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
44.2%
/ 100 outcomes
In court-decided eviction outcomes for Union, WA, tenants prevail in roughly 44.2% 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
165d
filing → judgment
From the moment an unlawful-detainer notice is filed in Union, WA until a money judgment is entered, a contested eviction takes about 165 days on average. Longer timelines mean more lost rent and higher carry costs for landlords.
Cost range
$7.9–21.9k
legal + lost rent
A typical eviction in Union, WA costs landlords $7,936 to $21,922 all-in, covering court filing fees, process-server costs, attorney time, and lost rent during the calendar between filing and possession.
Average rent
$1,891
23% stretched on rent
Average gross rent in Union, WA is $1,891 per month per the U.S. Census American Community Survey (5-year 2023). 23% of renter households here spend more than 30% of pre-tax income on rent, the federal cost-burden threshold.
Renters
8.5%
of households
8.5% of occupied housing units in Union, 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
5.8%
6.7% unemp.
5.8% of Union, WA residents live below the federal poverty line, and unemployment runs at 6.7%. 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 +2.5% (2024)
5.3
Regional political climate
County-weighted neighbor mix
5.3
State political climate
Washington legislature & governorship
6.0
Economic stress
5.8% poverty · 6.7% unemp.
1.0
Supply constraint
$1,891 average · 8.5% renters
2.9
Rent Control risk
23.0% of income on rent
5.1
Eviction process difficulty
165 days filing → judgment
5.9
Tenant organizing strength
8.5% renters
2.9
Housing court bias
County bench composition
3.7
Geographic context
Risk heat across Union and the region
Click any city to see its score
How Union compares
Risk score vs. peers, county, state, and the U.S.
Rank in Mason County
Very Low
#8of 8 cities
#8 of 8 cities in Mason County for landlord eviction risk.
Rank in Washington
Very Low
#574of 637 cities
#574 of 637 cities in Washington for landlord eviction risk.
vs. county · state · U.S.
Score story
Six-stop tour of the risk profile
6.2
/ 10 · ELEVATED
The verdict
A Elevated-tier market.
Composite 6.2/10. 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
165d
Typical timeline
The money
What renting (and evicting) looks like.
Rent published at $1,891/mo. A contested eviction takes 165 days and costs $7,936–$21,922 per case.
50-yr trendCalendar drag rising since '15
197620012026
Court-clerk data lands in the next release.
8.5%
Renters
The renters
Who you'll be renting to.
Out of 457 residents, 8.5% rent. 23% are spending 30%+ income on rent, 5.8% below the poverty line.
50-yr trendRenter share rising
197620012026
ACS 1970-present · once the migration overlay is in.
5.3
Local + regional
The politics
Mid-range climate. Not a coastal market.
Local & regional political climate score 5.3 and 5.3 (GOP margin +2.5% (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 5.9, housing court bias 3.7, rent-control risk 5.1. Standard process speed for the state.
50-yr trendProcess difficulty +0.9 since '00
197620012026
Court-clerk data lands in the next release.
1
Economic stress
The stress
Economic pressure is the background risk.
Economic stress: 1. Supply constraint: 2.9. The numbers behind those: 5.8% poverty, 6.7% unemployment, 23% of income on rent.
50-yr trendTwo visible dips · '08 + COVID
197620012026
Mirrors BLS unemployment series.
US eviction landscape · timeline × all-in cost
Union sits in the slow & expensive quadrant
Bubble size = population · color = risk score
Union · 165d · ~$14.9k all-in ($90/day) · score 6.2National average: 58d · $4.6k all-inHover any bubble for stats · click to openColor: 0–4 4–7 7–10
Landlording in Union, Washington, presents an elevated-friction market where documented notices and proactive screening matter. The Eviction Risk Score is 6.2/10 (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.
Union is a city of 457 residents where 8.5% of occupied units are renter-occupied, and the typical renter spends 23.0% of income on rent. At an average rent of $1,891/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 Union eviction process actually works
Eviction process difficulty here reads 5.9/10, 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 Union closes 165 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 Union's timeline is usually the calendar, not the motion practice. Housing court bias scores 3.7/10 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 Union runs $7,936 to $21,922 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 165 days of typical timeline and $1,891/month in lost rent, that crossover happens fast here.
03Operations
Security deposits, screening, and lease terms
Tenant organizing strength scores 2.9/10 in Union, and the city has limited rent control exposure (5.1/10). 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 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 Union: 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 $21,922 all-in fight is the realistic worst case.
04bPractical traps
Local traps to avoid in Union
Trap · WASHINGTON
For state-level context, see the Washington overview link in the guides section below. The score combines political climate, rent-to-income ratio, court bias, and tenant organizing strength under HB 1236 + RCW 59.18.
05FAQ
Frequently asked questions
Q1
What if my Union tenant tries to claim "rent control" is in effect?
Washington has a statewide preemption against local rent control ordinances. This means no city, including Union, can enact its own rent control. While there's always legislative risk (our rent-control-risk sub-score is 5.1), currently, you are not subject to rent control in Union. You can find more details on Washington rent control rules.
Q2
Can I refuse to rent to someone in Union who uses a Section 8 voucher?
No. Washington has a statewide source-of-income protection. This means you cannot discriminate against prospective tenants solely because they use a housing voucher or other forms of lawful, verifiable income to pay rent. You must treat them the same as any other applicant, applying your standard screening criteria.
Q3
How quickly can I get a tenant out if they trash my property in Union?
Damage to property is a lease violation, but it doesn't necessarily mean an instant eviction. If the damage is significant and violates the lease, you'd typically serve a notice to cure or quit (often 10 days in Washington for lease violations). If they don't fix the issue or move out, you can then proceed with an unlawful detainer. If the damage is so severe it makes the property uninhabitable or poses an immediate threat, you might have grounds for a shorter notice, but this is rare and usually requires legal consultation.
Q4
What's the best way to handle a tenant who is consistently late with rent, but always pays eventually?
Consistency is key. Even if they pay, if they are consistently late, you are within your rights to serve a 14-day pay-or-quit notice every single time rent is late. This establishes a pattern and reinforces the lease terms. If it continues, you eventually have grounds for an eviction based on habitual late payment, even if they catch up before you file. Don't let them establish a pattern of paying whenever they feel like it.
Q5
Do I need a lawyer for every eviction in Union?
While you can technically represent yourself in an unlawful detainer action, it's highly recommended to use an attorney in Washington. The process is complex, and errors can be costly, extending the timeline significantly. Given the typical eviction cost range of $7,936, $21,922 and the 165-day timeline, paying for expert legal counsel is often cheaper than making a mistake that prolongs the process.
A 6.2/10 places Union in the 14th 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 Union (6.2/10)
Same risk band nationally · click any city for its full breakdown.
