Chicago, IL vs Memphis, TN: Eviction Risk Comparison
Side-by-side metrics
| Metric | Chicago | Memphis |
|---|---|---|
| Landlord risk score | 6.8/10 | 4.2/10 ✓ |
| Risk tier | Elevated | Moderate |
| Population | 2,711,226 ✓ | 618,980 |
| Rent burden | 29.3% ✓ | 33.2% |
| Median gross rent | $1,440 | $1,181 ✓ |
| Renter share | 54.0% | 55.1% |
| Poverty rate | 16.8% ✓ | 22.5% |
| Eviction timeline | 109 days | 31 days ✓ |
| Avg eviction cost | $5,025-$12,916 | $964-$3,100 ✓ |
| Rent-control risk | 5.5/10 | 1.5/10 ✓ |
| Housing court bias | 6.5/10 | 4.5/10 ✓ |
✓ marks the more landlord-friendly value on each metric (lower rent burden, lower risk score, shorter timeline, cheaper process).
Which is better for landlords?
On overall landlord-risk score, Memphis, TN comes in at 4.2/10 versus 6.8/10 for Chicago, IL. Lower scores indicate faster, cheaper, more landlord-favorable conditions. The headline gap is 2.6 points.
Score is one signal. The full operator-side picture also includes rent burden (the strongest predictor of eviction filings), the structural eviction-process speed of the state, the court culture at the relevant county venue, and tenant-organizing capacity. Use the metric table above for the granular comparison and follow the city links into the dedicated landlord-risk pages for each city to see the full sub-score breakdown and statute references.
For landlords evaluating both markets
If you are deciding between an acquisition in Chicago and Memphis, the metric to anchor on is rent burden combined with eviction-process speed. A high-burden market with a fast eviction process can be operable at scale; a high-burden market with a slow process compresses NOI substantially during contested cases. The cost-and-timeline columns above price that risk for an uncontested case; contested cases run materially longer in tenant-protective jurisdictions.
The Illinois state overview and the Tennessee state overview cover the statutory frameworks (notice periods, filing fees, preemption posture, recent legislation) that shape both markets at the state level.