Estimated values: The U.S. Census suppresses field-level data for small places. Estimated from county average, pop-weighted from real underlying ACS data.
Tenant beats landlord
50.4%
/ 100 outcomes
In court-decided eviction outcomes for Falls City, OR, tenants prevail in roughly 50.4% of contested cases. A higher number means landlords face stronger tenant defenses, longer calendars, and more required documentation, and landlord-friendliness drops as this rises.
Timeline
147d
filing → judgment
From the moment an unlawful-detainer notice is filed in Falls City, OR until a money judgment is entered, a contested eviction takes about 147 days on average. Longer timelines mean more lost rent and higher carry costs for landlords.
Cost range
$7.6–16.4k
legal + lost rent
A typical eviction in Falls City, OR costs landlords $7,646 to $16,390 all-in, covering court filing fees, process-server costs, attorney time, and lost rent during the calendar between filing and possession.
Average rent
$1,095
51% stretched on rent
Average gross rent in Falls City, OR is $1,095 per month per the U.S. Census American Community Survey (5-year 2023). 51% of renter households here spend more than 30% of pre-tax income on rent, the federal cost-burden threshold.
Renters
26.0%
of households
26.0% of occupied housing units in Falls City, OR are renter-occupied (vs owner-occupied). A higher renter share usually correlates with more eviction filings, more turnover, and a more active rental market.
Poverty
14.6%
5.3% unemp.
14.6% of Falls City, OR residents live below the federal poverty line, and unemployment runs at 5.3%. Both feed into the economic-stress sub-score in our Eviction Risk Score model because rent payment problems track poverty + joblessness more reliably than any other single signal.
Time machine
Scrub 50 years
197619861996200620162026
2026
● LIVE · today◀ REPLAY · historical
Nine-axis profile
9-axis profile · today
Shape of the risk surface
1 landlord · 10 tenant
Sub-scores · with sparkline
Where the score comes from
1 → 10 scale
Local political climate
GOP margin +3.8% (2024)
5.4
Regional political climate
County-weighted neighbor mix
5.4
State political climate
Oregon legislature & governorship
7.2
Economic stress
14.6% poverty · 5.3% unemp.
4.0
Supply constraint
$1,095 average · 26.0% renters
2.6
Rent Control risk
51.0% of income on rent
5.7
Eviction process difficulty
147 days filing → judgment
7.2
Tenant organizing strength
26.0% renters
2.7
Housing court bias
County bench composition
4.8
Geographic context
Risk heat across Falls City and the region
Click any city to see its score
How Falls City compares
Risk score vs. peers, county, state, and the U.S.
Rank in Polk County
Elevated
#4of 10 cities
#4 of 10 cities in Polk County for landlord eviction risk.
Rank in Oregon
Elevated
#151of 425 cities
#151 of 425 cities in Oregon for landlord eviction risk.
vs. county · state · U.S.
Score story
Six-stop tour of the risk profile
6.6
/ 10 · ELEVATED
The verdict
A Elevated-tier market.
Composite 6.6/10. Mid-range market; standard documentation usually wins. The 50-year curve shows a sharp climb.
50-yr trend+3.9 over 50 yr
197620012026
Steepening since 2010 · COVID inflection visible
147d
Typical timeline
The money
What renting (and evicting) looks like.
Rent published at $1,095/mo. A contested eviction takes 147 days and costs $7,646–$16,390 per case.
50-yr trendCalendar drag rising since '15
197620012026
Court-clerk data lands in the next release.
26.0%
Renters
The renters
Who you'll be renting to.
Out of 1,222 residents, 26.0% rent. 51% are spending 30%+ income on rent, 14.6% below the poverty line.
50-yr trendRenter share rising
197620012026
ACS 1970-present · once the migration overlay is in.
5.4
Local + regional
The politics
Mid-range climate. Not a coastal market.
Local & regional political climate score 5.4 and 5.4 (GOP margin +3.8% (2024)). State climate at 7.2, a tenant-leaning legislature.
50-yr trendTracks county vote margin
197620012026
Built on 50-yr presidential margins back to 1976.
7.2
State politics
The process
Moderate calendar, moderate friction.
State political climate 7.2/10 sets the legislative ceiling for landlord remedies, and it shows up in the process. Eviction process difficulty reads 7.2, housing court bias 4.8, rent-control risk 5.7. Standard process speed for the state.
50-yr trendProcess difficulty +2.2 since '00
197620012026
Court-clerk data lands in the next release.
4
Economic stress
The stress
Economic pressure is the background risk.
Economic stress: 4. Supply constraint: 2.6. The numbers behind those: 14.6% poverty, 5.3% unemployment, 51% of income on rent.
50-yr trendTwo visible dips · '08 + COVID
197620012026
Mirrors BLS unemployment series.
US eviction landscape · timeline × all-in cost
Falls City sits in the slow & expensive quadrant
Bubble size = population · color = risk score
Falls City · 147d · ~$12.0k all-in ($82/day) · score 6.6National average: 58d · $4.6k all-inHover any bubble for stats · click to openColor: 0–4 4–7 7–10
Landlording in Falls City, Oregon, presents an elevated-friction market where documented notices and proactive screening matter. The Eviction Risk Score is 6.6/10 (ELEVATED 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 Elevated-friction market where lease drafting, screening discipline, and well-documented notices materially change outcomes.
Falls City is a city of 1,222 residents where 26.0% of occupied units are renter-occupied, and the typical renter spends 51.0% of income on rent. At an average rent of $1,095/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 Falls City eviction process actually works
Eviction process difficulty here reads 7.2/10, 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 Falls City closes 147 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 Falls City's timeline is usually the calendar, not the motion practice. Housing court bias scores 4.8/10 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 Falls City runs $7,646 to $16,390 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 147 days of typical timeline and $1,095/month in lost rent, that crossover happens fast here.
03Operations
Security deposits, screening, and lease terms
Tenant organizing strength scores 2.7/10 in Falls City, and the city has limited rent control exposure (5.7/10). 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 Oregon, 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 Falls City: 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 ELEVATED 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 Oregon's statutory language. Fix those four, and most cases settle or default. Skip them, and a $16,390 all-in fight is the realistic worst case.
04bPractical traps
Local traps to avoid in Falls City
Trap · 1.7 POINTS
Politically, Polk County voted Republican by 1.7 points in 2020, a baseline that correlates with landlord-neutral legislative pressure. Combined with 51.0% rent-to-income ratio, expect baseline enforcement of ORS 90 + SB 608.
05FAQ
Frequently asked questions
Q1
Can I evict a tenant in Falls City for no reason after their lease expires?
No, not generally. Oregon has statewide just-cause eviction laws. After the first year of tenancy, you need a specific, legally recognized reason (a "just cause") to terminate a lease, even if it's month-to-month. These reasons include lease violations, demolition, or if you or a family member intend to move into the unit.
Q2
What's the fastest way to get a tenant out who isn't paying rent?
The fastest legal way is often "cash for keys." Offer the tenant a sum of money to voluntarily move out by a specific date, leaving the property clean. If that's not an option, you must follow the 10-day pay-or-quit notice, then file an FED. Do not try self-help evictions like changing locks or shutting off utilities; these are illegal and can lead to severe penalties.
Q3
How much notice do I need to give for a rent increase in Falls City?
Oregon law requires specific notice for rent increases, and there are statewide rent control limits. For month-to-month tenancies, a 90-day written notice is generally required. There are also caps on how much you can increase rent in a 12-month period, tied to inflation plus 7%. Always check current Oregon statutes for the precise limits.
Q4
Can I charge a late fee if rent is overdue?
Yes, you can charge late fees, but they must be reasonable and clearly stated in your lease agreement. Oregon law, ORS § 90.262, sets specific limits on late fees. For example, a common fee is a flat sum not exceeding 9% of the monthly rent, or a per-day charge up to a certain maximum. Don't try to make late fees a profit center; they're meant to cover your costs from late payment.
Q5
What if my tenant damages the property? Can I keep their security deposit?
Yes, you can deduct the cost of damages beyond normal wear and tear from the security deposit. You must provide an itemized statement of deductions within 31 days of the tenant moving out. If the damages exceed the deposit, you can pursue the tenant for the remaining amount. Document the property's condition before and after with photos or videos to protect yourself.
A 6.6/10 places Falls City in the 67th percentile of Oregon 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.
Cities with similar eviction risk to Falls City (6.6/10)
Same risk band nationally · click any city for its full breakdown.
