Estimated values: The U.S. Census suppresses field-level data for small places. Estimated from county average, pop-weighted from real underlying ACS data.
Tenant beats landlord
34.2%
/ 100 outcomes
In court-decided eviction outcomes for Shirley, IL, tenants prevail in roughly 34.2% 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
111d
filing → judgment
From the moment an unlawful-detainer notice is filed in Shirley, IL until a money judgment is entered, a contested eviction takes about 111 days on average. Longer timelines mean more lost rent and higher carry costs for landlords.
Cost range
$4.5-15.2k
legal + lost rent
A typical eviction in Shirley, IL costs landlords $4,510 to $15,196 all-in, covering court filing fees, process-server costs, attorney time, and lost rent during the calendar between filing and possession.
Average rent
$1,007
30% stretched on rent
Average gross rent in Shirley, IL is $1,007 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
38.7%
of households
38.7% of occupied housing units in Shirley, 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
14.6%
3.3% unemp.
14.6% of Shirley, IL residents live below the federal poverty line, and unemployment runs at 3.3%. 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 +4.9% (2024)
5.7
Regional political climate
County-weighted neighbor mix
5.7
State political climate
Illinois legislature & governorship
5.2
Economic stress
14.6% poverty · 3.3% unemp.
1.0
Supply constraint
$1,007 average · 38.7% renters
1.0
Rent Control risk
29.6% of income on rent
3.7
Eviction process difficulty
111 days filing → judgment
4.7
Tenant organizing strength
38.7% renters
1.0
Housing court bias
County bench composition
3.0
Geographic context
Risk heat across Shirley and the region
Click any city to see its score
How Shirley compares
Risk score vs. peers, county, state, and the U.S.
Rank in McLean County
Very Low
#17of 20 cities
#17 of 20 cities in McLean County for landlord eviction risk.
Rank in Illinois
Moderate
#706of 1,456 cities
#706 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
/ 10 · MODERATE
The verdict
A Moderate-tier market.
Composite 4/10. Mid-range market; standard documentation usually wins. The 50-year curve shows a sharp climb.
50-yr trend+2.9 over 50 yr
197620012026
Steepening since 2010 · COVID inflection visible
111d
Typical timeline
The money
What renting (and evicting) looks like.
Rent published at $1,007/mo. A contested eviction takes 111 days and costs $4,510-$15,196 per case.
50-yr trendCalendar drag rising since '15
197620012026
Court-clerk data lands in the next release.
38.7%
Renters
The renters
Who you'll be renting to.
Out of 103 residents, 38.7% rent. 30% are spending 30%+ income on rent, 14.6% 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 +4.9% (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 3, rent-control risk 3.7. Standard process speed for the state.
50-yr trendProcess difficulty +-0.3 since '00
197620012026
Court-clerk data lands in the next release.
1
Economic stress
The stress
Economic pressure is the background risk.
Economic stress: 1. Supply constraint: 1. The numbers behind those: 14.6% poverty, 3.3% 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
Shirley sits in the slow & expensive quadrant
Bubble size = population · color = risk score
Shirley · 111d · ~$9.9k all-in ($89/day) · score 4National average: 58d · $4.6k all-inHover any bubble for stats · click to openColor: 0-4 4-7 7-10
Landlording in Shirley, Illinois, presents a manageable operating environment for documented landlords. The Eviction Risk Score is 4/10 (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.
Shirley is a city of 103 residents where 38.7% of occupied units are renter-occupied, and the typical renter spends 29.6% of income on rent. At an average rent of $1,007/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 Shirley 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 Shirley closes 111 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 Shirley's timeline is usually the calendar, not the motion practice. Housing court bias scores 3/10 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 Shirley runs $4,510 to $15,196 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 111 days of typical timeline and $1,007/month in lost rent, that crossover happens fast here.
03Operations
Security deposits, screening, and lease terms
Tenant organizing strength scores 1/10 in Shirley, and the city has limited rent control exposure (3.7/10). 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 Shirley: 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 $15,196 all-in fight is the realistic worst case.
04bPractical traps
Local traps to avoid in Shirley
Trap · ILLINOIS
For state-level context, see the Illinois overview link in the guides section below. The score combines political climate, rent-to-income ratio, court bias, and tenant organizing strength under ILCS preemption + Chicago RLTO.
05FAQ
Frequently asked questions
Q1
Can I evict a tenant in Shirley without a reason?
For a month-to-month tenancy, generally yes, with proper 30-day notice, as Illinois does not have a statewide "just cause" eviction requirement. However, you cannot evict based on discriminatory reasons or in retaliation. For a fixed-term lease, you need a lease violation (like non-payment) to evict before the lease ends.
Q2
How long does it really take to evict someone in Shirley?
The typical timeline for an eviction in Illinois is 111 days. This includes the notice period, court proceedings, and the time it takes for the sheriff to execute the lockout order. It can be shorter if the tenant moves out quickly or longer if they contest the eviction.
Q3
Do I need an attorney for an eviction in Shirley?
While you can technically represent yourself, it's highly recommended to hire an attorney. The eviction process in Illinois is complex, and even minor errors can lead to significant delays and additional costs. An attorney ensures proper procedure and protects your interests.
Q4
What happens if a tenant doesn't move out after the 5-day notice?
If a tenant doesn't pay or move out after the 5-day notice expires, you must file an eviction lawsuit (Forcible Entry and Detainer) in McLean County court. You cannot physically remove them yourself. Only the sheriff can enforce a court-ordered eviction.
Q5
Is there a limit on how much I can charge for a security deposit in Shirley?
No, Illinois state law does not impose a statutory cap on security deposits. However, it's generally advisable to charge no more than 1-2 months' rent to remain competitive and attract tenants.
A 4/10 places Shirley in the 54th 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 Shirley (4/10)
Same risk band nationally · click any city for its full breakdown.
