Estimated values: The U.S. Census suppresses field-level data for small places. Estimated from constituent census tracts, pop-weighted from real underlying ACS data.
Tenant beats landlord
43.2%
/ 100 outcomes
In court-decided eviction outcomes for Ocosta, WA, tenants prevail in roughly 43.2% 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
164d
filing → judgment
From the moment an unlawful-detainer notice is filed in Ocosta, WA until a money judgment is entered, a contested eviction takes about 164 days on average. Longer timelines mean more lost rent and higher carry costs for landlords.
Cost range
$6.8–19.8k
legal + lost rent
A typical eviction in Ocosta, WA costs landlords $6,844 to $19,822 all-in, covering court filing fees, process-server costs, attorney time, and lost rent during the calendar between filing and possession.
Average rent
$1,141
16% stretched on rent
Average gross rent in Ocosta, WA is $1,141 per month per the U.S. Census American Community Survey (5-year 2023). 16% of renter households here spend more than 30% of pre-tax income on rent, the federal cost-burden threshold.
Renters
12.4%
of households
12.4% of occupied housing units in Ocosta, WA 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
24.0%
7.2% unemp.
24.0% of Ocosta, WA residents live below the federal poverty line, and unemployment runs at 7.2%. 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 +6.0% (2024)
5.2
Regional political climate
County-weighted neighbor mix
5.2
State political climate
Washington legislature & governorship
6.0
Economic stress
24.0% poverty · 7.2% unemp.
4.8
Supply constraint
$1,141 average · 12.4% renters
1.0
Rent Control risk
15.6% of income on rent
5.0
Eviction process difficulty
164 days filing → judgment
5.6
Tenant organizing strength
12.4% renters
1.0
Housing court bias
County bench composition
4.2
Geographic context
Risk heat across Ocosta and the region
Click any city to see its score
How Ocosta compares
Risk score vs. peers, county, state, and the U.S.
Rank in Grays Harbor County
Low
#22of 30 cities
#22 of 30 cities in Grays Harbor County for landlord eviction risk.
Rank in Washington
Low
#504of 637 cities
#504 of 637 cities in Washington for landlord eviction risk.
vs. county · state · U.S.
Score story
Six-stop tour of the risk profile
6.4
/ 10 · ELEVATED
The verdict
A Elevated-tier market.
Composite 6.4/10. Mid-range market; standard documentation usually wins. The 50-year curve shows a sharp climb.
50-yr trend+4.0 over 50 yr
197620012026
Steepening since 2010 · COVID inflection visible
164d
Typical timeline
The money
What renting (and evicting) looks like.
Rent published at $1,141/mo. A contested eviction takes 164 days and costs $6,844–$19,822 per case.
50-yr trendCalendar drag rising since '15
197620012026
Court-clerk data lands in the next release.
12.4%
Renters
The renters
Who you'll be renting to.
Out of 235 residents, 12.4% rent. 16% are spending 30%+ income on rent, 24.0% below the poverty line.
50-yr trendRenter share rising
197620012026
ACS 1970-present · once the migration overlay is in.
5.2
Local + regional
The politics
Mid-range climate. Not a coastal market.
Local & regional political climate score 5.2 and 5.2 (GOP margin +6.0% (2024)). State climate at 6, a mid-range statehouse.
50-yr trendTracks county vote margin
197620012026
Built on 50-yr presidential margins back to 1976.
6
State politics
The process
Moderate calendar, moderate friction.
State political climate 6/10 sets the legislative ceiling for landlord remedies, and it shows up in the process. Eviction process difficulty reads 5.6, housing court bias 4.2, rent-control risk 5. Standard process speed for the state.
50-yr trendProcess difficulty +0.6 since '00
197620012026
Court-clerk data lands in the next release.
4.8
Economic stress
The stress
Economic pressure is the background risk.
Economic stress: 4.8. Supply constraint: 1. The numbers behind those: 24.0% poverty, 7.2% unemployment, 16% of income on rent.
50-yr trendTwo visible dips · '08 + COVID
197620012026
Mirrors BLS unemployment series.
US eviction landscape · timeline × all-in cost
Ocosta sits in the slow & expensive quadrant
Bubble size = population · color = risk score
Ocosta · 164d · ~$13.3k all-in ($81/day) · score 6.4National average: 58d · $4.6k all-inHover any bubble for stats · click to openColor: 0–4 4–7 7–10
Landlording in Ocosta, Washington, presents an elevated-friction market where documented notices and proactive screening matter. The Eviction Risk Score is 6.4/10 (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.
Ocosta is a city of 235 residents where 12.4% of occupied units are renter-occupied, and the typical renter spends 15.6% of income on rent. At an average rent of $1,141/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 Ocosta eviction process actually works
Eviction process difficulty here reads 5.6/10, 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 Ocosta closes 164 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 Ocosta's timeline is usually the calendar, not the motion practice. Housing court bias scores 4.2/10 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 Ocosta runs $6,844 to $19,822 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 164 days of typical timeline and $1,141/month in lost rent, that crossover happens fast here.
03Operations
Security deposits, screening, and lease terms
Tenant organizing strength scores 1/10 in Ocosta, and the city has limited rent control exposure (5/10). 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 Washington, 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 Ocosta: 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 Washington's statutory language. Fix those four, and most cases settle or default. Skip them, and a $19,822 all-in fight is the realistic worst case.
04bPractical traps
Local traps to avoid in Ocosta
Trap · HB 1236 + RCW 59.18
Compare Ocosta to nearby cities in Grays Harbor County via the related-cities grid below. Each municipality scores separately on the same nine sub-factors. State context: HB 1236 + RCW 59.18.
05FAQ
Frequently asked questions
Q1
What if my tenant pays part of the rent after the 14-day notice?
Accepting a partial payment after serving a 14-day notice can waive your right to evict for that month's non-payment, restarting the clock. It's generally safer to decline partial payments unless you have a clear, written agreement that explicitly states it doesn't waive your rights and the remaining balance is still due. Consult an attorney before accepting partial payments.
Q2
Can I evict a tenant for having a pet if my lease says "no pets"?
Yes, if your lease specifically prohibits pets and the tenant violates that clause, it's a lease violation. You would typically serve a notice to cure or quit, giving the tenant a chance to remove the pet or face eviction. However, be aware of service animals or emotional support animals, which are protected under fair housing laws and are not considered "pets."
Q3
How long do I have to wait to dispose of a tenant's abandoned property?
Under RCW § 59.18.310, after a writ of restitution has been executed and the tenant has been removed, you must store the tenant's property for a reasonable period (typically 7-10 days, but it can vary). You then need to send a notice to the tenant's last known address stating your intent to sell or dispose of the property. If they don't claim it, you can sell it and apply the proceeds to storage costs and any unpaid rent. This is a complex area; get legal advice.
Q4
Is rent control a risk in Ocosta?
Washington state currently has a statewide ban on rent control, meaning cities like Ocosta cannot implement it. Our rent-control-risk sub-score for Ocosta is 5.0, reflecting the ongoing debate at the state level. While not an immediate threat, landlords should stay informed about legislative changes. See our Washington rent control rules for updates.
Q5
What are "source of income" protections and how do they affect me?
Source of income protection in Washington means you cannot refuse to rent to someone solely because of their lawful source of income, such as Section 8 vouchers, disability benefits, or social security. You must treat all applicants equally, applying the same screening criteria regardless of their income source. You can still deny an applicant if they don't meet your other screening criteria (e.g., credit score, rental history), but not because they use a voucher. For more, see Washington tenant protections.
A 6.4/10 places Ocosta in the 26th percentile of Washington 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 Ocosta (6.4/10)
Same risk band nationally · click any city for its full breakdown.
