Estimated values: The U.S. Census suppresses field-level data for small places. Estimated from constituent census tracts — pop-weighted from real underlying ACS data.
Tenant beats landlord
9.1%
/ 100 outcomes
In court-decided eviction outcomes for Sun Valley, ID, tenants prevail in roughly 9.1% of contested cases. A higher number means landlords face stronger tenant defenses, longer calendars, and more required documentation — landlord-friendliness drops as this rises.
Timeline
26d
filing → judgment
From the moment an unlawful-detainer notice is filed in Sun Valley, ID until a money judgment is entered, a contested eviction takes about 26 days on average. Longer timelines mean more lost rent and higher carry costs for landlords.
Cost range
$0.9–2.8k
legal + lost rent
A typical eviction in Sun Valley, ID costs landlords $905 to $2,832 all-in — court filing fees, process-server costs, attorney time, and lost rent during the calendar between filing and possession.
Average rent
$1,916
9% stretched on rent
Median gross rent in Sun Valley, ID is $1,916 per month per the U.S. Census American Community Survey (5-year 2023). 9% of renter households here spend more than 30% of pre-tax income on rent — the federal cost-burden threshold.
Renters
9.4%
of households
9.4% of occupied housing units in Sun Valley, ID 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
6.6%
3.7% unemp.
6.6% of Sun Valley, ID residents live below the federal poverty line, and unemployment runs at 3.7%. 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 +31.7% (2024)
3.4
Regional political climate
County-weighted neighbor mix
3.4
State political climate
Idaho legislature & governorship
1.6
Economic stress
6.6% poverty · 3.7% unemp.
2.4
Supply constraint
$1,916 average · 9.4% renters
5.9
Rent Control risk
9.0% of income on rent
2.9
Eviction process difficulty
26 days filing → judgment
1.6
Tenant organizing strength
9.4% renters
2.3
Housing court bias
County bench composition
3.4
Geographic context
Risk heat across Sun Valley and the region
Click any city to see its score
How Sun Valley compares
Risk score vs. peers, county, state, and the U.S.
Rank in Blaine County
Low
#5of 7 cities
#5 of 7 cities in Blaine County for landlord eviction risk.
Rank in Idaho
Low
#164of 236 cities
#164 of 236 cities in Idaho for landlord eviction risk.
vs. county · state · U.S.
Score story
Six-stop tour of the risk profile
2.8
/ 10 · LOW
The verdict
A Low-tier market.
Composite 2.8/10. Mid-range market; standard documentation usually wins. The 50-year curve shows a slow, steady climb.
50-yr trend+1.3 over 50 yr
197620012026
Steady ratchet · no large swings
26d
Typical timeline
The money
What renting (and evicting) looks like.
Rent published at $1,916/mo. A contested eviction takes 26 days and costs $905–$2,832 per case.
50-yr trendCalendar drag rising since '15
197620012026
Court-clerk data lands in the next release.
9.4%
Renters
The renters
Who you'll be renting to.
Out of 1,460 residents, 9.4% rent. 9% are spending 30%+ income on rent, 6.6% below the poverty line.
50-yr trendRenter share rising
197620012026
ACS 1970-present · once the migration overlay is in.
3.4
Local + regional
The politics
Light-statute interior market.
Local & regional political climate score 3.4 and 3.4 (Dem margin +31.7% (2024)). State climate at 1.6 — mid-range statehouse.
50-yr trendTracks county vote margin
197620012026
Built on 50-yr presidential margins back to 1976.
1.6
State politics
The process
Moderate calendar, moderate friction.
State political climate 1.6/10 sets the legislative ceiling for landlord remedies — and shows up in process. Eviction process difficulty reads 1.6, housing court bias 3.4, rent-control risk 2.9. Standard process speed for the state.
50-yr trendProcess difficulty +-3.4 since '00
197620012026
Court-clerk data lands in the next release.
2.4
Economic stress
The stress
Economic pressure is the background risk.
Economic stress: 2.4. Supply constraint: 5.9. The numbers behind those: 6.6% poverty, 3.7% unemployment, 9% of income on rent.
50-yr trendTwo visible dips · '08 + COVID
197620012026
Mirrors BLS unemployment series.
US eviction landscape · timeline × all-in cost
Sun Valley sits in the quick & cheap quadrant
Bubble size = population · color = risk score
Sun Valley · 26d · ~$1.9k all-in ($72/day) · score 2.8National average: 58d · $4.6k all-inHover any bubble for stats · click to openColor: 0–4 4–7 7–10
Landlording in Sun Valley, Idaho, presents a manageable operating environment for documented landlords. The Eviction Risk Score is 2.8/10 (LOW 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.
Sun Valley is a city of 1,460 residents where 9.4% of occupied units are renter-occupied, and the typical renter spends 9.0% of income on rent. At an average rent of $1,916/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 Sun Valley eviction process actually works
Eviction process difficulty here reads 1.6/10 — 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 Sun Valley closes 26 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 Sun Valley's timeline is usually the calendar, not the motion practice. Housing court bias scores 3.4/10 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 Sun Valley runs $905 to $2,832 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 26 days of typical timeline and $1,916/month in lost rent, that crossover happens fast here.
03Operations
Security deposits, screening, and lease terms
Tenant organizing strength scores 2.3/10 in Sun Valley, and the city has limited rent control exposure (2.9/10). Operations practice that survives audit in this environment looks like:
Screening discipline. Document income (verified at 2.5–3x 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 Idaho, deposit cap and refund window are statute — exceed 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 Sun Valley: 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 LOW tier market. If you own five or more: build relationships with a local landlord-side attorney before you need one — 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 Idaho's statutory language. Fix those four, and most cases settle or default. Skip them, and a $2,832 all-in fight is the realistic worst case.
04bPractical traps
Local traps to avoid in Sun Valley
Trap · PRACTICAL TRAP
Compare Sun Valley to neighboring cities in Camas County via the grid below. The 2.8/10 score is computed from nine sub-factors plus a state-law multiplier under Idaho Code 6-303. Camas County 2020 presidential margin: R+47.5. Cross-reference the state overview link in the guides section for Idaho statutory detail.
05FAQ
Frequently asked questions
Q1
What if my tenant damages the property beyond the security deposit?
If the damage exceeds the security deposit, you can sue the tenant in small claims court for the additional amount. Keep detailed records, photos, and repair estimates to support your claim.
Q2
Can I change the locks if the tenant doesn't pay rent?
No. Absolutely not. This is an illegal self-help eviction and can lead to severe penalties. You must follow the legal eviction process through the courts.
Q3
Do I need a lawyer for an eviction in Sun Valley?
While Idaho's process is relatively straightforward, a lawyer is highly recommended if the tenant contests the eviction, you're dealing with complex lease violations, or you're unsure about legal procedures. It minimizes errors and speeds up the process.
Q4
Is there rent control in Sun Valley or Idaho?
No, there is no statewide rent control in Idaho, and specifically not in Sun Valley. This means you are generally free to set market rates and raise rent with proper notice. For more, consult our Idaho rent control rules.
Q5
What are my responsibilities for repairs during an eviction?
Even if you're evicting a tenant, you still have a responsibility to maintain a habitable property until they officially vacate. Neglecting repairs can give the tenant a defense in court. See our Idaho tenant protections for more details.
A 2.8/10 places Sun Valley in the 32th percentile of Idaho cities on the Eviction Risk Score index. The score is the average of the nine sub-axes, all calibrated on a national 1–10 scale where 1 is most landlord-friendly and 10 is most tenant-protective. The 50-year reconstruction shows this score has climbed steadily 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 Sun Valley (2.8/10)
Same risk band nationally · click any city for its full breakdown.
