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
9.5%
/ 100 outcomes
In court-decided eviction outcomes for Lodge Pole, MT, tenants prevail in roughly 9.5% 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
27d
filing → judgment
From the moment an unlawful-detainer notice is filed in Lodge Pole, MT until a money judgment is entered, a contested eviction takes about 27 days on average. Longer timelines mean more lost rent and higher carry costs for landlords.
Cost range
$1.0-3.2k
legal + lost rent
A typical eviction in Lodge Pole, MT costs landlords $968 to $3,184 all-in, covering court filing fees, process-server costs, attorney time, and lost rent during the calendar between filing and possession.
Average rent
$627
19% stretched on rent
Average gross rent in Lodge Pole, MT is $627 per month per the U.S. Census American Community Survey (5-year 2023). 19% of renter households here spend more than 30% of pre-tax income on rent, the federal cost-burden threshold.
Renters
28.8%
of households
28.8% of occupied housing units in Lodge Pole, MT 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%
30.4% unemp.
29.2% of Lodge Pole, MT residents live below the federal poverty line, and unemployment runs at 30.4%. 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
GOP margin +5.9% (2024)
5.7
Regional political climate
County-weighted neighbor mix
5.7
State political climate
Montana legislature & governorship
1.7
Economic stress
29.2% poverty · 30.4% unemp.
9.5
Supply constraint
$627 average · 28.8% renters
4.5
Rent Control risk
18.5% of income on rent
1.0
Eviction process difficulty
27 days filing → judgment
2.0
Tenant organizing strength
28.8% renters
7.7
Housing court bias
County bench composition
5.0
Geographic context
Risk heat across Lodge Pole and the region
Click any city to see its score
How Lodge Pole compares
Risk score vs. peers, county, state, and the U.S.
Rank in Blaine County
Moderate
#7of 12 cities
#7 of 12 cities in Blaine County for landlord eviction risk.
Rank in Montana
Elevated
#219of 496 cities
#219 of 496 cities in Montana for landlord eviction risk.
vs. county · state · U.S.
Score story
Six-stop tour of the risk profile
2
/ 10 · VERY LOW
The verdict
A Very low-tier market.
Composite 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
27d
Typical timeline
The money
What renting (and evicting) looks like.
Rent published at $627/mo. A contested eviction takes 27 days and costs $968-$3,184 per case.
50-yr trendCalendar drag rising since '15
197620012026
Court-clerk data lands in the next release.
28.8%
Renters
The renters
Who you'll be renting to.
Out of 170 residents, 28.8% rent. 19% 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.
5.7
Local + regional
The politics
Mid-range climate. Not a coastal market.
Local & regional political climate score 5.7 and 5.7 (GOP margin +5.9% (2024)). State climate at 1.7, a mid-range statehouse.
50-yr trendTracks county vote margin
197620012026
Built on 50-yr presidential margins back to 1976.
1.7
State politics
The process
Moderate calendar, moderate friction.
State political climate 1.7/10 sets the legislative ceiling for landlord remedies, and it shows up in the process. Eviction process difficulty reads 2, housing court bias 5, rent-control risk 1. Standard process speed for the state.
50-yr trendProcess difficulty +-3.0 since '00
197620012026
Court-clerk data lands in the next release.
9.5
Economic stress
The stress
Economic pressure is the real risk.
Economic stress: 9.5. Supply constraint: 4.5. The numbers behind those: 29.2% poverty, 30.4% unemployment, 19% of income on rent.
50-yr trendTwo visible dips · '08 + COVID
197620012026
Mirrors BLS unemployment series.
US eviction landscape · timeline × all-in cost
Lodge Pole sits in the quick & cheap quadrant
Bubble size = population · color = risk score
Lodge Pole · 27d · ~$2.1k all-in ($77/day) · score 2National average: 58d · $4.6k all-inHover any bubble for stats · click to openColor: 0-4 4-7 7-10
Landlording in Lodge Pole, Montana, presents a manageable operating environment for documented landlords. The Eviction Risk Score is 2/10 (VERY 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.
Lodge Pole is a city of 170 residents where 28.8% of occupied units are renter-occupied, and the typical renter spends 18.5% of income on rent. At an average rent of $627/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 Lodge Pole eviction process actually works
Eviction process difficulty here reads 2/10, 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 Lodge Pole closes 27 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 Lodge Pole's timeline is usually the calendar, not the motion practice. Housing court bias scores 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 Lodge Pole runs $968 to $3,184 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 27 days of typical timeline and $627/month in lost rent, that crossover happens fast here.
03Operations
Security deposits, screening, and lease terms
Tenant organizing strength scores 7.7/10 in Lodge Pole, and the city has limited rent control exposure (1/10). 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 Montana, 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 Lodge Pole: 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 VERY 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 Montana's statutory language. Fix those four, and most cases settle or default. Skip them, and a $3,184 all-in fight is the realistic worst case.
04bPractical traps
Local traps to avoid in Lodge Pole
Trap · MONT. CODE 70-24 URLTA
The 4.5/10 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: Mont. Code 70-24 URLTA.
05FAQ
Frequently asked questions
Q1
Can I change the locks if my tenant doesn't pay rent?
No, absolutely not. In Montana, changing locks or shutting off utilities to force a tenant out is illegal self-help eviction. You must follow the legal eviction process through the courts. Doing otherwise can lead to significant penalties.
Q2
How much can I charge for late fees in Lodge Pole?
Montana law does not specify a maximum late fee, but it must be "reasonable." Courts generally consider 5-10% of the monthly rent to be reasonable. Make sure your lease clearly states the late fee amount and when it applies.
Q3
Do I need a lawyer for an eviction in Lodge Pole?
While you can represent yourself, it's highly recommended to hire an attorney, especially if it's your first eviction or if the tenant is contesting it. Landlord-tenant law has many specific procedures, and an attorney can prevent costly mistakes. Given the eviction-process-difficulty sub-score of 2, the process is simpler than some states, but simple doesn't mean foolproof.
Q4
Can I refuse to rent to someone based on their income source?
Montana does not have statewide source-of-income protection. This means, generally, you can refuse to rent to someone based on their income source (e.g., if it's not traditional employment income), provided you are not discriminating on another protected basis like race, religion, or familial status. Always check local Blaine County ordinances, though they are rare in small towns.
Q5
What if the tenant leaves belongings behind after an eviction?
You have specific legal obligations for handling abandoned property in Montana. You must store the property and notify the tenant. If they don't claim it within a certain period, you can dispose of it or sell it. Follow MCA § 70-24-430 precisely to avoid liability.
Q6
Is rent control a risk in Lodge Pole?
No. Montana has a statewide preemption on rent control, meaning local governments cannot enact rent control ordinances. The rent-control-risk sub-score for Lodge Pole is 1, indicating extremely low risk. Your lease terms regarding rent increases are generally enforceable, provided proper notice is given.
A 2/10 places Lodge Pole in the 61st percentile of Montana 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 Lodge Pole (2/10)
Same risk band nationally · click any city for its full breakdown.
