Published by REALTOR.com | July 24, 2024
Evictions are surging in some of the most popular COVID-19 pandemic boomtowns for one simple reason: The rent is too high.
Nearly two years after the federal government lifted COVID-19 pandemic-era eviction moratoriums, evictions are surging in some of the most popular boomtowns for one simple reason: The rent is too high.
Princeton University’s Eviction Lab tracks eviction filings across 10 states and 34 cities and recorded 1,078,856 evictions nationwide over the past year.
The lab’s data doesn’t comprehensively cover all parts of the country. But Communications and Policy Engagement Manager Juan Pablo Garnham notes that, while boomtowns aren’t necessarily the places with the most evictions, the cities are experiencing the highest percentage increase in the number of evictions filed compared with pre-pandemic times.
Popular boomtowns like Minneapolis and Columbus, OH, are seeing a steep increase in the number of evictions filed compared with pre-pandemic numbers, according to the lab’s data. In Minneapolis, evictions have climbed by 44% compared with 2019 levels, while Columbus’ rate has increased by 37%.
Even now that the pandemic is in the rearview mirror, people are still moving to these areas, which is also contributing to the high eviction rates.
“Housing demand has significantly increased, and landlords know that they can get away with charging more for rent,” says Seamus Nally, CEO of real estate management company TurboTenant. “So those price increases have led to lots of people not being able to afford their rent and thus getting evicted.”
Among the cities and states covered by the lab’s study, the Sun Belt is seeing the most post-pandemic eviction turmoil. The Sun Belt stretches across 18 states from Sacramento, CA, in the West to Raleigh, NC, in the East and is one of the fastest-growing areas of the country.
“Many Sun Belt cities, even the larger ones, are more affordable to live in compared to other big cities in the U.S.,” says Nally. “People also have the opportunity for more space in areas like these, which was highly desired during the pandemic when we were all stuck at home.”
Though there are ample jobs in the Sun Belt, there are also affordability challenges. Rents are stable or falling in many parts of the country—but not in the South.
Tampa, FL, Miami, Virginia Beach, VA, Raleigh, and Birmingham, AL, were among the top 10 cities with the largest rent increases compared with pre-pandemic times.
