In court-decided eviction outcomes for Marengo, IL, tenants prevail in roughly 39.1% 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
109d
filing → judgment
From the moment an unlawful-detainer notice is filed in Marengo, IL until a money judgment is entered, a contested eviction takes about 109 days on average. Longer timelines mean more lost rent and higher carry costs for landlords.
Cost range
$4.4-12.4k
legal + lost rent
A typical eviction in Marengo, IL costs landlords $4,412 to $12,376 all-in, covering court filing fees, process-server costs, attorney time, and lost rent during the calendar between filing and possession.
Average rent
$1,176
40% stretched on rent
Average gross rent in Marengo, IL is $1,176 per month per the U.S. Census American Community Survey (5-year 2023). 40% of renter households here spend more than 30% of pre-tax income on rent, the federal cost-burden threshold.
Renters
36.9%
of households
36.9% of occupied housing units in Marengo, 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
15.6%
8.8% unemp.
15.6% of Marengo, IL residents live below the federal poverty line, and unemployment runs at 8.8%. 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
GOP margin +5.3% (2024)
5.4
Regional political climate
County-weighted neighbor mix
5.4
State political climate
Illinois legislature & governorship
5.2
Economic stress
15.6% poverty · 8.8% unemp.
7.7
Supply constraint
$1,176 average · 36.9% renters
6.6
Rent Control risk
40.1% of income on rent
7.9
Eviction process difficulty
109 days filing → judgment
4.7
Tenant organizing strength
36.9% renters
6.7
Housing court bias
County bench composition
7.4
Geographic context
Risk heat across Marengo and the region
Click any city to see its score
How Marengo compares
Risk score vs. peers, county, state, and the U.S.
Rank in McHenry County
High
#6of 42 cities
#6 of 42 cities in McHenry County for landlord eviction risk.
Rank in Illinois
Elevated
#382of 1,456 cities
#382 of 1,456 cities in Illinois for landlord eviction risk.
vs. county · state · U.S.
Score story
Six-stop tour of the risk profile
4.9
/ 10 · MODERATE
The verdict
A Moderate-tier market.
Composite 4.9/10. Mid-range market; standard documentation usually wins. The 50-year curve shows a sharp climb.
50-yr trend+3.2 over 50 yr
197620012026
Steepening since 2010 · COVID inflection visible
109d
Typical timeline
The money
What renting (and evicting) looks like.
Rent published at $1,176/mo. A contested eviction takes 109 days and costs $4,412-$12,376 per case.
50-yr trendCalendar drag rising since '15
197620012026
Court-clerk data lands in the next release.
36.9%
Renters
The renters
Who you'll be renting to.
Out of 7,040 residents, 36.9% rent. 40% are spending 30%+ income on rent, 15.6% below the poverty line.
50-yr trendRenter share rising
197620012026
ACS 1970-present · once the migration overlay is in.
5.4
Local + regional
The politics
Mid-range climate. Not a coastal market.
Local & regional political climate score 5.4 and 5.4 (GOP margin +5.3% (2024)). State climate at 5.2, a 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 it shows up in the process. Eviction process difficulty reads 4.7, housing court bias 7.4, rent-control risk 7.9. Standard process speed for the state.
50-yr trendProcess difficulty +-0.3 since '00
197620012026
Court-clerk data lands in the next release.
7.7
Economic stress
The stress
Economic pressure is the background risk.
Economic stress: 7.7. Supply constraint: 6.6. The numbers behind those: 15.6% poverty, 8.8% unemployment, 40% of income on rent.
50-yr trendTwo visible dips · '08 + COVID
197620012026
Mirrors BLS unemployment series.
US eviction landscape · timeline × all-in cost
Marengo sits in the slow & expensive quadrant
Bubble size = population · color = risk score
Marengo · 109d · ~$8.4k all-in ($77/day) · score 4.9National average: 58d · $4.6k all-inHover any bubble for stats · click to openColor: 0-4 4-7 7-10
Landlording in Marengo, Illinois, presents a manageable operating environment for documented landlords. The Eviction Risk Score is 4.9/10 (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.
Marengo is a city of 7,040 residents where 36.9% of occupied units are renter-occupied, and the typical renter spends 40.1% of income on rent. At an average rent of $1,176/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 Marengo 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 Marengo closes 109 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 Marengo's timeline is usually the calendar, not the motion practice. Housing court bias scores 7.4/10 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 Marengo runs $4,412 to $12,376 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 109 days of typical timeline and $1,176/month in lost rent, that crossover happens fast here.
03Operations
Security deposits, screening, and lease terms
Tenant organizing strength scores 6.7/10 in Marengo, and the city carries meaningful rent control exposure (7.9/10). 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 Illinois, 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 Marengo: 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 Illinois's statutory language. Fix those four, and most cases settle or default. Skip them, and a $12,376 all-in fight is the realistic worst case.
04bPractical traps
Local traps to avoid in Marengo
Trap · 15.6%
Local poverty rate is 15.6%, and the rent-burden distribution skews the eviction-filings curve toward higher volume in McHenry County. Rent-control-risk sub-score: 7.9/10. Tenant organizing is most active in the rental concentration corridors.
05FAQ
Frequently asked questions
Q1
What if my Marengo tenant pays some rent after the 5-day notice?
Do NOT accept partial payment if you intend to proceed with the eviction. Accepting any amount, even a small one, can void your 5-day notice and force you to start the entire process over. It resets the clock and costs you more time and money. Stick to the notice: pay in full or quit.
Q2
How long does it really take to get a tenant out in Marengo?
The average is 109 days. That's over three months. This includes the notice period, court filings, hearings, and potentially waiting for the sheriff to perform a lockout. It's rarely faster, often longer if the tenant fights it aggressively or the court calendar is backed up. Plan for the long haul.
Q3
Can I just change the locks if my tenant won't leave?
Absolutely not. This is an illegal "self-help" eviction in Illinois. You could face serious penalties, including financial damages to the tenant and even criminal charges. You must follow the court process to legally regain possession of your property. No exceptions.
Q4
Do I need a lawyer for an eviction in Marengo?
While you can technically represent yourself, it's highly recommended to hire an attorney specializing in landlord-tenant law. The Illinois eviction process has specific rules and procedures that are easy to mess up, leading to costly delays or dismissal of your case. Given the high costs and long timelines, a lawyer is an investment to protect your property and income.
Q5
What if my Marengo tenant claims financial hardship?
Illinois law does not currently have statewide just-cause eviction requirements based on financial hardship, nor does it have an eviction moratorium in place. While judges may be sympathetic, if you have followed all legal steps, you are generally entitled to possession. However, this is where "cash for keys" can be a good option, it offers the tenant a way out while saving you time and money.
A 4.9/10 places Marengo in the 76th 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 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 Marengo (4.9/10)
Same risk band nationally · click any city for its full breakdown.
