In court-decided eviction outcomes for Waverly, IL, tenants prevail in roughly 40.5% 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
112d
filing → judgment
From the moment an unlawful-detainer notice is filed in Waverly, IL until a money judgment is entered, a contested eviction takes about 112 days on average. Longer timelines mean more lost rent and higher carry costs for landlords.
Cost range
$4.5–13.8k
legal + lost rent
A typical eviction in Waverly, IL costs landlords $4,496 to $13,822 all-in, covering court filing fees, process-server costs, attorney time, and lost rent during the calendar between filing and possession.
Average rent
$772
22% stretched on rent
Average gross rent in Waverly, IL is $772 per month per the U.S. Census American Community Survey (5-year 2023). 22% of renter households here spend more than 30% of pre-tax income on rent, the federal cost-burden threshold.
Renters
17.7%
of households
17.7% of occupied housing units in Waverly, 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
8.1%
3.1% unemp.
8.1% of Waverly, IL residents live below the federal poverty line, and unemployment runs at 3.1%. 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 +32.5% (2024)
4.1
Regional political climate
County-weighted neighbor mix
4.1
State political climate
Illinois legislature & governorship
5.2
Economic stress
8.1% poverty · 3.1% unemp.
4.7
Supply constraint
$772 average · 17.7% renters
3.8
Rent Control risk
21.7% of income on rent
3.8
Eviction process difficulty
112 days filing → judgment
4.6
Tenant organizing strength
17.7% renters
4.4
Housing court bias
County bench composition
4.1
Geographic context
Risk heat across Waverly and the region
Click any city to see its score
How Waverly compares
Risk score vs. peers, county, state, and the U.S.
Rank in Morgan County
Low
#8of 11 cities
#8 of 11 cities in Morgan County for landlord eviction risk.
Rank in Illinois
Very Low
#1248of 1,456 cities
#1248 of 1,456 cities in Illinois for landlord eviction risk.
vs. county · state · U.S.
Score story
Six-stop tour of the risk profile
3.7
/ 10 · LOW
The verdict
A Low-tier market.
Composite 3.7/10. Mid-range market; standard documentation usually wins. The 50-year curve shows a slow, steady climb.
50-yr trend+1.9 over 50 yr
197620012026
Steady ratchet · no large swings
112d
Typical timeline
The money
What renting (and evicting) looks like.
Rent published at $772/mo. A contested eviction takes 112 days and costs $4,496–$13,822 per case.
50-yr trendCalendar drag rising since '15
197620012026
Court-clerk data lands in the next release.
17.7%
Renters
The renters
Who you'll be renting to.
Out of 1,375 residents, 17.7% rent. 22% are spending 30%+ income on rent, 8.1% below the poverty line.
50-yr trendRenter share rising
197620012026
ACS 1970-present · once the migration overlay is in.
4.1
Local + regional
The politics
Mid-range climate. Not a coastal market.
Local & regional political climate score 4.1 and 4.1 (GOP margin +32.5% (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 4.1, rent-control risk 3.8. Standard process speed for the state.
50-yr trendProcess difficulty +-0.4 since '00
197620012026
Court-clerk data lands in the next release.
4.7
Economic stress
The stress
Economic pressure is the background risk.
Economic stress: 4.7. Supply constraint: 3.8. The numbers behind those: 8.1% poverty, 3.1% unemployment, 22% of income on rent.
50-yr trendTwo visible dips · '08 + COVID
197620012026
Mirrors BLS unemployment series.
US eviction landscape · timeline × all-in cost
Waverly sits in the slow & expensive quadrant
Bubble size = population · color = risk score
Waverly · 112d · ~$9.2k all-in ($82/day) · score 3.7National average: 58d · $4.6k all-inHover any bubble for stats · click to openColor: 0–4 4–7 7–10
Landlording in Waverly, Illinois, presents a manageable operating environment for documented landlords. The Eviction Risk Score is 3.7/10 (LOW 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.
Waverly is a city of 1,375 residents where 17.7% of occupied units are renter-occupied, and the typical renter spends 21.7% of income on rent. At an average rent of $772/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 Waverly 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 Waverly closes 112 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 Waverly'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 Waverly runs $4,496 to $13,822 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 112 days of typical timeline and $772/month in lost rent, that crossover happens fast here.
03Operations
Security deposits, screening, and lease terms
Tenant organizing strength scores 4.4/10 in Waverly, and the city has limited rent control exposure (3.8/10). 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 Waverly: 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 LOW 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 $13,822 all-in fight is the realistic worst case.
04bPractical traps
Local traps to avoid in Waverly
Trap · 4.1/10
For landlords, the 4.1/10 score is most actionable when combined with Morgan County's specific court behavior. Housing-court bias sub-score: 4.1/10. Standard documentation and prompt action typically resolve cases quickly.
05FAQ
Frequently asked questions
Q1
What's the absolute fastest I can get a tenant out for not paying rent in Waverly?
Even in a best-case scenario, with no delays and the tenant not contesting anything, you're looking at a minimum of 30-45 days from serving the 5-day notice to getting a court order, then a few more days for the sheriff. The average is closer to 112 days. Don't expect a quick fix.
Q2
Can I evict a tenant in Waverly for breaking a rule in the lease, like having an unauthorized pet?
Yes, if your lease specifically prohibits unauthorized pets and states that violating this rule can lead to termination, you can evict. You'd typically serve a 10-day notice to cure or quit (meaning they have 10 days to get rid of the pet or move out). If they don't comply, you can file for eviction. Make sure your lease is clear.
Q3
Does Waverly have rent control?
No, Illinois has a statewide ban on rent control. This means you are generally free to set your rental prices as you see fit, without municipal caps. However, always be aware of state-level Illinois rent control rules as they can change.
Q4
What if my tenant refuses to leave after the judge issues an eviction order?
You cannot remove them yourself. After the judge issues the order of possession, you must contact the Morgan County Sheriff's office to schedule a physical lockout. The sheriff is the only one legally allowed to remove a tenant from the property. Trying to do it yourself can lead to legal trouble.
Q5
I heard about "source of income protection" in Illinois. What does that mean for me?
It means you cannot refuse to rent to someone solely because their income comes from a lawful source like a Housing Choice Voucher (Section 8), disability payments, or child support. You still screen them based on other criteria (credit, criminal history, rental history), but you can't have a blanket "no Section 8" policy. This is a statewide Illinois tenant protection.
Q6
Should I offer a tenant cash to move out instead of going through eviction?
Absolutely consider it. This strategy, called "cash for keys," can save you significant time, attorney fees, and potential property damage. If a tenant is already behind on rent and seems unlikely to catch up, offering a lump sum (e.g., half a month's rent) to vacate quickly and leave the unit clean can be a smart business decision. Get it in writing, though.
A 3.7/10 places Waverly in the 20th 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 climbed steadily 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 Waverly (3.7/10)
Same risk band nationally · click any city for its full breakdown.
