DuPage County, Illinois Eviction Risk: Moderate

DuPage County carries a 4.3/10 Moderate eviction-risk score across its 31 cities, placing it at rank 17 of 102 Illinois counties, meaning 16 counties carry more risk and 85 are friendlier to landlords. That puts DuPage solidly in the higher-risk third of the state, even though the county as a whole is suburban and relatively prosperous. With an average rent of $1,728, a rent-burden rate of 28.3%, and a renter share of just 26.3%, the tenant pool skews toward working households that own more than they rent, which moderates systemic stress, but it does not eliminate it.

The headline score of 4.3/10 is a county-wide average, and that number conceals a meaningful spread. Individual cities range from 4.4 at the low end to 5.6 at the top, a 1.2-point gap wide enough to change how you should think about lease terms, screening standards, and reserves. Investors who treat DuPage as a monolithic market will misprice risk, especially on the north and west edges of the county where conditions tighten.

The cities inside DuPage County

West Chicago is the highest-risk city in the county at 4.9/10. With a population of 36,732, it is a mid-size suburb where rent-burden pressure and tenant-turnover dynamics push risk above the county average by nearly a full point. Bartlett follows at 4.1/10 (population 40,501), and Oakbrook Terrace checks in at 4.4/10. Landlords evaluating properties in these communities should budget for longer resolution timelines and tighter cash-flow cushions than the county average implies.

On the more stable end, Elmhurst scores 4.5/10, while Naperville, Wheaton, Downers Grove, and Lombard each score 4.4/10. Naperville, the county's largest city at a population of 150,692, scores well below the county average, reflecting its higher household incomes and lower renter concentration. The breadth of this intra-county spread underscores that risk in DuPage is hyper-local: a two-mile difference in address can shift expected eviction frequency and cost considerably.

State-level laws that apply here

Illinois governs evictions through 735 ILCS 5/9 (Forcible Entry and Detainer). For nonpayment of rent, landlords must first deliver a 5-day notice under 735 ILCS 5/9-209. A material lease violation requires a 10-day notice under 735 ILCS 5/9-210. Month-to-month holdovers require 30 days under 735 ILCS 5/9-207, and fixed-term leases that simply expire require no advance notice under 735 ILCS 5/9-205. Once filed, an uncontested case typically resolves in 30 to 60 days; a contested case can stretch to 60 to 150 days.

Out-of-pocket costs under the Illinois eviction process range from $200 to $400 for court filing, $60 to $200 for sheriff lockout, and $750 to $3,500 for attorney fees. Reviewing Illinois eviction costs before signing a lease in any DuPage city is a sound practice. On broader tenant policy, Illinois does not require just cause for non-renewal, and state law preempts local rent-control ordinances, so no DuPage municipality can impose rent caps. Source-of-income is a protected class under the Illinois Department of Human Rights, however, which affects how landlords may respond to voucher applicants. Understanding Illinois tenant protections and Illinois security deposit limits, both governed at the state level, is essential groundwork before you collect a first month's check in any of these communities.

DuPage County's 6.2% poverty rate is among the lowest in Illinois, and with renters making up only 26.3% of households, the tenant pool is smaller and generally more financially stable than in Cook County neighbors, but the city-level variance shown in the grid above means location selection within the county still drives returns more than any county-wide average suggests.