In court-decided eviction outcomes for Medfield, MA, tenants prevail in roughly 48.4% 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
218d
filing → judgment
From the moment an unlawful-detainer notice is filed in Medfield, MA until a money judgment is entered, a contested eviction takes about 218 days on average. Longer timelines mean more lost rent and higher carry costs for landlords.
Cost range
$11.2-29.0k
legal + lost rent
A typical eviction in Medfield, MA costs landlords $11,222 to $28,982 all-in, covering court filing fees, process-server costs, attorney time, and lost rent during the calendar between filing and possession.
Average rent
$2,014
29% stretched on rent
Average gross rent in Medfield, MA is $2,014 per month per the U.S. Census American Community Survey (5-year 2023). 29% of renter households here spend more than 30% of pre-tax income on rent, the federal cost-burden threshold.
Renters
16.9%
of households
16.9% of occupied housing units in Medfield, MA 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
3.8%
4.8% unemp.
3.8% of Medfield, MA residents live below the federal poverty line, and unemployment runs at 4.8%. 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
Dem margin +28.8% (2024)
7.1
Regional political climate
County-weighted neighbor mix
7.1
State political climate
Massachusetts legislature & governorship
6.2
Economic stress
3.8% poverty · 4.8% unemp.
4.6
Supply constraint
$2,014 average · 16.9% renters
6.5
Rent Control risk
29.4% of income on rent
8.2
Eviction process difficulty
218 days filing → judgment
5.8
Tenant organizing strength
16.9% renters
4.2
Housing court bias
County bench composition
5.5
Geographic context
Risk heat across Medfield and the region
Click any city to see its score
How Medfield compares
Risk score vs. peers, county, state, and the U.S.
Rank in Norfolk County
Low
#15of 19 cities
#15 of 19 cities in Norfolk County for landlord eviction risk.
Rank in Massachusetts
Low
#196of 248 cities
#196 of 248 cities in Massachusetts for landlord eviction risk.
vs. county · state · U.S.
Score story
Six-stop tour of the risk profile
5.1
/ 10 · MODERATE
The verdict
A Moderate-tier market.
Composite 5.1/10. Mid-range market; standard documentation usually wins. The 50-year curve shows a sharp climb.
50-yr trend+3.3 over 50 yr
197620012026
Steepening since 2010 · COVID inflection visible
218d
Typical timeline
The money
What renting (and evicting) looks like.
Rent published at $2,014/mo. A contested eviction takes 218 days and costs $11,222-$28,982 per case.
50-yr trendCalendar drag rising since '15
197620012026
Court-clerk data lands in the next release.
16.9%
Renters
The renters
Who you'll be renting to.
Out of 6,849 residents, 16.9% rent. 29% are spending 30%+ income on rent, 3.8% below the poverty line.
50-yr trendRenter share rising
197620012026
ACS 1970-present · once the migration overlay is in.
7.1
Local + regional
The politics
Mid-range climate. Not a coastal market.
Local & regional political climate score 7.1 and 7.1 (Dem margin +28.8% (2024)). State climate at 6.2, a mid-range statehouse.
50-yr trendTracks county vote margin
197620012026
Built on 50-yr presidential margins back to 1976.
6.2
State politics
The process
Moderate calendar, moderate friction.
State political climate 6.2/10 sets the legislative ceiling for landlord remedies, and it shows up in the process. Eviction process difficulty reads 5.8, housing court bias 5.5, rent-control risk 8.2. Standard process speed for the state.
50-yr trendProcess difficulty +0.8 since '00
197620012026
Court-clerk data lands in the next release.
4.6
Economic stress
The stress
Economic pressure is the background risk.
Economic stress: 4.6. Supply constraint: 6.5. The numbers behind those: 3.8% poverty, 4.8% unemployment, 29% of income on rent.
50-yr trendTwo visible dips · '08 + COVID
197620012026
Mirrors BLS unemployment series.
US eviction landscape · timeline × all-in cost
Medfield sits in the slow & expensive quadrant
Bubble size = population · color = risk score
Medfield · 218d · ~$20.1k all-in ($92/day) · score 5.1National average: 58d · $4.6k all-inHover any bubble for stats · click to openColor: 0-4 4-7 7-10
Landlording in Medfield, Massachusetts, presents a manageable operating environment for documented landlords. The Eviction Risk Score is 5.1/10 (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.
Medfield is a city of 6,849 residents where 16.9% of occupied units are renter-occupied, and the typical renter spends 29.4% of income on rent. At an average rent of $2,014/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 Medfield eviction process actually works
Eviction process difficulty here reads 5.8/10, 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 Medfield closes 218 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 Medfield's timeline is usually the calendar, not the motion practice. Housing court bias scores 5.5/10 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 Medfield runs $11,222 to $28,982 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 218 days of typical timeline and $2,014/month in lost rent, that crossover happens fast here.
03Operations
Security deposits, screening, and lease terms
Tenant organizing strength scores 4.2/10 in Medfield, and the city sits at the top of the rent control risk spectrum (8.2/10). 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 Massachusetts, 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 Medfield: 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 Massachusetts's statutory language. Fix those four, and most cases settle or default. Skip them, and a $28,982 all-in fight is the realistic worst case.
04bPractical traps
Local traps to avoid in Medfield
Trap · 5.5/10
For landlords, the 5.7/10 score is most actionable when combined with Norfolk County's specific court behavior. Housing-court bias sub-score: 5.5/10. Use proactive screening and documented notices.
05FAQ
Frequently asked questions
Q1
What's the fastest way to get a tenant out of my Medfield property?
There is no "fast" way. The legal process in Medfield typically takes 218 days. Your best bet for quicker resolution is often a "cash for keys" agreement, where you pay the tenant to leave voluntarily, or a mediated settlement in Housing Court. Do not attempt self-help eviction.
Q2
Can I charge a late fee for rent in Medfield?
Yes, but Massachusetts law caps late fees. You can only charge a late fee if rent is not paid within 30 days of the due date, and the fee cannot exceed $50 or 5% of the monthly rent, whichever is less. Make sure this is clearly stated in your lease.
Q3
Do I need a lawyer for an eviction in Medfield?
While you can technically represent yourself, it's highly recommended to hire an attorney specializing in Massachusetts landlord-tenant law. The process is complex, and procedural errors can cause significant delays and added costs. Given the 218-day timeline and high costs, professional legal help is a wise investment.
Q4
Can I refuse to rent to someone with a Section 8 voucher in Medfield?
No. Massachusetts has statewide source-of-income protection. You cannot discriminate against or refuse to rent to a tenant solely because they use a housing subsidy or voucher like Section 8.
Q5
How much notice do I need to give a tenant to move out if I want to sell the property?
If your tenant is on a month-to-month lease, you'll generally need to give them a 30-day notice to quit. If they have a fixed-term lease, you typically cannot terminate it early without cause, unless there's a specific clause in the lease allowing for early termination due to sale, and even then, it's often challenged. Consult an attorney for specific scenarios.
A 5.1/10 places Medfield in the 22nd percentile of Massachusetts 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 Medfield (5.1/10)
Same risk band nationally · click any city for its full breakdown.
