In court-decided eviction outcomes for Ridgway, CO, tenants prevail in roughly 40.8% 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
95d
filing → judgment
From the moment an unlawful-detainer notice is filed in Ridgway, CO until a money judgment is entered, a contested eviction takes about 95 days on average. Longer timelines mean more lost rent and higher carry costs for landlords.
Cost range
$4.9–11.3k
legal + lost rent
A typical eviction in Ridgway, CO costs landlords $4,863 to $11,310 all-in, covering court filing fees, process-server costs, attorney time, and lost rent during the calendar between filing and possession.
Average rent
$1,577
28% stretched on rent
Average gross rent in Ridgway, CO is $1,577 per month per the U.S. Census American Community Survey (5-year 2023). 28% of renter households here spend more than 30% of pre-tax income on rent, the federal cost-burden threshold.
Renters
27.1%
of households
27.1% of occupied housing units in Ridgway, CO 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
12.2%
8.4% unemp.
12.2% of Ridgway, CO residents live below the federal poverty line, and unemployment runs at 8.4%. 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
Dem margin +21.2% (2024)
6.4
Regional political climate
County-weighted neighbor mix
6.4
State political climate
Colorado legislature & governorship
4.7
Economic stress
12.2% poverty · 8.4% unemp.
7.2
Supply constraint
$1,577 average · 27.1% renters
8.3
Rent Control risk
28.4% of income on rent
5.8
Eviction process difficulty
95 days filing → judgment
4.0
Tenant organizing strength
27.1% renters
8.7
Housing court bias
County bench composition
5.9
Geographic context
Risk heat across Ridgway and the region
Click any city to see its score
How Ridgway compares
Risk score vs. peers, county, state, and the U.S.
Rank in Ouray County
Very High
#1of 7 cities
#1 of 7 cities in Ouray County for landlord eviction risk.
Rank in Colorado
High
#73of 479 cities
#73 of 479 cities in Colorado for landlord eviction risk.
vs. county · state · U.S.
Score story
Six-stop tour of the risk profile
4.7
/ 10 · MODERATE
The verdict
A Moderate-tier market.
Composite 4.7/10. Mid-range market; standard documentation usually wins. The 50-year curve shows a sharp climb.
50-yr trend+2.9 over 50 yr
197620012026
Steepening since 2010 · COVID inflection visible
95d
Typical timeline
The money
What renting (and evicting) looks like.
Rent published at $1,577/mo. A contested eviction takes 95 days and costs $4,863–$11,310 per case.
50-yr trendCalendar drag rising since '15
197620012026
Court-clerk data lands in the next release.
27.1%
Renters
The renters
Who you'll be renting to.
Out of 1,237 residents, 27.1% rent. 28% are spending 30%+ income on rent, 12.2% below the poverty line.
50-yr trendRenter share rising
197620012026
ACS 1970-present · once the migration overlay is in.
6.4
Local + regional
The politics
Mid-range climate. Not a coastal market.
Local & regional political climate score 6.4 and 6.4 (Dem margin +21.2% (2024)). State climate at 4.7, a mid-range statehouse.
50-yr trendTracks county vote margin
197620012026
Built on 50-yr presidential margins back to 1976.
4.7
State politics
The process
Moderate calendar, moderate friction.
State political climate 4.7/10 sets the legislative ceiling for landlord remedies, and it shows up in the process. Eviction process difficulty reads 4, housing court bias 5.9, rent-control risk 5.8. Standard process speed for the state.
50-yr trendProcess difficulty +-1.0 since '00
197620012026
Court-clerk data lands in the next release.
7.2
Economic stress
The stress
Economic pressure is the background risk.
Economic stress: 7.2. Supply constraint: 8.3. The numbers behind those: 12.2% poverty, 8.4% unemployment, 28% of income on rent.
50-yr trendTwo visible dips · '08 + COVID
197620012026
Mirrors BLS unemployment series.
US eviction landscape · timeline × all-in cost
Ridgway sits in the slow & expensive quadrant
Bubble size = population · color = risk score
Ridgway · 95d · ~$8.1k all-in ($85/day) · score 4.7National average: 58d · $4.6k all-inHover any bubble for stats · click to openColor: 0–4 4–7 7–10
Landlording in Ridgway, Colorado, presents a manageable operating environment for documented landlords. The Eviction Risk Score is 4.7/10 (MODERATE 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 Mid-tier market where lease drafting, screening discipline, and well-documented notices materially change outcomes.
Ridgway is a city of 1,237 residents where 27.1% of occupied units are renter-occupied, and the typical renter spends 28.4% of income on rent. At an average rent of $1,577/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 Ridgway eviction process actually works
Eviction process difficulty here reads 4/10, 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 Ridgway closes 95 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 Ridgway's timeline is usually the calendar, not the motion practice. Housing court bias scores 5.9/10 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 Ridgway runs $4,863 to $11,310 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 95 days of typical timeline and $1,577/month in lost rent, that crossover happens fast here.
03Operations
Security deposits, screening, and lease terms
Tenant organizing strength scores 8.7/10 in Ridgway, and the city has limited rent control exposure (5.8/10). 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 Colorado, 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 Ridgway: 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 MODERATE 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 Colorado's statutory language. Fix those four, and most cases settle or default. Skip them, and a $11,310 all-in fight is the realistic worst case.
04bPractical traps
Local traps to avoid in Ridgway
Trap · 12.2%
Local poverty rate is 12.2%, and the rent-burden distribution skews the eviction-filings curve toward moderate volume in Ouray County. Rent-control-risk sub-score: 5.8/10. Tenant organizing is most active in the rental concentration corridors.
05FAQ
Frequently asked questions
Q1
What is the fastest way to get a tenant out in Ridgway?
The fastest legal way is often through a "cash for keys" agreement. If a tenant is willing to move out in exchange for a lump sum, it can save weeks or months compared to a formal eviction, and significantly reduce your overall costs.
Q2
Can I evict a tenant for any reason in Ridgway?
For a fixed-term lease, you need a lease violation (like non-payment or breach of terms). For a month-to-month tenant, Colorado does not have a statewide "just-cause" requirement, so you can typically terminate with proper 91-day notice, provided it's not for a discriminatory reason or in retaliation. Always consult an attorney if unsure.
Q3
How much notice do I have to give for non-payment of rent in Ridgway?
You must give a 10-day pay-or-quit notice for non-payment of rent. The tenant has 10 days to either pay the full amount due or vacate the property.
Q4
What if my tenant claims they can't pay due to financial hardship?
While you can sympathize, financial hardship does not negate their obligation to pay rent. You can offer a payment plan or discuss cash for keys, but if they don't comply, you still need to follow the legal eviction process. Colorado has statewide rent control rules that affect how much you can raise rent, but do not prevent eviction for non-payment.
Q5
Can I keep the security deposit for unpaid rent?
Yes, unpaid rent is a valid reason to deduct from the security deposit. However, you must still provide the tenant with a written itemized statement of deductions within 30 days of them vacating the property, as required by Colorado law.
A 4.7/10 places Ridgway in the 90th percentile of Colorado 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 Ridgway (4.7/10)
Same risk band nationally · click any city for its full breakdown.
