In court-decided eviction outcomes for Northwoods, MO, tenants prevail in roughly 14.9% 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
43d
filing → judgment
From the moment an unlawful-detainer notice is filed in Northwoods, MO until a money judgment is entered, a contested eviction takes about 43 days on average. Longer timelines mean more lost rent and higher carry costs for landlords.
Cost range
$1.2–3.0k
legal + lost rent
A typical eviction in Northwoods, MO costs landlords $1,165 to $3,008 all-in, covering court filing fees, process-server costs, attorney time, and lost rent during the calendar between filing and possession.
Average rent
$1,167
28% stretched on rent
Average gross rent in Northwoods, MO is $1,167 per month per the U.S. Census American Community Survey (5-year 2023). 28% of renter households here spend more than 30% of pre-tax income on rent, the federal cost-burden threshold.
Renters
21.5%
of households
21.5% of occupied housing units in Northwoods, MO 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
24.4%
6.0% unemp.
24.4% of Northwoods, MO residents live below the federal poverty line, and unemployment runs at 6.0%. 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 +23.4% (2024)
8.5
Regional political climate
County-weighted neighbor mix
8.5
State political climate
Missouri legislature & governorship
2.1
Economic stress
24.4% poverty · 6.0% unemp.
7.9
Supply constraint
$1,167 average · 21.5% renters
5.9
Rent Control risk
28.0% of income on rent
9.6
Eviction process difficulty
43 days filing → judgment
1.8
Tenant organizing strength
21.5% renters
5.1
Housing court bias
County bench composition
9.1
Geographic context
Risk heat across Northwoods and the region
Click any city to see its score
How Northwoods compares
Risk score vs. peers, county, state, and the U.S.
Rank in St. Louis County
High
#18of 79 cities
#18 of 79 cities in St. Louis County for landlord eviction risk.
Rank in Missouri
Very High
#88of 1,082 cities
#88 of 1,082 cities in Missouri for landlord eviction risk.
vs. county · state · U.S.
Score story
Six-stop tour of the risk profile
2.8
/ 10 · LOW
The verdict
A Low-tier market.
Composite 2.8/10. Mid-range market; standard documentation usually wins. The 50-year curve shows a slow, steady climb.
50-yr trend+0.0 over 50 yr
197620012026
Steady ratchet · no large swings
43d
Typical timeline
The money
What renting (and evicting) looks like.
Rent published at $1,167/mo. A contested eviction takes 43 days and costs $1,165–$3,008 per case.
50-yr trendCalendar drag rising since '15
197620012026
Court-clerk data lands in the next release.
21.5%
Renters
The renters
Who you'll be renting to.
Out of 3,623 residents, 21.5% rent. 28% are spending 30%+ income on rent, 24.4% below the poverty line.
50-yr trendRenter share rising
197620012026
ACS 1970-present · once the migration overlay is in.
8.5
Local + regional
The politics
Strong-tenant coastal market.
Local & regional political climate score 8.5 and 8.5 (Dem margin +23.4% (2024)). State climate at 2.1, a mid-range statehouse.
50-yr trendTracks county vote margin
197620012026
Built on 50-yr presidential margins back to 1976.
2.1
State politics
The process
Moderate calendar, moderate friction.
State political climate 2.1/10 sets the legislative ceiling for landlord remedies, and it shows up in the process. Eviction process difficulty reads 1.8, housing court bias 9.1, rent-control risk 9.6. Standard process speed for the state.
50-yr trendProcess difficulty +-3.2 since '00
197620012026
Court-clerk data lands in the next release.
7.9
Economic stress
The stress
Economic pressure is the background risk.
Economic stress: 7.9. Supply constraint: 5.9. The numbers behind those: 24.4% poverty, 6.0% unemployment, 28% of income on rent.
50-yr trendTwo visible dips · '08 + COVID
197620012026
Mirrors BLS unemployment series.
US eviction landscape · timeline × all-in cost
Northwoods sits in the quick & cheap quadrant
Bubble size = population · color = risk score
Northwoods · 43d · ~$2.1k all-in ($49/day) · score 2.8National average: 58d · $4.6k all-inHover any bubble for stats · click to openColor: 0–4 4–7 7–10
Landlording in Northwoods, Missouri, presents a manageable operating environment for documented landlords. The Eviction Risk Score is 2.8/10 (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.
Northwoods is a city of 3,623 residents where 21.5% of occupied units are renter-occupied, and the typical renter spends 28.0% of income on rent. At an average rent of $1,167/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 Northwoods eviction process actually works
Eviction process difficulty here reads 1.8/10, 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 Northwoods closes 43 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 Northwoods's timeline is usually the calendar, not the motion practice. Housing court bias scores 9.1/10 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 Northwoods runs $1,165 to $3,008 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 43 days of typical timeline and $1,167/month in lost rent, that crossover happens fast here.
03Operations
Security deposits, screening, and lease terms
Tenant organizing strength scores 5.1/10 in Northwoods, and the city sits at the top of the rent control risk spectrum (9.6/10). 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 Missouri, 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 Northwoods: 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 Missouri's statutory language. Fix those four, and most cases settle or default. Skip them, and a $3,008 all-in fight is the realistic worst case.
04bPractical traps
Local traps to avoid in Northwoods
Trap · 21.5%
21.5% renter share against 3,623 residents produces roughly 779 rental occupants in Northwoods. St. Louis city County voted D 66.2% in 2020. Eviction filings tend to cluster in the multifamily rental corridor.
04Eviction filings
Live filings tracking · Eviction Lab
Princeton Eviction Lab Tracking System, state-level (no county tracker available). Last update 2026-05-01.
In the most recent month, 3,285 eviction cases were filed across the tracker's coverage area, 0.88× the historical baseline (below baseline). Past 12 months: 44,239 filings. Pandemic-era cumulative: 244,075.
3,285Past month
44,239Past 12 months
0.88×vs baseline (past mo)
18.2%Repeat-tenant filings
Notice requirement: at least ten days notice (for nonpayment of rent cases, though in other cases more). Filing fee: minimum filing fee of $33.
Last 36 months of filings2023-05-01 – 2026-04-01
Filings dropped 10% over the past 12 months.
Source: Eviction Lab Tracking System, Princeton University. Open Data Commons Attribution license.
05FAQ
Frequently asked questions
Q1
Is Northwoods, MO a tenant-friendly city for evictions?
While Missouri itself doesn't have statewide just-cause eviction or source-of-income protections, Northwoods specifically carries an elevated eviction risk score of 6.6/10. Key factors like a high housing-court bias (9.1/10) and significant economic stress (7.9/10) mean landlords should approach evictions with caution and preparation. It's not as landlord-friendly as some other areas.
Q2
What's the typical timeline for an eviction in Northwoods, MO?
The typical timeline for a non-payment eviction in Northwoods is approximately 43 days from the initial notice to the final lockout. This does not include any potential appeals or delays, so it's best to plan for at least this long.
Q3
How much does it cost to evict a tenant in Northwoods?
Expect to pay between $1,165 and $3,008 for a typical eviction in Northwoods. This range includes court fees, process server costs, potential attorney fees, and sheriff lockout fees. Remember, this doesn't factor in lost rent, which can be substantial over the 43-day process.
Q4
Can I accept partial rent payments in Northwoods if a tenant is late?
You can, but be extremely careful. Accepting a partial payment after serving a 5-day pay-or-quit notice can sometimes invalidate the notice, forcing you to serve a new one and restart the eviction process. If you do accept a partial payment, make sure you have a clear, written agreement with the tenant stating that the partial payment does not waive your right to proceed with the eviction for the remaining balance or that it's part of a repayment plan. It's often safer not to accept partial payments once the formal notice is served unless you've consulted an attorney.
Q5
Does Northwoods, MO have rent control?
No, Missouri state law explicitly prohibits rent control. This means landlords in Northwoods are generally free to set market rates and adjust rent as permitted by lease agreements, without local caps. For more, see our Missouri rent control rules guide.
Q6
Do I need an attorney for an eviction in Northwoods?
While you can represent yourself in Missouri small claims court, given Northwoods' elevated eviction risk (6.6/10) and high housing-court bias (9.1/10), hiring an attorney is strongly recommended. An experienced attorney can navigate the legal complexities, ensure proper notice and filing, and represent your interests effectively, significantly increasing your chances of a successful outcome and potentially speeding up the process. For a broader overview, check out the St. Louis city eviction guide.
A 2.8/10 places Northwoods in the 95th percentile of Missouri 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 Northwoods (2.8/10)
Same risk band nationally · click any city for its full breakdown.
