In court-decided eviction outcomes for Wyoming, DE, tenants prevail in roughly 28.1% 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
61d
filing → judgment
From the moment an unlawful-detainer notice is filed in Wyoming, DE until a money judgment is entered, a contested eviction takes about 61 days on average. Longer timelines mean more lost rent and higher carry costs for landlords.
Cost range
$2.6–6.9k
legal + lost rent
A typical eviction in Wyoming, DE costs landlords $2,607 to $6,900 all-in, covering court filing fees, process-server costs, attorney time, and lost rent during the calendar between filing and possession.
Average rent
$1,558
30% stretched on rent
Average gross rent in Wyoming, DE is $1,558 per month per the U.S. Census American Community Survey (5-year 2023). 30% of renter households here spend more than 30% of pre-tax income on rent, the federal cost-burden threshold.
Renters
31.0%
of households
31.0% of occupied housing units in Wyoming, DE 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
14.5%
13.1% unemp.
14.5% of Wyoming, DE residents live below the federal poverty line, and unemployment runs at 13.1%. 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 +2.0% (2024)
5.7
Regional political climate
County-weighted neighbor mix
5.7
State political climate
Delaware legislature & governorship
3.2
Economic stress
14.5% poverty · 13.1% unemp.
8.0
Supply constraint
$1,558 average · 31.0% renters
7.6
Rent Control risk
29.5% of income on rent
6.2
Eviction process difficulty
61 days filing → judgment
3.2
Tenant organizing strength
31.0% renters
7.2
Housing court bias
County bench composition
6.4
Geographic context
Risk heat across Wyoming and the region
Click any city to see its score
How Wyoming compares
Risk score vs. peers, county, state, and the U.S.
Rank in Kent County
Very High
#3of 26 cities
#3 of 26 cities in Kent County for landlord eviction risk.
Rank in Delaware
High
#9of 79 cities
#9 of 79 cities in Delaware for landlord eviction risk.
vs. county · state · U.S.
Score story
Six-stop tour of the risk profile
4.6
/ 10 · MODERATE
The verdict
A Moderate-tier market.
Composite 4.6/10. Mid-range market; standard documentation usually wins. The 50-year curve shows a sharp climb.
50-yr trend+2.1 over 50 yr
197620012026
Steepening since 2010 · COVID inflection visible
61d
Typical timeline
The money
What renting (and evicting) looks like.
Rent published at $1,558/mo. A contested eviction takes 61 days and costs $2,607–$6,900 per case.
50-yr trendCalendar drag rising since '15
197620012026
Court-clerk data lands in the next release.
31.0%
Renters
The renters
Who you'll be renting to.
Out of 2,000 residents, 31.0% rent. 30% are spending 30%+ income on rent, 14.5% below the poverty line.
50-yr trendRenter share rising
197620012026
ACS 1970-present · once the migration overlay is in.
5.7
Local + regional
The politics
Mid-range climate. Not a coastal market.
Local & regional political climate score 5.7 and 5.7 (Dem margin +2.0% (2024)). State climate at 3.2, a mid-range statehouse.
50-yr trendTracks county vote margin
197620012026
Built on 50-yr presidential margins back to 1976.
3.2
State politics
The process
Moderate calendar, moderate friction.
State political climate 3.2/10 sets the legislative ceiling for landlord remedies, and it shows up in the process. Eviction process difficulty reads 3.2, housing court bias 6.4, rent-control risk 6.2. Standard process speed for the state.
50-yr trendProcess difficulty +-1.8 since '00
197620012026
Court-clerk data lands in the next release.
8
Economic stress
The stress
Economic pressure is the real risk.
Economic stress: 8. Supply constraint: 7.6. The numbers behind those: 14.5% poverty, 13.1% unemployment, 30% of income on rent.
50-yr trendTwo visible dips · '08 + COVID
197620012026
Mirrors BLS unemployment series.
US eviction landscape · timeline × all-in cost
Wyoming sits in the slow & expensive quadrant
Bubble size = population · color = risk score
Wyoming · 61d · ~$4.8k all-in ($78/day) · score 4.6National average: 58d · $4.6k all-inHover any bubble for stats · click to openColor: 0–4 4–7 7–10
Landlording in Wyoming, Delaware, presents a manageable operating environment for documented landlords. The Eviction Risk Score is 4.6/10 (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.
Wyoming is a city of 2,000 residents where 31.0% of occupied units are renter-occupied, and the typical renter spends 29.5% of income on rent. At an average rent of $1,558/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 Wyoming eviction process actually works
Eviction process difficulty here reads 3.2/10, 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 Wyoming closes 61 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 Wyoming's timeline is usually the calendar, not the motion practice. Housing court bias scores 6.4/10 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 Wyoming runs $2,607 to $6,900 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 61 days of typical timeline and $1,558/month in lost rent, that crossover happens fast here.
03Operations
Security deposits, screening, and lease terms
Tenant organizing strength scores 7.2/10 in Wyoming, and the city carries meaningful rent control exposure (6.2/10). 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 Delaware, 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 Wyoming: 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 Delaware's statutory language. Fix those four, and most cases settle or default. Skip them, and a $6,900 all-in fight is the realistic worst case.
04bPractical traps
Local traps to avoid in Wyoming
Trap · 4.1 POINTS
Politically, Kent County voted Democratic by 4.1 points in 2020, a baseline that correlates with tenant-protective legislative pressure. Combined with 29.5% rent-to-income ratio, expect active enforcement of 25 Del. Code 53 DRLTC.
04Eviction filings
Live filings tracking · Eviction Lab
Princeton Eviction Lab Tracking System, state-level (no county tracker available). Last update 2026-05-01.
In the most recent month, 805 eviction cases were filed across the tracker's coverage area, 0.96× the historical baseline (below baseline). Past 12 months: 10,444 filings. Pandemic-era cumulative: 62,435.
805Past month
10,444Past 12 months
0.96×vs baseline (past mo)
33.4%Repeat-tenant filings
Notice requirement: at least five days notice (in some cases more). Filing fee: $45 filing fee.
Last 36 months of filings2023-05-01 – 2026-04-01
Filings dropped 6% over the past 12 months.
Source: Eviction Lab Tracking System, Princeton University. Open Data Commons Attribution license.
05FAQ
Frequently asked questions
Q1
What's the absolute fastest I can get a tenant out for non-payment in Wyoming, DE?
Even with a perfect process, you're looking at a minimum of around 61 days. That includes the 5-day notice, court process, and subsequent orders. There's no "instant" eviction in Delaware. Attempting to speed it up by illegal means will only backfire.
Q2
Can I charge whatever late fee I want in Wyoming, DE?
No. Delaware law limits late fees to 5% of the monthly rent. For a average rent of $1,558, that's a maximum late fee of $77.90. Anything higher is unenforceable and could cause issues in court. Make sure your lease reflects this.
Q3
Do I need a lawyer for an eviction in Wyoming, DE?
While you can represent yourself in Justice of the Peace Court, it's highly recommended to have an attorney, especially given the 6.5/10 eviction risk score. The eviction process has specific legal requirements, and even small errors can lead to delays or dismissal of your case. An attorney ensures proper procedure and can navigate tenant defenses.
Q4
What if my tenant damages the property beyond the security deposit amount?
If the damages exceed the security deposit, you can sue the tenant in Justice of the Peace Court for the additional amount. However, collecting on such a judgment can be difficult if the tenant has no assets or income to garnish. Good screening and thorough move-in/move-out inspections with photos are crucial.
Q5
Are there any statewide tenant protections I should know about in Delaware?
Yes. Beyond the Residential Landlord-Tenant Code, be aware of protections against discrimination (Fair Housing Act), and rules regarding retaliatory evictions. For a full picture, review Delaware tenant protections. While Wyoming doesn't have local just-cause requirements, state law still sets boundaries on what you can and can't do.
A 4.6/10 places Wyoming in the 96th percentile of Delaware 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 Wyoming (4.6/10)
Same risk band nationally · click any city for its full breakdown.
