Evictions plague much of U.S.

An estimated 2.7 million renters in the United States were evicted from their residences last year, according to data released Monday.

That number could be low because there is no national database on evictions. Also, the U.S Census Bureau doesn’t track eviction-related data, although it’s scheduled to begin doing so next year, Redfin, an online real estate brokerage, reported.

More than 20 million U.S. renters – more than half the country’s total – were “cost-burdened” last year, meaning they spent at least 30 percent of their income on rent.

Between 2011 and 2014, the Inland Empire ranked 16th in cost-burdened families and evictions among major U.S. metropolitan areas, between Milwaukee and Sacramento, according to Redfin.

The study was limited to 19 states because of the absence of a national database on evictions, Redfin reported.