MARICOPA COUNTY, AZ — New data released by the Maricopa County Justice Courts show 7,948 evictions were filed in October. This would mark the highest number of monthly eviction filings since at least the year 2000.
The past three consecutive months are among the top five in monthly eviction filings. They are joined by August and September of 2005.
Year-to-date Valley eviction filings are now the second highest just behind 2005 and similar in range to 2005 through 2008, the years surrounding the Great Recession. A differentiating factor, however, is the record filings this year come on the heels of a federal eviction moratorium during the pandemic years of 2020 and 2021. The moratorium kept filings artificially low and much of the record numbers we are seeing this year is likely backlog from those years.
Another difference in trend from other years is October eviction filings increased compared to September. The data typically begins trending down in October, even during the Great Recession years.
The West Valley is the region with the most eviction filings. Three of the five justice courts with the highest number of filings are in and around Glendale. The region with the next highest number of filings continues to be Chandler and Ahwatukee.
The data from the courts also shows average eviction judgments are trending down from last year. The average judgment in 2023 so far is $3,172, a decline of $281 from last year’s peak.
