In court-decided eviction outcomes for Countryside, IL, tenants prevail in roughly 36.5% 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
114d
filing → judgment
From the moment an unlawful-detainer notice is filed in Countryside, IL until a money judgment is entered, a contested eviction takes about 114 days on average. Longer timelines mean more lost rent and higher carry costs for landlords.
Cost range
$4.4–14.8k
legal + lost rent
A typical eviction in Countryside, IL costs landlords $4,397 to $14,819 all-in — court filing fees, process-server costs, attorney time, and lost rent during the calendar between filing and possession.
Average rent
$1,180
23% stretched on rent
Median gross rent in Countryside, IL is $1,180 per month per the U.S. Census American Community Survey (5-year 2023). 23% of renter households here spend more than 30% of pre-tax income on rent — the federal cost-burden threshold.
Renters
28.0%
of households
28.0% of occupied housing units in Countryside, IL 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
8.8%
6.0% unemp.
8.8% of Countryside, IL residents live below the federal poverty line, and unemployment runs at 6.0%. 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 +42.0% (2024)
6.3
Regional political climate
County-weighted neighbor mix
6.3
State political climate
Illinois legislature & governorship
5.2
Economic stress
8.8% poverty · 6.0% unemp.
6.0
Supply constraint
$1,180 average · 28.0% renters
6.8
Rent Control risk
23.2% of income on rent
3.5
Eviction process difficulty
114 days filing → judgment
4.7
Tenant organizing strength
28.0% renters
6.3
Housing court bias
County bench composition
4.1
Geographic context
Risk heat across Countryside and the region
Click any city to see its score
How Countryside compares
Risk score vs. peers, county, state, and the U.S.
Rank in Cook County
Low
#79of 115 cities
#79 of 115 cities in Cook County for landlord eviction risk.
Rank in Illinois
Elevated
#394of 1,456 cities
#394 of 1,456 cities in Illinois for landlord eviction risk.
vs. county · state · U.S.
Score story
Six-stop tour of the risk profile
5.3
/ 10 · MODERATE
The verdict
A Moderate-tier market.
Composite 5.3/10. Mid-range market; standard documentation usually wins. The 50-year curve shows a sharp climb.
50-yr trend+3.7 over 50 yr
197620012026
Steepening since 2010 · COVID inflection visible
114d
Typical timeline
The money
What renting (and evicting) looks like.
Rent published at $1,180/mo. A contested eviction takes 114 days and costs $4,397–$14,819 per case.
50-yr trendCalendar drag rising since '15
197620012026
Court-clerk data lands in the next release.
28.0%
Renters
The renters
Who you'll be renting to.
Out of 6,267 residents, 28.0% rent. 23% are spending 30%+ income on rent, 8.8% below the poverty line.
50-yr trendRenter share rising
197620012026
ACS 1970-present · once the migration overlay is in.
6.3
Local + regional
The politics
Mid-range climate. Not a coastal market.
Local & regional political climate score 6.3 and 6.3 (Dem margin +42.0% (2024)). State climate at 5.2 — mid-range statehouse.
50-yr trendTracks county vote margin
197620012026
Built on 50-yr presidential margins back to 1976.
5.2
State politics
The process
Moderate calendar, moderate friction.
State political climate 5.2/10 sets the legislative ceiling for landlord remedies — and shows up in process. Eviction process difficulty reads 4.7, housing court bias 4.1, rent-control risk 3.5. Standard process speed for the state.
50-yr trendProcess difficulty +-0.3 since '00
197620012026
Court-clerk data lands in the next release.
6.0
Economic stress
The stress
Economic pressure is the background risk.
Economic stress: 6.0. Supply constraint: 6.8. The numbers behind those: 8.8% poverty, 6.0% unemployment, 23% of income on rent.
50-yr trendTwo visible dips · '08 + COVID
197620012026
Mirrors BLS unemployment series.
US eviction landscape · timeline × all-in cost
Countryside sits in the slow & expensive quadrant
Bubble size = population · color = risk score
Countryside · 114d · ~$9.6k all-in ($84/day) · score 5.3National average: 58d · $4.6k all-inHover any bubble for stats · click to openColor: 0–4 4–7 7–10
Landlording in Countryside, Illinois, presents a manageable operating environment for documented landlords. The Eviction Risk Score is 5.3/10 (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.
Countryside is a city of 6,267 residents where 28.0% of occupied units are renter-occupied, and the typical renter spends 23.2% of income on rent. At an average rent of $1,180/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 Countryside eviction process actually works
Eviction process difficulty here reads 4.7/10 — 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 Countryside closes 114 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 Countryside's timeline is usually the calendar, not the motion practice. Housing court bias scores 4.1/10 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 Countryside runs $4,397 to $14,819 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 114 days of typical timeline and $1,180/month in lost rent, that crossover happens fast here.
03Operations
Security deposits, screening, and lease terms
Tenant organizing strength scores 6.3/10 in Countryside, and the city has limited rent control exposure (3.5/10). 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 Illinois, 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 Countryside: 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 — 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 Illinois's statutory language. Fix those four, and most cases settle or default. Skip them, and a $14,819 all-in fight is the realistic worst case.
04bPractical traps
Local traps to avoid in Countryside
Trap · 18.1 POINTS
Politically, DuPage County voted Democratic by 18.1 points in 2020, a baseline that correlates with tenant-protective legislative pressure. Combined with 23.2% rent-to-income ratio, expect baseline enforcement of ILCS preemption + Chicago RLTO.
05FAQ
Frequently asked questions
Q1
What's the absolute fastest I can get a tenant out for non-payment in Countryside?
The fastest you can realistically expect is around 30-45 days if everything goes perfectly—meaning the tenant leaves after the 5-day notice and you don't need to file in court. Once you file, the 114-day average timeline kicks in. Don't count on anything under a month.
Q2
Can I evict a tenant in Countryside without a lawyer?
Technically, yes, you can represent yourself. However, it's highly advised against. The Illinois eviction process has specific legal requirements for notices, filings, and court procedures. One small error can get your case dismissed, costing you weeks or months and forcing you to restart. Given the typical cost range, an attorney is usually a wise investment.
Q3
Is Countryside landlord-friendly or tenant-friendly?
Countryside, like most of Illinois, leans moderately tenant-friendly compared to some other states. The 5-day notice period for non-payment is relatively short, which is a plus for landlords. However, the state has strong tenant protections, including source-of-income protection and no self-help evictions. Our housing-court-bias sub-score for Illinois is 4.1/10, suggesting a slight leaning towards tenants in court.
Q4
What if my tenant refuses to leave after the court orders an eviction?
If the court grants an order of possession and the tenant still won't leave, you'll need to involve the DuPage County Sheriff's office. They will serve a notice to vacate and, if necessary, physically remove the tenant and their belongings. This is a final step, but it’s the only legal way to enforce the eviction order. Do NOT try to remove them yourself.
Q5
How much notice do I need to give to raise rent in Countryside?
Illinois law requires landlords to give at least 30 days' written notice for rent increases on month-to-month tenancies. For fixed-term leases, you can only raise the rent at the end of the lease term, and it's good practice to provide at least 30-60 days' notice before the renewal period. Keep good records of when and how you sent the notice.
Q6
Can I charge late fees on rent in Countryside?
Yes, you can charge late fees, but they must be reasonable and clearly stated in your lease agreement. Illinois law generally caps late fees at $10 for the first $500 of monthly rent, plus 5% of the amount exceeding $500. So, for a $1,180 rent, it would be $10 + 5% of $680 ($34) for a total of $44. Don't try to charge exorbitant fees; courts will strike them down.
A 5.3/10 places Countryside in the 73th percentile of Illinois 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 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.
Neighborhoods in Countryside (1 with eviction-risk data)
Click a neighborhood to see its pop-weighted score, constituent census tracts, and demographics. Sorted by population.
