In court-decided eviction outcomes for Pagedale, MO, tenants prevail in roughly 22.8% 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
39d
filing → judgment
From the moment an unlawful-detainer notice is filed in Pagedale, MO until a money judgment is entered, a contested eviction takes about 39 days on average. Longer timelines mean more lost rent and higher carry costs for landlords.
Cost range
$1.2–3.6k
legal + lost rent
A typical eviction in Pagedale, MO costs landlords $1,173 to $3,588 all-in, covering court filing fees, process-server costs, attorney time, and lost rent during the calendar between filing and possession.
Average rent
$965
47% stretched on rent
Average gross rent in Pagedale, MO is $965 per month per the U.S. Census American Community Survey (5-year 2023). 47% of renter households here spend more than 30% of pre-tax income on rent, the federal cost-burden threshold.
Renters
53.0%
of households
53.0% of occupied housing units in Pagedale, 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
29.2%
8.4% unemp.
29.2% of Pagedale, MO residents live below the federal poverty line, and unemployment runs at 8.4%. 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
29.2% poverty · 8.4% unemp.
8.7
Supply constraint
$965 average · 53.0% renters
7.2
Rent Control risk
47.3% of income on rent
9.5
Eviction process difficulty
39 days filing → judgment
2.3
Tenant organizing strength
53.0% renters
9.2
Housing court bias
County bench composition
9.3
Geographic context
Risk heat across Pagedale and the region
Click any city to see its score
How Pagedale compares
Risk score vs. peers, county, state, and the U.S.
Rank in St. Louis County
Very High
#4of 79 cities
#4 of 79 cities in St. Louis County for landlord eviction risk.
Rank in Missouri
Very High
#6of 1,082 cities
#6 of 1,082 cities in Missouri for landlord eviction risk.
vs. county · state · U.S.
Score story
Six-stop tour of the risk profile
3.2
/ 10 · LOW
The verdict
A Low-tier market.
Composite 3.2/10. Mid-range market; standard documentation usually wins. The 50-year curve shows a slow, steady climb.
50-yr trend+0.2 over 50 yr
197620012026
Steady ratchet · no large swings
39d
Typical timeline
The money
What renting (and evicting) looks like.
Rent published at $965/mo. A contested eviction takes 39 days and costs $1,173–$3,588 per case.
50-yr trendCalendar drag rising since '15
197620012026
Court-clerk data lands in the next release.
53.0%
Renters
The renters
Who you'll be renting to.
Out of 2,531 residents, 53.0% rent. 47% are spending 30%+ income on rent, 29.2% 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 2.3, housing court bias 9.3, rent-control risk 9.5. Standard process speed for the state.
50-yr trendProcess difficulty +-2.7 since '00
197620012026
Court-clerk data lands in the next release.
8.7
Economic stress
The stress
Economic pressure is the real risk.
Economic stress: 8.7. Supply constraint: 7.2. The numbers behind those: 29.2% poverty, 8.4% unemployment, 47% of income on rent.
50-yr trendTwo visible dips · '08 + COVID
197620012026
Mirrors BLS unemployment series.
US eviction landscape · timeline × all-in cost
Pagedale sits in the quick & cheap quadrant
Bubble size = population · color = risk score
Pagedale · 39d · ~$2.4k all-in ($61/day) · score 3.2National average: 58d · $4.6k all-inHover any bubble for stats · click to openColor: 0–4 4–7 7–10
Landlording in Pagedale, Missouri, presents a manageable operating environment for documented landlords. The Eviction Risk Score is 3.2/10 (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.
Pagedale is a city of 2,531 residents where 53.0% of occupied units are renter-occupied, and the typical renter spends 47.3% of income on rent. At an average rent of $965/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 Pagedale eviction process actually works
Eviction process difficulty here reads 2.3/10, 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 Pagedale closes 39 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 Pagedale's timeline is usually the calendar, not the motion practice. Housing court bias scores 9.3/10 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 Pagedale runs $1,173 to $3,588 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 39 days of typical timeline and $965/month in lost rent, that crossover happens fast here.
03Operations
Security deposits, screening, and lease terms
Tenant organizing strength scores 9.2/10 in Pagedale, and the city sits at the top of the rent control risk spectrum (9.5/10). 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 Pagedale: 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 $3,588 all-in fight is the realistic worst case.
04bPractical traps
Local traps to avoid in Pagedale
Trap · PRACTICAL TRAP
Compare Pagedale to neighboring cities in St. Louis city County via the grid below. The 7/10 score is computed from nine sub-factors plus a state-law multiplier under RSMo 535. St. Louis city County 2020 presidential margin: D+66.2. Cross-reference the state overview link in the guides section for Missouri statutory detail.
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
What if my tenant claims they lost their job? Can I still evict them for non-payment?
Yes, in Pagedale, MO, you can still evict for non-payment of rent, even if the tenant has lost their job. Missouri does not have statewide source-of-income protection or just-cause requirements that would prevent an eviction in this scenario. While it's unfortunate, your lease is a contract, and non-payment is a breach. You must follow the 5-day pay-or-quit notice process. You might offer a "cash for keys" deal to mitigate your losses and avoid a lengthy court battle, but legally, you can proceed with eviction.
Q2
How long does it typically take to get a court date after filing an eviction in St. Louis County?
After filing your unlawful detainer action in St. Louis County, you can typically expect a court date within 10-20 business days. This can vary based on court caseloads and holidays. It's important to be prepared for your hearing on that date, with all documentation, including your lease, ledger, and proof of notice service. Delays can occur, especially if the tenant requests a continuance.
Q3
Can I charge late fees in Pagedale, MO?
Yes, you can charge reasonable late fees in Pagedale, MO, provided they are clearly stated in your lease agreement. Missouri law doesn't set a specific cap on late fees, but courts generally expect them to be reasonable and reflect the actual costs incurred by the landlord due to late payment. Excessive late fees could be challenged and deemed unenforceable. Typically, a fee of 5-10% of the monthly rent, or a flat fee like $50, is considered reasonable.
Q4
What if my tenant damages the property beyond normal wear and tear?
If your tenant damages the property beyond normal wear and tear, you can deduct the cost of repairs from their security deposit. Remember the 30-day deadline for returning the deposit or providing an itemized statement. Take extensive photos and videos before and after the tenancy to document the condition. If the damages exceed the security deposit, you can sue the tenant in small claims court for the difference, either during the eviction process or separately. Keep all receipts for repairs.
Q5
Is there any rent control in Pagedale or Missouri?
No, there is no rent control in Pagedale, MO, or anywhere else in Missouri. The state has preempted local governments from enacting rent control measures. This means you are generally free to set market rates for rent and increase rent as you deem appropriate, provided you give proper notice as specified in your lease agreement (typically 30 or 60 days for month-to-month leases). For more, consult our Missouri rent control rules guide.
Q6
Should I always hire an attorney for an eviction in Pagedale?
Given Pagedale's high eviction risk score (7/10) and particularly the high housing-court-bias (9.3/10) and tenant-organizing-strength (9.2/10) sub-scores, hiring an attorney for an eviction is highly recommended. While you can represent yourself, the legal process has many pitfalls, and a minor mistake can cause significant delays or even dismissal of your case. An attorney can ensure proper notice, correct court filings, and effective representation, which often saves you money and time in the long run. See St. Louis city eviction guide for local specifics.
A 3.2/10 places Pagedale in the 100th 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 Pagedale (3.2/10)
Same risk band nationally · click any city for its full breakdown.
