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
35.9%
/ 100 outcomes
In court-decided eviction outcomes for Edgington, IL, tenants prevail in roughly 35.9% 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
124d
filing → judgment
From the moment an unlawful-detainer notice is filed in Edgington, IL until a money judgment is entered, a contested eviction takes about 124 days on average. Longer timelines mean more lost rent and higher carry costs for landlords.
Cost range
$5.4–12.0k
legal + lost rent
A typical eviction in Edgington, IL costs landlords $5,439 to $11,997 all-in, covering court filing fees, process-server costs, attorney time, and lost rent during the calendar between filing and possession.
Average rent
$810
26% stretched on rent
Average gross rent in Edgington, IL is $810 per month per the U.S. Census American Community Survey (5-year 2023). 26% of renter households here spend more than 30% of pre-tax income on rent, the federal cost-burden threshold.
Renters
34.0%
of households
34.0% of occupied housing units in Edgington, 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
11.0%
4.2% unemp.
11.0% of Edgington, IL residents live below the federal poverty line, and unemployment runs at 4.2%. 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 +27.1% (2024)
4.4
Regional political climate
County-weighted neighbor mix
4.4
State political climate
Illinois legislature & governorship
5.2
Economic stress
11.0% poverty · 4.2% unemp.
5.8
Supply constraint
$810 average · 34.0% renters
5.9
Rent Control risk
26.1% of income on rent
1.2
Eviction process difficulty
124 days filing → judgment
4.6
Tenant organizing strength
34.0% renters
8.4
Housing court bias
County bench composition
3.4
Geographic context
Risk heat across Edgington and the region
Click any city to see its score
How Edgington compares
Risk score vs. peers, county, state, and the U.S.
Rank in Mercer County
Moderate
#9of 16 cities
#9 of 16 cities in Mercer County for landlord eviction risk.
Rank in Illinois
Moderate
#717of 1,456 cities
#717 of 1,456 cities in Illinois for landlord eviction risk.
vs. county · state · U.S.
Score story
Six-stop tour of the risk profile
4.1
/ 10 · MODERATE
The verdict
A Moderate-tier market.
Composite 4.1/10. Mid-range market; standard documentation usually wins. The 50-year curve shows a sharp climb.
50-yr trend+2.2 over 50 yr
197620012026
Steepening since 2010 · COVID inflection visible
124d
Typical timeline
The money
What renting (and evicting) looks like.
Rent published at $810/mo. A contested eviction takes 124 days and costs $5,439–$11,997 per case.
50-yr trendCalendar drag rising since '15
197620012026
Court-clerk data lands in the next release.
34.0%
Renters
The renters
Who you'll be renting to.
Out of 390 residents, 34.0% rent. 26% are spending 30%+ income on rent, 11.0% below the poverty line.
50-yr trendRenter share rising
197620012026
ACS 1970-present · once the migration overlay is in.
4.4
Local + regional
The politics
Mid-range climate. Not a coastal market.
Local & regional political climate score 4.4 and 4.4 (GOP margin +27.1% (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 4.6, housing court bias 3.4, rent-control risk 1.2. Standard process speed for the state.
50-yr trendProcess difficulty +-0.4 since '00
197620012026
Court-clerk data lands in the next release.
5.8
Economic stress
The stress
Economic pressure is the background risk.
Economic stress: 5.8. Supply constraint: 5.9. The numbers behind those: 11.0% poverty, 4.2% unemployment, 26% of income on rent.
50-yr trendTwo visible dips · '08 + COVID
197620012026
Mirrors BLS unemployment series.
US eviction landscape · timeline × all-in cost
Edgington sits in the slow & expensive quadrant
Bubble size = population · color = risk score
Edgington · 124d · ~$8.7k all-in ($70/day) · score 4.1National average: 58d · $4.6k all-inHover any bubble for stats · click to openColor: 0–4 4–7 7–10
Landlording in Edgington, Illinois, presents a manageable operating environment for documented landlords. The Eviction Risk Score is 4.1/10 (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.
Edgington is a city of 390 residents where 34.0% of occupied units are renter-occupied, and the typical renter spends 26.1% of income on rent. At an average rent of $810/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 Edgington eviction process actually works
Eviction process difficulty here reads 4.6/10, 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 Edgington closes 124 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 Edgington'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 Edgington runs $5,439 to $11,997 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 124 days of typical timeline and $810/month in lost rent, that crossover happens fast here.
03Operations
Security deposits, screening, and lease terms
Tenant organizing strength scores 8.4/10 in Edgington, and the city has limited rent control exposure (1.2/10). 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 Edgington: 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 $11,997 all-in fight is the realistic worst case.
04bPractical traps
Local traps to avoid in Edgington
Trap · ILCS PREEMPTION + CHICAGO RLTO
The 4.7/10 score weighs nine sub-factors. The most relevant for landlords are court bias, eviction process difficulty, and supply constraint. See the sub-score breakdown above. State-level framework: ILCS preemption + Chicago RLTO.
05FAQ
Frequently asked questions
Q1
What if my Edgington tenant tries to pay after the 5-day notice?
If they pay the full amount within the 5 days, you must accept it and the tenancy continues. If they offer a partial payment after the 5 days but before you've filed in court, it's generally best to refuse it to avoid voiding your notice. Once you've filed in court, accepting any payment can complicate your case. Consult your attorney immediately if this happens.
Q2
Can I evict a tenant in Edgington for reasons other than non-payment?
Yes, Illinois law (735 ILCS 5/9) allows for evictions based on lease violations or termination of a month-to-month tenancy. For a month-to-month, you'll need to give a 30-day notice. For lease violations (e.g., unauthorized pets, property damage), the notice period depends on the specific lease clause and severity of the violation, but often starts with a 10-day notice to cure or quit. Remember there's no statewide just-cause requirement, but you still need a valid reason and proper notice.
Q3
Is Edgington affected by rent control?
No. Illinois has a statewide ban on rent control. This means landlords in Edgington are free to set rent prices as they see fit, without local ordinances dictating maximum increases. You can find more information on this at our Illinois rent control rules page.
Q4
What's the biggest mistake Edgington landlords make during eviction?
The biggest mistake is attempting a self-help eviction, changing locks, shutting off utilities, or removing a tenant's belongings without a court order. This is illegal in Illinois and can lead to severe penalties, including financial damages awarded to the tenant. Always follow the legal process, even if it feels slow. Another common error is incorrect notice service or accepting partial rent after the notice period expires.
Q5
How do tenant protections in Illinois impact Edgington landlords?
Illinois has several statewide tenant protections that landlords in Edgington must adhere to. The most significant for screening is the source-of-income protection, meaning you cannot refuse an applicant solely because they use a housing voucher. Other protections include specific rules for security deposits and the prohibition of retaliatory evictions. Staying informed about Illinois tenant protections is essential to avoid legal trouble.
Q6
Should I always hire an attorney for an eviction in Edgington?
While you can technically represent yourself in court, it's strongly recommended to hire an attorney, especially for your first eviction or if the tenant contests the case. The legal process is complex, and errors in filing, notice, or court procedure can lead to significant delays and added costs. Given the typical 124-day timeline and high cost range, a good attorney can actually save you money and time in the long run. Also see our Mercer County eviction guide for local specifics.
A 4.1/10 places Edgington in the 53rd 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 Edgington (4.1/10)
Same risk band nationally · click any city for its full breakdown.
