Risk
Eviction filings across the U.S. are hitting near-historic levels as pandemic-era tenant protections expire and rental assistance programs wind down. Hundreds of thousands of renters face displacement annually, with some metro areas seeing filings 40% above historical averages.
Princeton University's Eviction Lab, which tracks filings in multiple states and more than 30 cities, found that eviction filings nationally have returned to near-historic averages and, in some places, surpassed them. The pressure is most acute in cities where affordable housing is scarce and rents have climbed.
Cities Hardest Hit
- In the 12 months through late 2025, cities such as Nashville, Tennessee; Austin, Texas; and Greenville, South Carolina recorded filing rates far above their local baselines, with Nashville's filing about 46% higher than its 2023-24 average, and Greenville's rate reaching 21% of renter households.
- Allegheny County recorded 7,462 eviction filings through August 1, 2026, including 1,086 filings in July alone, according to Princeton University's Eviction Lab. Over the trailing 12 months, the county logged 12,997 filings total, putting the county's eviction filing rate at roughly 7% among its more than 191,000 renter households.
Housing advocates point to a familiar mix of pressures, rising rent, a shrinking supply of affordable units and financial hardship that leaves renters unable to keep up month to month. The Pittsburgh Foundation's housing research found the city faces a supply gap of more than 11,000 units affordable to households earning half the area median income or below, with the most severe shortage hitting households earning under 30% of that benchmark.
Roughly 2.9 million children are threatened by eviction filings each year in the U.S., and about 1.5 million children actually experience an eviction annually. Housing experts note an eviction filing does not automatically end in removal, since many cases get resolved, dismissed or withdrawn before reaching that point.
If you're an expat or newcomer renting in a high-filing city, understand your local tenant-protection laws immediately. In some states and cities, "just cause" eviction rules protect you from displacement without proper legal reason. Know your rights: document all communications with landlords, keep rent payment records, and connect with local legal-aid organizations or tenant unions before a dispute arises. If you receive an eviction notice, response time is critical—in many jurisdictions, you have only days to respond.
Sources
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