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Washington Mills, New York eviction risk overview
City brief · 2,112 residents

Washington Mills, NY Eviction Risk: HIGH

Oneida County · Population 2,112

In 2026
Risk score
7.7
HIGH

26th percentile, New York.

50-yr Eviction Risk Score history

1976 to 2026 · climbing fast since 2010

Min2.8 Average5.1 Now7.7
9.0 2.8 1976 · score 3.0 1977 · score 2.9 1978 · score 2.9 1979 · score 2.9 1980 · score 2.9 1981 · score 2.9 1982 · score 3.0 1983 · score 3.0 1984 · score 2.9 1985 · score 2.8 1986 · score 2.8 1987 · score 2.8 1988 · score 3.1 1989 · score 3.2 1990 · score 3.3 1991 · score 3.5 1992 · score 4.1 1993 · score 4.1 1994 · score 4.1 1995 · score 4.2 1996 · score 4.7 1997 · score 4.8 1998 · score 4.9 1999 · score 5.0 2000 · score 5.0 2001 · score 5.1 2002 · score 5.3 2003 · score 5.3 2004 · score 5.3 2005 · score 5.2 2006 · score 5.2 2007 · score 5.3 2008 · score 5.7 2009 · score 6.0 2010 · score 6.1 2011 · score 6.3 2012 · score 6.5 2013 · score 6.6 2014 · score 6.6 2015 · score 6.7 2016 · score 6.8 2017 · score 6.7 2018 · score 6.7 2019 · score 7.7 2020 · score 9.0 2021 · score 8.7 2022 · score 8.1 2023 · score 7.8 2024 · score 8.0 2025 · score 7.8 2026 · score 7.7

Key metrics

Time machine

Scrub 50 years

2026
● LIVE · today ◀ REPLAY · historical

Nine-axis profile

9-axis profile · today

Shape of the risk surface

1 landlord · 10 tenant
Local 4.8 Regional 4.8 State 7.3 Economic 4.3 Supply 7.6 Rent Control 7.1 Eviction 7.4 Tenant 8.5 Housing 5.4 7.7 HIGH
Sub-scores · with sparkline

Where the score comes from

1 → 10 scale
  1. Local political climate
    GOP margin +21.2% (2024)
    4.8
  2. Regional political climate
    County-weighted neighbor mix
    4.8
  3. State political climate
    New York legislature & governorship
    7.3
  4. Economic stress
    6.3% poverty · 3.0% unemp.
    4.3
  5. Supply constraint
    $1,149 average · 40.3% renters
    7.6
  6. Rent Control risk
    32.5% of income on rent
    7.1
  7. Eviction process difficulty
    414 days filing → judgment
    7.4
  8. Tenant organizing strength
    40.3% renters
    8.5
  9. Housing court bias
    County bench composition
    5.4
Geographic context

Risk heat across Washington Mills and the region

Click any city to see its score

How Washington Mills compares

Risk score vs. peers, county, state, and the U.S.
Rank in Oneida County
Elevated
#13 of 35 cities
Rank in county, 65th percentileLowHigh
#13 of 35 cities in Oneida County for landlord eviction risk.
Rank in New York
Low
#1017 of 1,285 cities
Rank in state, 21st percentileLowHigh
#1017 of 1,285 cities in New York for landlord eviction risk.
vs. county · state · U.S.
Washington Mills risk score vs. county / state / U.S.Washington Mills: 7.77.7Washington MillsThis cityCounty: 8.08.0Countyavg in countyState: 9.19.1Stateavg in stateU.S.: 4.74.7U.S.national avg
Score story

Six-stop tour of the risk profile

  1. 7.7
    / 10 · HIGH
    The verdict

    A High-tier market.

    Composite 7.7/10. High statutory friction with active tenant counsel, so assume defenses on every filing. The 50-year curve shows a sharp climb.

    50-yr trend+4.7 over 50 yr
    197620012026

    Steepening since 2010 · COVID inflection visible

  2. 414d
    Typical timeline
    The money

    What renting (and evicting) looks like.

    Rent published at $1,149/mo. A contested eviction takes 414 days and costs $22,337–$38,105 per case.

    50-yr trendCalendar drag rising since '15
    197620012026

    Court-clerk data lands in the next release.

  3. 40.3%
    Renters
    The renters

    Who you'll be renting to.

    Out of 2,112 residents, 40.3% rent. 33% are spending 30%+ income on rent, 6.3% below the poverty line.

    50-yr trendRenter share rising
    197620012026

    ACS 1970-present · once the migration overlay is in.

  4. 4.8
    Local + regional
    The politics

    Mid-range climate. Not a coastal market.

    Local & regional political climate score 4.8 and 4.8 (GOP margin +21.2% (2024)). State climate at 7.3, a tenant-leaning legislature.

    50-yr trendTracks county vote margin
    197620012026

    Built on 50-yr presidential margins back to 1976.

  5. 7.3
    State politics
    The process

    Long calendar, heavy friction.

    State political climate 7.3/10 sets the legislative ceiling for landlord remedies, and it shows up in the process. Eviction process difficulty reads 7.4, housing court bias 5.4, rent-control risk 7.1. The slow part is the calendar, not the motion practice.

    50-yr trendProcess difficulty +2.4 since '00
    197620012026

    Court-clerk data lands in the next release.

  6. 4.3
    Economic stress
    The stress

    Economic pressure is the background risk.

    Economic stress: 4.3. Supply constraint: 7.6. The numbers behind those: 6.3% poverty, 3.0% unemployment, 33% of income on rent.

    50-yr trendTwo visible dips · '08 + COVID
    197620012026

    Mirrors BLS unemployment series.

US eviction landscape · timeline × all-in cost

Washington Mills sits in the slow & expensive quadrant

Bubble size = population · color = risk score
QUICK BUT COSTLY fast docket · high all-in loss SLOW & EXPENSIVE long calendar · high all-in loss QUICK & CHEAP fast docket · low all-in loss SLOW BUT CHEAP long calendar · low all-in loss 30d 50d 75d 100d 150d 200d 300d 450d $2.0k $3.0k $5.0k $7.5k $10k $15k $20k $30k EVICTION TIMELINE (DAYS) → ↑ ALL-IN COST (LOG SCALE) Syracuse, NY · 383d · ~$30.9k all-in ($81/day) · score 8.7 Syracuse Utica, NY · 406d · ~$30.3k all-in ($75/day) · score 8.1 Utica New York, NY · 417d · ~$29.5k all-in ($71/day) · score 9.7 New York Buffalo, NY · 428d · ~$30.3k all-in ($71/day) · score 9.4 Buffalo Yonkers, NY · 381d · ~$27.5k all-in ($72/day) · score 9.9 Yonkers Rochester, NY · 430d · ~$32.0k all-in ($74/day) · score 9.1 Rochester Albany, NY · 431d · ~$28.5k all-in ($66/day) · score 9.8 Albany New Rochelle, NY · 429d · ~$27.9k all-in ($65/day) · score 9.5 New Rochelle Cheektowaga, NY · 374d · ~$26.9k all-in ($72/day) · score 7.9 Cheektowaga Mount Vernon, NY · 398d · ~$29.6k all-in ($74/day) · score 9.5 Mount Vernon Houston, TX · 24d · ~$2.5k all-in ($103/day) · score 2.8 Houston Phoenix, AZ · 38d · ~$3.3k all-in ($86/day) · score 2.8 Phoenix Memphis, TN · 31d · ~$2.0k all-in ($66/day) · score 3.1 Memphis Atlanta, GA · 40d · ~$2.8k all-in ($69/day) · score 3.4 Atlanta Boston, MA · 187d · ~$20.3k all-in ($109/day) · score 7.1 Boston Chicago, IL · 109d · ~$9.0k all-in ($82/day) · score 5.7 Chicago Seattle, WA · 162d · ~$12.7k all-in ($79/day) · score 7.9 Seattle Washington Mills
Washington Mills · 414d · ~$30.2k all-in ($73/day) · score 7.7 National average: 58d · $4.6k all-in Hover any bubble for stats · click to open Color: 0–4   4–7   7–10
00Overview

About eviction risk in Washington Mills, NY

Landlording in Washington Mills, New York, presents a high-friction environment where attorney involvement on every filing is the norm. The Eviction Risk Score is 7.7/10 (HIGH tier), drawn from the nine sub-axes shown above, covering rent-control exposure, eviction-process difficulty, housing-court bias, tenant-organizing strength, supply constraint, economic stress, and local, regional, and state political climate. This is not a quick-fix market: it's a High-friction landlord market where lease drafting, screening discipline, and well-documented notices materially change outcomes.

Washington Mills is a city of 2,112 residents where 40.3% of occupied units are renter-occupied, and the typical renter spends 32.5% of income on rent. At an average rent of $1,149/month, the typical renter household here spends more than the federal 30% threshold on housing, a leading indicator of payment volatility and a precondition for the kinds of tenant defenses that show up most often in housing court.

01Process

How Washington Mills eviction process actually works

Eviction process difficulty here reads 7.4/10, a number that combines statutory complexity (notice categories, just-cause rules, mandatory pre-filing disclosures) with operational realities (court calendar length and clerk responsiveness). The typical contested filing in Washington Mills closes 414 days after the initial notice. For non-payment of rent the first step is a properly-formatted, properly-served pay-or-quit notice; for material lease breaches it's a cure-or-quit; for tenancies under just-cause protection an at-fault grounds notice (or a no-fault notice with statutory relocation assistance) is required.

The slow part of Washington Mills's timeline is usually the calendar, not the motion practice. Housing court bias scores 5.4/10 here, meaning judges read borderline procedural defects in the tenant's favor more often than the national norm. The practical implication: every notice and every proof of service needs to be airtight before it gets filed.

02Cost

What it costs (and how long it takes)

An all-in eviction in Washington Mills runs $22,337 to $38,105 per case once you account for filing fees, attorney time, lost rent during pendency, sheriff lockout, and unit turnover. That range is wide because the upper bound assumes a tenant answer plus motion practice, common when housing court bias is high. The lower bound assumes a default judgment after proper service.

For landlords running the numbers on holding costs vs. cash-for-keys: if your projected timeline times your monthly rent already exceeds the high-end cost number, cash-for-keys at 1–2 months' rent is typically the economically rational choice. With 414 days of typical timeline and $1,149/month in lost rent, that crossover happens fast here.

03Operations

Security deposits, screening, and lease terms

Tenant organizing strength scores 8.5/10 in Washington Mills, and the city carries meaningful rent control exposure (7.1/10). Operations practice that survives audit in this environment looks like:

  • Screening discipline. Document income (verified at 2.5 to 3x rent), credit (with a clear minimum), and prior-tenancy reference checks, but do not screen on protected categories or source-of-income where banned. Keep a written, consistent screening criteria document for every applicant.
  • Lease specificity. Use a state-specific lease that names every term clearly: rent due date, late fees within statutory caps, deposit handling, smoke and CO disclosure, lead paint disclosure (pre-1978 stock), and a clean attorney's-fees clause.
  • Security deposit handling. Itemize deductions within the statutory window. Photograph move-in/move-out condition. In New York, deposit cap and refund window are statute, so exceed them at your own risk.
  • Mid-tenancy documentation. Keep date-stamped records of every rent receipt, every habitability request, every notice served. The day you need them in court is too late to start.
04Strategy

What an everyday landlord should actually do here

If you own one to four units in Washington Mills: hire a property manager who knows the local court. The pricing differential between self-managing and hiring out is small relative to the cost of one botched eviction in a HIGH tier market. If you own five or more: build relationships with a local landlord-side attorney before you need one, since retainer fees are negligible compared to emergency-rate billing when an eviction is already moving.

The avoidable mistakes here are all upstream of the filing: weak screening, an informal lease, sloppy rent receipts, and notice templates pulled off the internet that don't match New York's statutory language. Fix those four, and most cases settle or default. Skip them, and a $38,105 all-in fight is the realistic worst case.

04bPractical traps

Local traps to avoid in Washington Mills

Trap · 40.3%
40.3% renter share against 2,112 residents produces roughly 851 rental occupants in Washington Mills. Oneida County voted R 15.5% in 2020. Eviction filings tend to cluster in the multifamily rental corridor.
05FAQ

Frequently asked questions

Q1

Can I evict a tenant for being a nuisance?

Yes, but it's harder than non-payment. You'd typically need to prove a substantial breach of the lease, such as repeated noise violations or damage to property. You'll likely need to issue a notice to cure or quit, giving the tenant a chance to fix the issue. The exact notice period depends on your lease and the nature of the nuisance. This usually requires strong documentation and often legal counsel from the start.

Q2

What if my tenant claims a maintenance issue as a reason for not paying rent?

New York tenants have a right to a habitable living space. If a tenant withholds rent due to a legitimate, unaddressed maintenance issue that impacts habitability, a judge might side with them. Always address maintenance requests promptly and document your efforts. If you receive a complaint, don't ignore it. Respond in writing, schedule repairs, and keep records. This proactive approach can prevent a tenant from using it as an eviction defense.

Q3

How long does it take to get a court date after I file?

In Washington Mills and Oneida County, it can take several weeks to a few months to get your initial court appearance scheduled after filing. This timeframe can fluctuate based on court backlog. Once you have a court date, expect adjournments, which will push the final resolution even further out. This is a major contributor to the 414-day average timeline for evictions in New York. For information on statewide protections, check our New York tenant protections page.

Q4

Can I raise the rent in Washington Mills? Are there rent control rules?

Washington Mills does not have local rent control. New York State does not have statewide rent control, but there are specific rent stabilization laws that apply to certain older, larger buildings in New York City and surrounding counties. These laws do not apply to Washington Mills. You are generally free to raise the rent, but you must provide proper notice as per your lease and state law (e.g., 30-day notice for a month-to-month tenancy, or at the end of a fixed-term lease). For a full picture, see our New York rent control rules guide.

06Score

What this score means for landlords2

A 7.7/10 places Washington Mills in the 26th percentile of New York cities on the Eviction Risk Score index. The score is the average of the nine sub-axes, all calibrated on a national 1 to 10 scale where 1 is most landlord-friendly and 10 is most tenant-protective. The 50-year reconstruction shows this score has risen sharply since 1976, a structural drift driven by court-calendar growth, rent-control adoption, and the rise of tenant-side legal aid. The trajectory matters more than the snapshot: the score is the climate, not the weather.