PHOENIX — There were more than 80,000 eviction filings in the Valley of the Sun in 2023.
It’s only the fifth time in over two decades that the Maricopa Justice Courts reported that many in a single year.
In December, 7,106 evictions were filed around the county’s 26 justice court precincts. The only December with a higher number of eviction filings occurred in 2005 with 7,128.
In total, there were 83,236 eviction filings in 2023. That's the second most since 2000 and one of only five years with filings over 80,000.
The other years are 2004 through 2007. Even though filings are comparable with years around the Great Recession, the data does not suggest a housing collapse is on the horizon.
One of the major responses to the COVID-19 pandemic was to put a stop to most evictions nationwide. Consequently, eviction filings around the county plummeted from 68,000 in 2019 to 36,000 in 2020. This means much of the higher numbers of filings this year may still be a carryover from years past.
The highest number of filings in the Valley this year, over 30,000, happened in justice courts in and around the Phoenix central city region.
Justice courts west of the I-17 reported nearly 29,000 eviction filings. East Valley precincts had the lowest number of filings, with justice courts north and south of Loop 202 reporting 12,000 eviction filings respectively.
With the rise of eviction filings came a decline in the average judgment. After quickly rising $1,500 between 2019 and 2022 to a peak of $3,453, the average judgment declined $265 to $3,188 in 2023.
A spokesperson for the Maricopa County Justice Court report explained in an e-mail to ABC15 that an eviction filing does not always equate to a tenant being evicted. In some cases, a judge may reinstate the lease if back rent is paid or tenants may choose to leave before the case is settled. Population growth also plays a role in the higher number of filings.
