National ranking · 100 entries
Worst Cities for Landlords in 2026.
The 100 US cities where landlords face the highest eviction risk, strongest tenant protections, most rent-burdened households, and most tenant-leaning political climate. Ranked by Eviction Risk Score (1–10) from Census ACS 2023 5-year data, 2020 county presidential margin, and state statute weighting.
Top city
Los Angeles
9.9 · CA
Average Risk
8.5
across 100 entries
Most-represented state
CA
53 of 100 on this list
Average rent · list
$1,871
per month
Ranking · top 100
Ranked by Eviction Risk Score · highest first
Click a column to sort
| # | City↕ | County↕ | Population↕ | Risk↕ | Rent Burden↕ | Average Rent↕ | Lean↕ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 001 | Los Angeles CA | Los Angeles County | 3,857,263 | 9.9 | 35.0% | $1,933 | Dem |
| 002 | Oakland CA | Alameda County | 439,418 | 9.9 | 30.6% | $1,979 | Dem |
| 003 | Yonkers NY | Westchester County | 209,978 | 9.9 | 32.7% | $1,784 | Dem |
| 004 | Albany NY | Albany County | 100,492 | 9.8 | 30.8% | $1,216 | Dem |
| 005 | New York NY | Kings County | 8,483,844 | 9.7 | 31.3% | $1,821 | Dem |
| 006 | San Francisco CA | San Francisco County | 830,235 | 9.7 | 25.1% | $2,476 | Dem |
| 007 | Long Beach CA | Los Angeles County | 455,548 | 9.6 | 32.8% | $1,871 | Dem |
| 008 | New Rochelle NY | Westchester County | 82,769 | 9.5 | 30.5% | $1,917 | Dem |
| 009 | Mount Vernon NY | Westchester County | 72,427 | 9.5 | 32.1% | $1,629 | Dem |
| 010 | Buffalo NY | Erie County | 276,854 | 9.4 | 31.4% | $1,046 | Dem |
| 011 | Hempstead NY | Nassau County | 58,801 | 9.4 | 33.0% | $1,622 | Dem |
| 012 | White Plains NY | Westchester County | 60,666 | 9.3 | 31.7% | $2,269 | Dem |
| 013 | San Jose CA | Santa Clara County | 990,138 | 9.2 | 30.1% | $2,669 | Dem |
| 014 | Sacramento CA | Sacramento County | 528,706 | 9.2 | 32.8% | $1,779 | Dem |
| 015 | Port Chester NY | Westchester County | 31,102 | 9.2 | 31.1% | $2,028 | Dem |
| 016 | Harrison NY | Westchester County | 29,961 | 9.2 | 32.8% | $2,616 | Dem |
| 017 | Monsey NY | Rockland County | 28,160 | 9.2 | 51.0% | $1,892 | IND |
| 018 | Washington DC | District of Columbia County | 681,294 | 9.1 | 28.6% | $1,954 | Dem |
| 019 | Rochester NY | Monroe County | 208,772 | 9.1 | 32.0% | $1,081 | Dem |
| 020 | Santa Ana CA | Orange County | 312,534 | 9.0 | 31.9% | $2,082 | Dem |
| 021 | Newark NJ | Essex County | 310,178 | 9.0 | 33.7% | $1,392 | Dem |
| 022 | Fresno CA | Fresno County | 545,970 | 8.9 | 34.1% | $1,421 | Dem |
| 023 | Paterson NJ | Passaic County | 158,735 | 8.9 | 35.6% | $1,548 | Dem |
| 024 | Elmont NY | Nassau County | 36,518 | 8.9 | 35.8% | $2,209 | Dem |
| 025 | Ossining NY | Westchester County | 26,950 | 8.9 | 36.6% | $2,154 | Dem |
| 026 | Florence-Graham CA | Los Angeles County | 60,690 | 8.8 | 35.7% | $1,521 | Dem |
| 027 | Huntington Park CA | Los Angeles County | 53,108 | 8.8 | 34.2% | $1,505 | Dem |
| 028 | Uniondale NY | Nassau County | 33,148 | 8.8 | 35.2% | $2,494 | Dem |
| 029 | Rockville Centre NY | Nassau County | 25,765 | 8.8 | 31.3% | $1,881 | Dem |
| 030 | San Diego CA | San Diego County | 1,389,526 | 8.7 | 32.4% | $2,313 | Dem |
| 031 | Syracuse NY | Onondaga County | 146,384 | 8.7 | 32.9% | $1,039 | Dem |
| 032 | Schenectady NY | Schenectady County | 68,847 | 8.7 | 35.8% | $1,145 | Dem |
| 033 | El Centro CA | Imperial County | 44,240 | 8.7 | 32.2% | $1,052 | Dem |
| 034 | Freeport NY | Nassau County | 44,088 | 8.7 | 31.7% | $2,077 | Dem |
| 035 | Calexico CA | Imperial County | 38,585 | 8.7 | 36.0% | $1,093 | Dem |
| 036 | Adelanto CA | San Bernardino County | 37,964 | 8.7 | 36.2% | $1,437 | Dem |
| 037 | Spring Valley NY | Rockland County | 33,192 | 8.7 | 37.8% | $1,695 | IND |
| 038 | Ithaca NY | Tompkins County | 32,814 | 8.7 | 41.3% | $1,447 | Dem |
| 039 | Merced CA | Merced County | 91,953 | 8.6 | 32.7% | $1,393 | Dem |
| 040 | Central Islip NY | Suffolk County | 38,373 | 8.6 | 40.6% | $2,071 | IND |
| 041 | Beverly Hills CA | Los Angeles County | 31,624 | 8.6 | 33.0% | $2,830 | Dem |
| 042 | Glen Cove NY | Nassau County | 28,112 | 8.6 | 38.8% | $2,398 | Dem |
| 043 | Peekskill NY | Westchester County | 25,625 | 8.6 | 36.5% | $2,036 | Dem |
| 044 | Barstow CA | San Bernardino County | 25,100 | 8.6 | 31.2% | $1,091 | Dem |
| 045 | Palmdale CA | Los Angeles County | 164,634 | 8.5 | 40.0% | $1,802 | Dem |
| 046 | Burbank CA | Los Angeles County | 104,546 | 8.5 | 34.3% | $2,192 | Dem |
| 047 | Hawthorne CA | Los Angeles County | 85,191 | 8.5 | 35.4% | $1,782 | Dem |
| 048 | Pittsburg CA | Contra Costa County | 76,257 | 8.5 | 39.1% | $2,264 | Dem |
| 049 | Lynwood CA | Los Angeles County | 64,578 | 8.5 | 35.3% | $1,652 | Dem |
| 050 | Troy NY | Rensselaer County | 51,033 | 8.5 | 31.6% | $1,175 | Dem |
| 051 | Los Banos CA | Merced County | 47,593 | 8.5 | 35.7% | $1,557 | Dem |
| 052 | Binghamton NY | Broome County | 47,151 | 8.5 | 31.0% | $870 | IND |
| 053 | Commack NY | Suffolk County | 36,558 | 8.5 | 38.8% | $2,665 | IND |
| 054 | Westmont CA | Los Angeles County | 34,123 | 8.5 | 44.6% | $1,466 | Dem |
| 055 | Poughkeepsie NY | Dutchess County | 31,958 | 8.5 | 36.8% | $1,400 | Dem |
| 056 | Oceanside NY | Nassau County | 31,639 | 8.5 | 28.4% | $2,227 | Dem |
| 057 | Franklin Square NY | Nassau County | 30,897 | 8.5 | 29.9% | $2,102 | Dem |
| 058 | Shirley NY | Suffolk County | 28,375 | 8.5 | 51.0% | $2,056 | IND |
| 059 | Brawley CA | Imperial County | 27,283 | 8.5 | 29.6% | $988 | Dem |
| 060 | Dinuba CA | Tulare County | 25,475 | 8.5 | 40.3% | $1,209 | Rep |
| 061 | Lancaster CA | Los Angeles County | 169,169 | 8.4 | 36.2% | $1,764 | Dem |
| 062 | Antioch CA | Contra Costa County | 116,477 | 8.4 | 37.3% | $2,278 | Dem |
| 063 | East Los Angeles CA | Los Angeles County | 111,647 | 8.4 | 30.1% | $1,494 | Dem |
| 064 | Downey CA | Los Angeles County | 110,939 | 8.4 | 33.6% | $1,937 | Dem |
| 065 | Compton CA | Los Angeles County | 92,698 | 8.4 | 35.9% | $1,664 | Dem |
| 066 | South Gate CA | Los Angeles County | 91,483 | 8.4 | 32.8% | $1,531 | Dem |
| 067 | Hemet CA | Riverside County | 91,326 | 8.4 | 39.1% | $1,575 | Dem |
| 068 | Baldwin Park CA | Los Angeles County | 70,138 | 8.4 | 33.4% | $1,867 | Dem |
| 069 | Lodi CA | San Joaquin County | 67,607 | 8.4 | 32.1% | $1,680 | Dem |
| 070 | Santa Cruz CA | Santa Cruz County | 61,607 | 8.4 | 32.5% | $2,452 | Dem |
| 071 | Levittown NY | Nassau County | 51,904 | 8.4 | 28.5% | $2,656 | Dem |
| 072 | Niagara Falls NY | Niagara County | 47,987 | 8.4 | 36.2% | $823 | Rep |
| 073 | West Babylon NY | Suffolk County | 43,570 | 8.4 | 33.5% | $2,225 | IND |
| 074 | Altadena CA | Los Angeles County | 41,705 | 8.4 | 38.0% | $2,355 | Dem |
| 075 | San Gabriel CA | Los Angeles County | 38,392 | 8.4 | 30.5% | $1,915 | Dem |
| 076 | East Meadow NY | Nassau County | 36,821 | 8.4 | 46.9% | $2,890 | Dem |
| 077 | Long Beach NY | Nassau County | 34,756 | 8.4 | 31.6% | $2,515 | Dem |
| 078 | New City NY | Rockland County | 34,458 | 8.4 | 49.3% | $2,242 | IND |
| 079 | Huntington Station NY | Suffolk County | 32,601 | 8.4 | 24.2% | $2,052 | IND |
| 080 | Bell CA | Los Angeles County | 32,476 | 8.4 | 40.3% | $1,575 | Dem |
| 081 | Atwater CA | Merced County | 32,162 | 8.4 | 31.9% | $1,279 | Dem |
| 082 | Lawndale CA | Los Angeles County | 30,781 | 8.4 | 33.4% | $1,938 | Dem |
| 083 | Lindenhurst NY | Suffolk County | 27,142 | 8.4 | 33.3% | $1,885 | IND |
| 084 | Plainview NY | Nassau County | 25,982 | 8.4 | 34.3% | $3,392 | Dem |
| 085 | Reedley CA | Fresno County | 25,609 | 8.4 | 35.0% | $1,288 | Dem |
| 086 | Jersey City NJ | Hudson County | 294,078 | 8.3 | 27.5% | $2,007 | Dem |
| 087 | Chula Vista CA | San Diego County | 276,375 | 8.3 | 35.4% | $2,229 | Dem |
| 088 | Glendale CA | Los Angeles County | 190,748 | 8.3 | 37.8% | $2,182 | Dem |
| 089 | Hayward CA | Alameda County | 158,801 | 8.3 | 31.9% | $2,391 | Dem |
| 090 | Victorville CA | San Bernardino County | 137,627 | 8.3 | 39.4% | $1,618 | Dem |
| 091 | El Monte CA | Los Angeles County | 106,109 | 8.3 | 35.4% | $1,736 | Dem |
| 092 | Inglewood CA | Los Angeles County | 104,569 | 8.3 | 35.5% | $1,787 | Dem |
| 093 | Tracy CA | San Joaquin County | 96,966 | 8.3 | 30.8% | $2,478 | Dem |
| 094 | Arden-Arcade CA | Sacramento County | 94,994 | 8.3 | 35.9% | $1,588 | Dem |
| 095 | Santa Monica CA | Los Angeles County | 91,169 | 8.3 | 27.5% | $2,402 | Dem |
| 096 | Bellflower CA | Los Angeles County | 76,819 | 8.3 | 34.5% | $1,830 | Dem |
| 097 | Camden NJ | Camden County | 71,496 | 8.3 | 37.0% | $1,226 | Dem |
| 098 | East Orange NJ | Essex County | 70,090 | 8.3 | 34.3% | $1,441 | Dem |
| 099 | Brentwood NY | Suffolk County | 62,387 | 8.3 | 32.0% | $2,385 | IND |
| 100 | San Rafael CA | Marin County | 60,433 | 8.3 | 36.0% | $2,377 | Dem |
How the ranking is built
The Eviction Risk Score is a 1–10 index combining local, regional, and state political climate (2020 county presidential margin + state legislative posture), economic stress (Census ACS 2023 poverty + unemployment), supply constraint (renter share + median rent), rent-control risk (national percentile of rent burden), eviction process difficulty (state statute), tenant organizing strength (renter share), and housing court bias (state-weighted).
We include only cities with population ≥ 25,000 so the ranking reflects places where the dataset is robust and the practical landlord exposure is material. Every city on this list links to its full page with nine sub-scores, typical eviction cost, typical timeline, and an interactive map of neighboring cities.
Sources
US Census ACS 2023 5-year (poverty, unemployment, rent burden, median gross rent, renter share), 2024 Census Gazetteer (geometry), MIT Election Lab 2020 county presidential returns, state landlord-tenant statute citations, HUD cost-burden thresholds. Nothing on this list is synthesized — where a source has no value for a city, it is excluded from that ranking, not filled in.