Filings Quarter Ending 2026 September 30

Residential summary process: Filings Report This report examines cases filed recently before reading, for which outcomes were largely unknown. Search Period Start: 2026-07-01 Search Period End: 2026-09-30 Earliest Case: 2026-07-01 Latest Case: 2026-09-30 Total Cases: 10058 Total Transfers: 184 -- High-level take-aways: Percentage of landlords for whom attorney is optional: 21.8% Of those, percentage pro se: 54.0% Most common cause: Non-payment Least stable municipality/neighborhood: Mill River Least stable with 10+ filings: Chestnut Hill Least stable with 100+ filings: Holyoke Least stable county: Hampden Cases per day: 110 Housing crisis baseline max cases per day (UCL): 130 Housing crisis baseline min cases per day (LCL): 44 The number of filings this period is not statistically different from the pre-pandemic housing crisis baseline. -- Courts (n) Count Percent eastern 2014 20.0% northeast 1709 17.0% central 1549 15.4% western 1373 13.7% southeast 1244 12.4% metro_south 964 9.6% lynn district 107 1.1% lawrence district 103 1.0% malden district 102 1.0% pittsfield district 75 0.7% brockton district 64 0.6% fall river district 55 0.5% cambridge district 53 0.5% springfield district 46 0.5% lowell district 44 0.4% quincy district 43 0.4% chelsea district 40 0.4% haverhill district 34 0.3% bmc west roxbury 31 0.3% somerville district 30 0.3% northern berkshire district 25 0.2% waltham district 24 0.2% eastern hampshire district 21 0.2% bmc dorchester 19 0.2% salem district 18 0.2% bmc east boston 17 0.2% newburyport district 15 0.1% peabody district 15 0.1% woburn district 15 0.1% attleboro district 14 0.1% dedham district 13 0.1% holyoke district 13 0.1% worcester district 13 0.1% framingham district 12 0.1% bmc brighton 10 0.1% westfield district 10 0.1% barnstable district 9 0.1% ayer district 8 0.1% edgartown district 8 0.1% orleans district 8 0.1% milford district 7 0.1% bmc south boston 6 0.1% gloucester district 6 0.1% palmer district 6 0.1% plymouth district 6 0.1% bmc roxbury 5 0.0% fallmouth district 5 0.0% bmc central 4 0.0% brookline district 4 0.0% concord district 4 0.0% newton district 4 0.0% wrentham district 4 0.0% chicopee district 3 0.0% hingham district 3 0.0% natick district 3 0.0% stoughton district 3 0.0% taunton district 3 0.0% wareham district 3 0.0% fitchburg district 2 0.0% nantucket district 2 0.0% southern berkshire district 2 0.0% ipswich district 1 0.0% leominster district 1 0.0% marlborough district 1 0.0% new bedford district 1 0.0% northampton district 1 0.0% orange district 1 0.0% Party Type (n) Plaintiffs Defendants Corporate Entity 7869 27 Natural Person 2189 10031 Total 10058 10058 (%) Plaintiffs Defendants Corporate Entity 78.2% 0.3% Natural Person 21.8% 99.7% Total 100.0% 100.0% Plaintiff Representation (n) Has Attorney Pro Se Total Required 7776 93 7869 Optional 1008 1181 2189 Total 8784 1274 10058 (%) Has Attorney Pro Se Total Required 77.3% 0.9% 78.2% Optional 10.0% 11.7% 21.8% Total 87.3% 12.7% 100.0% Defendant Representation Important: Defendants will not have an attorney known to the plaintiff at time of filing unless this is an ongoing matter. 100% pro se is to be expected in all filing reports except to the extent time passes between filing and staff review. See outcomes report for final assessment. (n) Has Attorney Pro Se Total Required 1 26 27 Optional 48 9983 10031 Total 49 10009 10058 (%) Has Attorney Pro Se Total Required 0.0% 0.3% 0.3% Optional 0.5% 99.3% 99.7% Total 0.5% 99.5% 100.0% Number of Adults in Households Count Percent 0 298 3.0% 1 7008 69.7% 2 2201 21.9% 3 414 4.1% 4 100 1.0% 5 29 0.3% 6 6 0.1% 7 2 0.0% Total 10058 100.0% Note: Households may appear with zero adults due to clerical delay entering known defendants, identity protection obscuring known defendants (e.g., 42 USC Sections 13701 through 1404 Violence Against Women Act), or no adult defendants (e.g., abandonment of minors). Initiating Action Count Percent Non-payment 7564 75.2% Cause 1296 12.9% No Fault 1133 11.3% Foreclosure 62 0.6% Unknown/Other 3 0.0% Rate per 100,000 Municipality Residents Count Mill River 925 1 Florence 632 6 Chestnut Hill 518 11 Southbridge 376 63 Holyoke 346 138 Fall River 339 302 Dorchester 335 309 Fitchburg 332 134 East Falmouth 328 19 Mattapan 323 118 New Bedford 322 307 West Wareham 322 7 Springfield 318 487 Worcester 315 572 Norwood 304 87 Lawrence 276 211 Framingham 275 188 Everett 271 113 Lowell 260 277 Randolph 255 82 Pittsfield 239 107 Provincetown 237 7 Chelsea 235 83 Ashfield 230 4 Revere 229 119 Roxbury 226 135 Rockland 222 39 Malden 220 131 Turners Falls 219 9 Allston 215 63 Marlborough 215 83 Webster 214 36 Lynn 213 193 Vineyard Haven 211 4 Quincy 206 191 Brockton 205 193 Plainville 205 17 Hyannis 198 28 "Salem" 195 81 Jamaica Plain 192 72 Stoughton 192 52 Hyde Park 191 64 Milford 189 53 Gardner 173 35 Waltham 169 103 Taunton 168 94 Holbrook 166 18 Chicopee 164 91 South Dennis 162 6 West Springfield 162 46 Brighton 161 71 Fiskdale 161 5 Indian Orchard 158 16 Roslindale 155 45 Haverhill 154 94 Westborough 153 28 Peabody 152 78 Cambridge 151 159 Middleborough 151 35 Weymouth 148 80 Mansfield 146 34 South Easton 146 15 West Tisbury 145 4 Beverly 144 57 Whitinsville 144 10 East Sandwich 143 5 Lincoln 141 9 Leyden 140 1 Orange 140 11 Berlin 139 4 Woburn 139 53 Greenfield 137 24 Leominster 137 56 Hudson 136 26 Lakeville 132 14 Abington 131 21 North Adams 131 18 West Roxbury 131 40 Adams 129 11 Athol 129 15 Canton 125 27 Clinton 124 17 Palmer 123 15 Belchertown 122 18 Somerville 122 93 Spencer 119 14 Orleans 118 7 Wrentham 118 13 Brookfield 117 4 Tewksbury 117 34 Amesbury 116 19 Buzzards Bay 116 4 Attleborough 114 50 Hadley 114 6 Winthrop 114 20 West Yarmouth 113 6 Gloucester 111 32 Bridgewater 109 29 Wales 108 2 Plymouth 102 58 Three Rivers 102 3 East Boston 101 41 Saugus 101 27 Swampscott 101 14 Braintree 100 36 Hardwick 100 3 Wakefield 100 25 Lenox 99 5 Westfield 99 41 Edgartown 98 4 Leeds 98 1 Maynard 98 10 South Chatham 97 1 Whitman 96 14 Dennis Port 94 3 Goshen 94 1 South Yarmouth 94 11 Burlington 93 23 Dorchester Center 93 86 Avon 91 4 Franklin 91 29 North Andover 91 26 Watertown 90 29 Charlestown 89 15 South Boston 89 30 South Grafton 89 4 Dracut 88 26 Foxborough 88 15 Methuen 88 42 West Warren 88 1 Gilbertville 86 1 South Hadley 85 15 Norton 84 16 Stoneham 83 18 Millbury 82 11 Raynham 82 11 Wareham 82 18 Marion 81 4 Ayer 80 6 Eastham 80 4 North Attleborough 80 23 Danvers 79 21 Dudley 79 9 Lunenburg 79 8 Shrewsbury 78 28 Groveland 77 5 Winchendon 77 8 Marblehead 75 15 Sturbridge 75 7 Billerica 74 30 North Falmouth 74 2 Georgetown 73 6 Medford 72 41 Salem 72 30 Wellfleet 72 2 West Barnstable 70 2 North Easton 69 9 Pocasset 69 2 Acton 68 15 Chelmsford 68 23 East Wareham 68 15 Lynnfield 68 8 Bradford 67 9 Lee 67 4 Ludlow 66 14 Natick 66 22 Whately 66 1 Boston 65 406 "Mashpee" 64 9 Marshfield 63 16 Northbridge 63 10 Brewster 61 6 Cheshire 61 2 Tyngsborough 61 7 Stow 60 4 Douglas 59 5 Phillipston 59 1 Manchester By The Sea 58 3 Medfield 58 7 Monson 58 5 Wilmington 58 13 Newtonville 57 3 Rockport 57 4 Westport 57 9 "Becket" 56 1 Becket 56 1 Shelburne Falls 56 1 Auburn 55 9 Erving 55 1 Melrose 55 15 Roxbury Crossing 55 33 Sagamore Beach 55 2 Shirley 55 4 West Brookfield 54 2 Arlington 53 23 Bondsville 53 1 Hopkinton 53 8 Baldwinville 52 1 Bedford 52 7 Brookline 52 31 Buckland 52 1 Carver 52 6 Oakham 52 1 West Boylston 52 4 Andover 51 17 Feeding Hills 51 6 Stockbridge 51 1 Attleboro Falls 50 1 Hopedale 50 3 Ware 50 5 Hingham 49 11 Hinsdale 49 1 Lancaster 49 4 North Truro 49 1 "Salisbury" 48 4 Belmont 48 12 Salisbury 48 4 "Lynn" 47 43 Charleston 47 8 Kingston 47 6 East Taunton 46 3 Hubbardston 45 2 Huntington 45 1 Blackstone 44 4 Dalton 44 3 Oak Bluffs 44 2 Pembroke 44 8 Sutton 44 4 Auburndale 43 4 Agawam 42 12 Ashland 42 7 Bellingham 42 7 North Brookfield 42 2 Northborough 42 6 Harwich 40 5 Holland 40 1 "Duxbury" 39 6 Medway 39 5 Nantucket 39 4 South Weymouth 39 21 Sudbury 39 7 Yarmouth Port 39 2 Charlton 38 5 East Dennis 38 1 Northampton 38 11 Somerset 38 7 Sterling 38 3 Warren 38 2 Wayland 38 5 Centerville 37 5 Fairhaven 37 6 Rutland 37 3 Walpole 37 9 Winchester 37 8 DEDHAM 36 9 Hanover 36 5 Westford 36 8 Littleton 33 3 North Reading 33 5 Dedham 32 8 Granby 32 2 Northfield 32 1 Merrimac 31 2 Millville 31 1 Needham 31 9 Holliston 29 4 Nahant 29 1 Oxford 29 4 Seekonk 29 4 West Hatfield 29 1 Essex 28 1 Falmouth 28 9 Great Barrington 28 2 Sharon 28 5 Brimfield 27 1 Leicester 27 3 Sagamore 27 1 Westminster 27 2 Amherst 26 10 Pepperell 26 3 Lexington 25 8 Millis 25 2 Newton Center 25 1 Rehoboth 25 3 Williamstown 25 2 Holden 23 4 West Newbury 23 1 Assonet 22 2 Boylston 22 1 Concord 22 4 Forestdale 22 1 Newburyport 22 4 Townsend 22 2 Uxbridge 22 3 North Chelmsford 21 2 Bourne 20 4 Boxborough 20 1 Carlisle 20 1 East Freetown 20 1 Needham Heights 20 6 Southborough 20 2 Wellesley Hills 20 6 Wenham 20 1 Acushnet 19 2 Hampden 19 1 Longmeadow 19 3 NEWTONVILLE 19 1 Norwell 19 2 Rochester 19 1 Barre 18 1 Cherry Valley 18 2 East Weymouth 18 10 Milton 18 5 South Barre 18 1 Dover 17 1 Rowley 17 1 Southampton 17 1 Weston 17 2 Ashburnham 16 1 Chatham 16 1 Grafton 16 3 Mattapoisett 16 1 Topsfield 16 1 Berkley 15 1 East Walpole 15 4 Harvard 15 1 East Bridgewater 14 2 Mashpee 14 2 Sandwich 14 3 Halifax 13 1 Upton 13 1 Westwood 13 2 Easthampton 12 2 Reading 12 3 South Attleboro 12 1 "Sharon" 11 2 DOUGLAS 11 1 Scituate 11 2 "Cambridge" 10 11 "Methuen" 10 5 Wellesley 10 3 Hanson 9 1 Hull 9 1 Newton 9 8 North Billerica 9 1 Onset 9 2 Rochdale 9 1 WATERTOWN 9 3 Easton 8 2 Groton 8 1 North Dartmouth 8 2 W.Harwich 8 1 West Harwich 8 1 Dennis 7 1 Ipswich 7 1 SPRINGFIELD 7 11 West Newton 7 1 Wilbraham 7 1 Duxbury 6 1 East Longmeadow 6 1 Swansea 6 1 "Quincy" 5 5 "South Dartmouth" 5 2 PEABODY 5 3 DORCHESTER 4 4 BROOKLINE 3 2 Dartmouth 2 1 PITTSFIELD 2 1 South Dartmouth 2 1 Chestnut Hill (Newton) 1 1 E. Weymouth 1 1 Fall RIver 1 1 Newton Highlands 1 1 Newton Lower Falls 1 1 North Weymouth 1 1 (not given) 0 625 BOSTON 0 5 span 0 4 Rate per 100,000 residents based on 2010 census. Municipalities do not appear if no evictions filed. Where neighborhoods are commonly recognized as municipalities, data appears under the neighborhood rather than the legal entity (e.g., "Roxbury" is separate from "Boston".) Where municipalities have alternate spellings (e.g., Marlboro for Marlborough), totals appear under the long form. Efforts are made to correct clerical errors in the court database, but clerical errors may appear. Rate per 100,000 County Renter Households Count Hampden 1260 896 Plymouth 1204 520 Bristol 1107 911 Worcester 1104 1229 Berkshire 991 160 Norfolk 969 826 Essex 967 1064 Suffolk 894 1767 Barnstable 849 164 Middlesex 745 1740 Franklin 512 54 Hampshire 434 80 Dukes 341 14 Nantucket 113 4 Rate per 100,000 renter households based on 2019 ACS. Counties appear even if no evictions filed. -- Data Sources (report errors to hello@masslandlords.net): County Data Households Percent Renters Barnstable 96,509 20.0% Berkshire 53,792 30.0% Bristol 220,528 37.3% Dukes 18,146 22.6% Essex 297,898 36.9% Franklin 30,927 34.1% Hampden 179,970 39.5% Hampshire 60,002 30.7% Middlesex 612,366 38.1% Nantucket 11,399 30.8% Norfolk 269,717 31.6% Plymouth 191,041 22.6% Suffolk 309,945 63.7% Worcester 316,162 35.2% County Households: 2019 ACS TableID S1101 County Households and Renters, Dukes and Nantucket: https://www.census.gov/quickfacts/dukescountymassachusetts County Households and Renters, Large Counties: https://data.census.gov/cedsci/table?q=S11&g=0400000US25.050000&d=ACS%201-Year%20Estimates%20Subject%20Tables&tid=ACSST1Y2019.S1101&hidePreview=true Dukes County Renters: https://www.census.gov/quickfacts/dukescountymassachusetts Nantucket County Renters: https://www.census.gov/quickfacts/nantucketcountymassachusetts -- Methodology Publicly available records at MassCourts.org are read fully manually at two intervals: 1.) For a filings report, once within approximately one week of filing; 2.) For an outcomes report, once again approximately 12 to 18 months after filing. Cases are searched by 'case type' = 'summary process', party type = 'plaintiff' within date ranges, typically weekly. MassCourts.org displays matches, not cases. X plaintiffs on a single case result in X separate matches. Cases are manually de-duplicated. Where the number of matches exceeds the number displayed (e.g., 'Displaying 100 of 257 total matches.'), date ranges are reduced until all cases may be viewed. If the date range cannot be reduced (i.e., is one day) but matches still exceed the display limit of 100, then two additional passes are taken. First, municipalities are filtered in stages. Second, to capture cases with no municipality entered, the search switches from 'case type' to 'case number', guessing the missing numbers assuming serialized entry. This method results in 'matches' reconciled to case counts. This effort costs more than 1 FTE. Summary spreadsheets are produced by copying exactly what is read. The spreadsheets are processed using proprietary software. Repeated analyses of local spreadsheets does not burden the MassCourts servers. The software is developed using best practices for revision control and regression testing. Limitations: Data are snapshots. As such, we cannot track individual cases over time or produce real-time reports. MassLandlords does not have access to court databases beyond what is published in human readable form at MassCourts.org. As of this report, MassLandlords staff were not considering information available to attorneys (e.g., the contents of notices, discovery, evidence, etc.) but not available to the general public. All data presented here are readily verifiable at MassCourts.org without special permission. Information is not independently verified outside of the court record. For instance, clerical errors in address, omissions of a defendant, etc. are not readily verifiable. As this process matures, reporting algorithms may change. Transfers are counted as new cases. Clerical differences between original case and transfer (e.g., middle initial included then dropped; defendant dropped on transfer; street address spelling changed) as well as the potential for indefinite circular transferring (e.g., foreclosure cases moving between housing, land, and/or superior courts) make it very difficult to programmatically identify continuing matters. Methodology changes: 2022-03: Where docket history shows judgment and/or execution, but case has not been disposed, infer judgment and/or execution. 2022-05: Correct counting error in 'By prevailing party' section where agreement for judgment renders prevailing party unknown. Rows now sum to total. 2023-01: We now report dispositions on the basis of the last disposition found in a docket. Previously we were using a prioritized keyword match, which produced inaccurate results for complex cases. -- When Citing This Work, Please Credit: MassLandlords, Inc. Available online at https://masslandlords.net/policy/eviction-data/. Residential summary process: Filings Report This report examines cases filed recently before reading, for which outcomes were largely unknown. Search Period Start: 2026-07-01 Search Period End: 2026-09-30 Earliest Case: 2026-07-01 Latest Case: 2026-09-30 Total Cases: 10058 Total Transfers: 184 -- High-level take-aways: Percentage of landlords for whom attorney is optional: 21.8% Of those, percentage pro se: 54.0% Most common cause: Non-payment Least stable municipality/neighborhood: Mill River Least stable with 10+ filings: Chestnut Hill Least stable with 100+ filings: Holyoke Least stable county: Hampden Cases per day: 110 Housing crisis baseline max cases per day (UCL): 130 Housing crisis baseline min cases per day (LCL): 44 The number of filings this period is not statistically different from the pre-pandemic housing crisis baseline. -- Courts (n) Count Percent eastern 2014 20.0% northeast 1709 17.0% central 1549 15.4% western 1373 13.7% southeast 1244 12.4% metro_south 964 9.6% lynn district 107 1.1% lawrence district 103 1.0% malden district 102 1.0% pittsfield district 75 0.7% brockton district 64 0.6% fall river district 55 0.5% cambridge district 53 0.5% springfield district 46 0.5% lowell district 44 0.4% quincy district 43 0.4% chelsea district 40 0.4% haverhill district 34 0.3% bmc west roxbury 31 0.3% somerville district 30 0.3% northern berkshire district 25 0.2% waltham district 24 0.2% eastern hampshire district 21 0.2% bmc dorchester 19 0.2% salem district 18 0.2% bmc east boston 17 0.2% newburyport district 15 0.1% peabody district 15 0.1% woburn district 15 0.1% attleboro district 14 0.1% dedham district 13 0.1% holyoke district 13 0.1% worcester district 13 0.1% framingham district 12 0.1% bmc brighton 10 0.1% westfield district 10 0.1% barnstable district 9 0.1% ayer district 8 0.1% edgartown district 8 0.1% orleans district 8 0.1% milford district 7 0.1% bmc south boston 6 0.1% gloucester district 6 0.1% palmer district 6 0.1% plymouth district 6 0.1% bmc roxbury 5 0.0% fallmouth district 5 0.0% bmc central 4 0.0% brookline district 4 0.0% concord district 4 0.0% newton district 4 0.0% wrentham district 4 0.0% chicopee district 3 0.0% hingham district 3 0.0% natick district 3 0.0% stoughton district 3 0.0% taunton district 3 0.0% wareham district 3 0.0% fitchburg district 2 0.0% nantucket district 2 0.0% southern berkshire district 2 0.0% ipswich district 1 0.0% leominster district 1 0.0% marlborough district 1 0.0% new bedford district 1 0.0% northampton district 1 0.0% orange district 1 0.0% Party Type (n) Plaintiffs Defendants Corporate Entity 7869 27 Natural Person 2189 10031 Total 10058 10058 (%) Plaintiffs Defendants Corporate Entity 78.2% 0.3% Natural Person 21.8% 99.7% Total 100.0% 100.0% Plaintiff Representation (n) Has Attorney Pro Se Total Required 7776 93 7869 Optional 1008 1181 2189 Total 8784 1274 10058 (%) Has Attorney Pro Se Total Required 77.3% 0.9% 78.2% Optional 10.0% 11.7% 21.8% Total 87.3% 12.7% 100.0% Defendant Representation Important: Defendants will not have an attorney known to the plaintiff at time of filing unless this is an ongoing matter. 100% pro se is to be expected in all filing reports except to the extent time passes between filing and staff review. See outcomes report for final assessment. (n) Has Attorney Pro Se Total Required 1 26 27 Optional 48 9983 10031 Total 49 10009 10058 (%) Has Attorney Pro Se Total Required 0.0% 0.3% 0.3% Optional 0.5% 99.3% 99.7% Total 0.5% 99.5% 100.0% Number of Adults in Households Count Percent 0 298 3.0% 1 7008 69.7% 2 2201 21.9% 3 414 4.1% 4 100 1.0% 5 29 0.3% 6 6 0.1% 7 2 0.0% Total 10058 100.0% Note: Households may appear with zero adults due to clerical delay entering known defendants, identity protection obscuring known defendants (e.g., 42 USC Sections 13701 through 1404 Violence Against Women Act), or no adult defendants (e.g., abandonment of minors). Initiating Action Count Percent Non-payment 7564 75.2% Cause 1296 12.9% No Fault 1133 11.3% Foreclosure 62 0.6% Unknown/Other 3 0.0% Rate per 100,000 Municipality Residents Count Mill River 925 1 Florence 632 6 Chestnut Hill 518 11 Southbridge 376 63 Holyoke 346 138 Fall River 339 302 Dorchester 335 309 Fitchburg 332 134 East Falmouth 328 19 Mattapan 323 118 New Bedford 322 307 West Wareham 322 7 Springfield 318 487 Worcester 315 572 Norwood 304 87 Lawrence 276 211 Framingham 275 188 Everett 271 113 Lowell 260 277 Randolph 255 82 Pittsfield 239 107 Provincetown 237 7 Chelsea 235 83 Ashfield 230 4 Revere 229 119 Roxbury 226 135 Rockland 222 39 Malden 220 131 Turners Falls 219 9 Allston 215 63 Marlborough 215 83 Webster 214 36 Lynn 213 193 Vineyard Haven 211 4 Quincy 206 191 Brockton 205 193 Plainville 205 17 Hyannis 198 28 "Salem" 195 81 Jamaica Plain 192 72 Stoughton 192 52 Hyde Park 191 64 Milford 189 53 Gardner 173 35 Waltham 169 103 Taunton 168 94 Holbrook 166 18 Chicopee 164 91 South Dennis 162 6 West Springfield 162 46 Brighton 161 71 Fiskdale 161 5 Indian Orchard 158 16 Roslindale 155 45 Haverhill 154 94 Westborough 153 28 Peabody 152 78 Cambridge 151 159 Middleborough 151 35 Weymouth 148 80 Mansfield 146 34 South Easton 146 15 West Tisbury 145 4 Beverly 144 57 Whitinsville 144 10 East Sandwich 143 5 Lincoln 141 9 Leyden 140 1 Orange 140 11 Berlin 139 4 Woburn 139 53 Greenfield 137 24 Leominster 137 56 Hudson 136 26 Lakeville 132 14 Abington 131 21 North Adams 131 18 West Roxbury 131 40 Adams 129 11 Athol 129 15 Canton 125 27 Clinton 124 17 Palmer 123 15 Belchertown 122 18 Somerville 122 93 Spencer 119 14 Orleans 118 7 Wrentham 118 13 Brookfield 117 4 Tewksbury 117 34 Amesbury 116 19 Buzzards Bay 116 4 Attleborough 114 50 Hadley 114 6 Winthrop 114 20 West Yarmouth 113 6 Gloucester 111 32 Bridgewater 109 29 Wales 108 2 Plymouth 102 58 Three Rivers 102 3 East Boston 101 41 Saugus 101 27 Swampscott 101 14 Braintree 100 36 Hardwick 100 3 Wakefield 100 25 Lenox 99 5 Westfield 99 41 Edgartown 98 4 Leeds 98 1 Maynard 98 10 South Chatham 97 1 Whitman 96 14 Dennis Port 94 3 Goshen 94 1 South Yarmouth 94 11 Burlington 93 23 Dorchester Center 93 86 Avon 91 4 Franklin 91 29 North Andover 91 26 Watertown 90 29 Charlestown 89 15 South Boston 89 30 South Grafton 89 4 Dracut 88 26 Foxborough 88 15 Methuen 88 42 West Warren 88 1 Gilbertville 86 1 South Hadley 85 15 Norton 84 16 Stoneham 83 18 Millbury 82 11 Raynham 82 11 Wareham 82 18 Marion 81 4 Ayer 80 6 Eastham 80 4 North Attleborough 80 23 Danvers 79 21 Dudley 79 9 Lunenburg 79 8 Shrewsbury 78 28 Groveland 77 5 Winchendon 77 8 Marblehead 75 15 Sturbridge 75 7 Billerica 74 30 North Falmouth 74 2 Georgetown 73 6 Medford 72 41 Salem 72 30 Wellfleet 72 2 West Barnstable 70 2 North Easton 69 9 Pocasset 69 2 Acton 68 15 Chelmsford 68 23 East Wareham 68 15 Lynnfield 68 8 Bradford 67 9 Lee 67 4 Ludlow 66 14 Natick 66 22 Whately 66 1 Boston 65 406 "Mashpee" 64 9 Marshfield 63 16 Northbridge 63 10 Brewster 61 6 Cheshire 61 2 Tyngsborough 61 7 Stow 60 4 Douglas 59 5 Phillipston 59 1 Manchester By The Sea 58 3 Medfield 58 7 Monson 58 5 Wilmington 58 13 Newtonville 57 3 Rockport 57 4 Westport 57 9 "Becket" 56 1 Becket 56 1 Shelburne Falls 56 1 Auburn 55 9 Erving 55 1 Melrose 55 15 Roxbury Crossing 55 33 Sagamore Beach 55 2 Shirley 55 4 West Brookfield 54 2 Arlington 53 23 Bondsville 53 1 Hopkinton 53 8 Baldwinville 52 1 Bedford 52 7 Brookline 52 31 Buckland 52 1 Carver 52 6 Oakham 52 1 West Boylston 52 4 Andover 51 17 Feeding Hills 51 6 Stockbridge 51 1 Attleboro Falls 50 1 Hopedale 50 3 Ware 50 5 Hingham 49 11 Hinsdale 49 1 Lancaster 49 4 North Truro 49 1 "Salisbury" 48 4 Belmont 48 12 Salisbury 48 4 "Lynn" 47 43 Charleston 47 8 Kingston 47 6 East Taunton 46 3 Hubbardston 45 2 Huntington 45 1 Blackstone 44 4 Dalton 44 3 Oak Bluffs 44 2 Pembroke 44 8 Sutton 44 4 Auburndale 43 4 Agawam 42 12 Ashland 42 7 Bellingham 42 7 North Brookfield 42 2 Northborough 42 6 Harwich 40 5 Holland 40 1 "Duxbury" 39 6 Medway 39 5 Nantucket 39 4 South Weymouth 39 21 Sudbury 39 7 Yarmouth Port 39 2 Charlton 38 5 East Dennis 38 1 Northampton 38 11 Somerset 38 7 Sterling 38 3 Warren 38 2 Wayland 38 5 Centerville 37 5 Fairhaven 37 6 Rutland 37 3 Walpole 37 9 Winchester 37 8 DEDHAM 36 9 Hanover 36 5 Westford 36 8 Littleton 33 3 North Reading 33 5 Dedham 32 8 Granby 32 2 Northfield 32 1 Merrimac 31 2 Millville 31 1 Needham 31 9 Holliston 29 4 Nahant 29 1 Oxford 29 4 Seekonk 29 4 West Hatfield 29 1 Essex 28 1 Falmouth 28 9 Great Barrington 28 2 Sharon 28 5 Brimfield 27 1 Leicester 27 3 Sagamore 27 1 Westminster 27 2 Amherst 26 10 Pepperell 26 3 Lexington 25 8 Millis 25 2 Newton Center 25 1 Rehoboth 25 3 Williamstown 25 2 Holden 23 4 West Newbury 23 1 Assonet 22 2 Boylston 22 1 Concord 22 4 Forestdale 22 1 Newburyport 22 4 Townsend 22 2 Uxbridge 22 3 North Chelmsford 21 2 Bourne 20 4 Boxborough 20 1 Carlisle 20 1 East Freetown 20 1 Needham Heights 20 6 Southborough 20 2 Wellesley Hills 20 6 Wenham 20 1 Acushnet 19 2 Hampden 19 1 Longmeadow 19 3 NEWTONVILLE 19 1 Norwell 19 2 Rochester 19 1 Barre 18 1 Cherry Valley 18 2 East Weymouth 18 10 Milton 18 5 South Barre 18 1 Dover 17 1 Rowley 17 1 Southampton 17 1 Weston 17 2 Ashburnham 16 1 Chatham 16 1 Grafton 16 3 Mattapoisett 16 1 Topsfield 16 1 Berkley 15 1 East Walpole 15 4 Harvard 15 1 East Bridgewater 14 2 Mashpee 14 2 Sandwich 14 3 Halifax 13 1 Upton 13 1 Westwood 13 2 Easthampton 12 2 Reading 12 3 South Attleboro 12 1 "Sharon" 11 2 DOUGLAS 11 1 Scituate 11 2 "Cambridge" 10 11 "Methuen" 10 5 Wellesley 10 3 Hanson 9 1 Hull 9 1 Newton 9 8 North Billerica 9 1 Onset 9 2 Rochdale 9 1 WATERTOWN 9 3 Easton 8 2 Groton 8 1 North Dartmouth 8 2 W.Harwich 8 1 West Harwich 8 1 Dennis 7 1 Ipswich 7 1 SPRINGFIELD 7 11 West Newton 7 1 Wilbraham 7 1 Duxbury 6 1 East Longmeadow 6 1 Swansea 6 1 "Quincy" 5 5 "South Dartmouth" 5 2 PEABODY 5 3 DORCHESTER 4 4 BROOKLINE 3 2 Dartmouth 2 1 PITTSFIELD 2 1 South Dartmouth 2 1 Chestnut Hill (Newton) 1 1 E. Weymouth 1 1 Fall RIver 1 1 Newton Highlands 1 1 Newton Lower Falls 1 1 North Weymouth 1 1 (not given) 0 625 BOSTON 0 5 span 0 4 Rate per 100,000 residents based on 2010 census. Municipalities do not appear if no evictions filed. Where neighborhoods are commonly recognized as municipalities, data appears under the neighborhood rather than the legal entity (e.g., "Roxbury" is separate from "Boston".) Where municipalities have alternate spellings (e.g., Marlboro for Marlborough), totals appear under the long form. Efforts are made to correct clerical errors in the court database, but clerical errors may appear. Rate per 100,000 County Renter Households Count Hampden 1260 896 Plymouth 1204 520 Bristol 1107 911 Worcester 1104 1229 Berkshire 991 160 Norfolk 969 826 Essex 967 1064 Suffolk 894 1767 Barnstable 849 164 Middlesex 745 1740 Franklin 512 54 Hampshire 434 80 Dukes 341 14 Nantucket 113 4 Rate per 100,000 renter households based on 2019 ACS. Counties appear even if no evictions filed. -- Data Sources (report errors to hello@masslandlords.net): County Data Households Percent Renters Barnstable 96,509 20.0% Berkshire 53,792 30.0% Bristol 220,528 37.3% Dukes 18,146 22.6% Essex 297,898 36.9% Franklin 30,927 34.1% Hampden 179,970 39.5% Hampshire 60,002 30.7% Middlesex 612,366 38.1% Nantucket 11,399 30.8% Norfolk 269,717 31.6% Plymouth 191,041 22.6% Suffolk 309,945 63.7% Worcester 316,162 35.2% County Households: 2019 ACS TableID S1101 County Households and Renters, Dukes and Nantucket: https://www.census.gov/quickfacts/dukescountymassachusetts County Households and Renters, Large Counties: https://data.census.gov/cedsci/table?q=S11&g=0400000US25.050000&d=ACS%201-Year%20Estimates%20Subject%20Tables&tid=ACSST1Y2019.S1101&hidePreview=true Dukes County Renters: https://www.census.gov/quickfacts/dukescountymassachusetts Nantucket County Renters: https://www.census.gov/quickfacts/nantucketcountymassachusetts -- Methodology Publicly available records at MassCourts.org are read fully manually at two intervals: 1.) For a filings report, once within approximately one week of filing; 2.) For an outcomes report, once again approximately 12 to 18 months after filing. Cases are searched by 'case type' = 'summary process', party type = 'plaintiff' within date ranges, typically weekly. MassCourts.org displays matches, not cases. X plaintiffs on a single case result in X separate matches. Cases are manually de-duplicated. Where the number of matches exceeds the number displayed (e.g., 'Displaying 100 of 257 total matches.'), date ranges are reduced until all cases may be viewed. If the date range cannot be reduced (i.e., is one day) but matches still exceed the display limit of 100, then two additional passes are taken. First, municipalities are filtered in stages. Second, to capture cases with no municipality entered, the search switches from 'case type' to 'case number', guessing the missing numbers assuming serialized entry. This method results in 'matches' reconciled to case counts. This effort costs more than 1 FTE. Summary spreadsheets are produced by copying exactly what is read. The spreadsheets are processed using proprietary software. Repeated analyses of local spreadsheets does not burden the MassCourts servers. The software is developed using best practices for revision control and regression testing. Limitations: Data are snapshots. As such, we cannot track individual cases over time or produce real-time reports. MassLandlords does not have access to court databases beyond what is published in human readable form at MassCourts.org. As of this report, MassLandlords staff were not considering information available to attorneys (e.g., the contents of notices, discovery, evidence, etc.) but not available to the general public. All data presented here are readily verifiable at MassCourts.org without special permission. Information is not independently verified outside of the court record. For instance, clerical errors in address, omissions of a defendant, etc. are not readily verifiable. As this process matures, reporting algorithms may change. Transfers are counted as new cases. Clerical differences between original case and transfer (e.g., middle initial included then dropped; defendant dropped on transfer; street address spelling changed) as well as the potential for indefinite circular transferring (e.g., foreclosure cases moving between housing, land, and/or superior courts) make it very difficult to programmatically identify continuing matters. Methodology changes: 2022-03: Where docket history shows judgment and/or execution, but case has not been disposed, infer judgment and/or execution. 2022-05: Correct counting error in 'By prevailing party' section where agreement for judgment renders prevailing party unknown. Rows now sum to total. 2023-01: We now report dispositions on the basis of the last disposition found in a docket. Previously we were using a prioritized keyword match, which produced inaccurate results for complex cases. -- When Citing This Work, Please Credit: MassLandlords, Inc. Available online at https://masslandlords.net/policy/eviction-data/.