Overview

Most eviction research focuses on large cities, leaving us with limited knowledge of evictions in smaller cities. Our analysis of evictions in three small and mid-sized cities in Oregon reveals that these cities can also experience severe eviction crises. By collecting and hand-coding data from justice courts, we provide a comprehensive view of evictions in these cities–including the role different types of courts play–for the first time

Key Findings

• Evictions are not just a large city problem. Our findings show that, like large cities, small and mid-sized cities can also struggle with high eviction filing rates, high rates of eviction judgments for tenants’ failure to appear in court, disproportionate impacts on Black and Latine (Hispanic or Latino) tenants, and significant disparities in legal representation between tenants and landlords in eviction court. 

  We also find that local policy can curb evictions in small and mid-sized cities. The city in our study with the strongest tenant protections–Eugene, Oregon–also had the lowest eviction filing rate. As small and mid-sized cities continue to grow, they must develop proactive strategies to protect tenants.

• The idiosyncrasies of eviction courts matter. The small and mid-sized cities in our study are located in counties that process eviction cases in both circuit courts and justice courts. Although fewer eviction cases are filed in justice courts, we find that these courts have higher rates of nonpayment cases, more tenants who miss their court hearings, and greater disparities in legal representation between tenants and landlords. 

  Court differences matter because tenants’ travel time to court, access to onsite services, and even case outcomes are shaped by the court in which their case is filed. When landlords can choose to file in the local court that benefits them most, they gain an additional advantage over tenants in the eviction process. Even if only a relatively small number of cases are processed in an alternative court–such as the justice courts serving Salem and Albany–tenants involved in those cases deserve the same access to justice as tenants in other courts.

General Information

Researchers:  Dr. Alex Farrington, Colleen Carrol, Azad Amir-Ghassemi, Safia Goldsmith, and Dr. Lisa K. Bates. 

Funding: This work was supported by the Housing Solutions Lab at the NYU Furman Center for Real Estate and Urban Policy, New York University. The Evicted in Oregon research project is also supported by Oregon Housing and Community Services Department, Portland Housing Bureau, and the technical assistance of Oregon Law Center. Any opinions, findings, conclusions, or recommendations expressed in this report do not necessarily reflect the views of funders or technical assistance partners.

Citation Details: Farrington, Alex; Carroll, Colleen; Amir-Ghassemi, Azad; Goldsmith, Safia; and Bates, Lisa K., "Beyond the Shadow of Large Cities: Small and Mid-Sized Cities as Hidden Epicenters of Eviction" (2025). Urban Studies and Planning Faculty Publications and Presentations. 388. https://archives.pdx.edu/ds/psu/43070