In court-decided eviction outcomes for Walkerville, MT, tenants prevail in roughly 11.1% 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
28d
filing → judgment
From the moment an unlawful-detainer notice is filed in Walkerville, MT until a money judgment is entered, a contested eviction takes about 28 days on average. Longer timelines mean more lost rent and higher carry costs for landlords.
Cost range
$1.0–2.9k
legal + lost rent
A typical eviction in Walkerville, MT costs landlords $1,014 to $2,895 all-in, covering court filing fees, process-server costs, attorney time, and lost rent during the calendar between filing and possession.
Average rent
$1,188
20% stretched on rent
Average gross rent in Walkerville, MT is $1,188 per month per the U.S. Census American Community Survey (5-year 2023). 20% of renter households here spend more than 30% of pre-tax income on rent, the federal cost-burden threshold.
Renters
21.2%
of households
21.2% of occupied housing units in Walkerville, 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
18.4%
6.0% unemp.
18.4% of Walkerville, MT 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 +7.0% (2024)
6.1
Regional political climate
County-weighted neighbor mix
6.1
State political climate
Montana legislature & governorship
1.7
Economic stress
18.4% poverty · 6.0% unemp.
7.5
Supply constraint
$1,188 average · 21.2% renters
5.6
Rent Control risk
20.0% of income on rent
5.2
Eviction process difficulty
28 days filing → judgment
1.6
Tenant organizing strength
21.2% renters
4.7
Housing court bias
County bench composition
6.4
Geographic context
Risk heat across Walkerville and the region
Click any city to see its score
How Walkerville compares
Risk score vs. peers, county, state, and the U.S.
Rank in Silver Bow County
Moderate
#4of 7 cities
#4 of 7 cities in Silver Bow County for landlord eviction risk.
Rank in Montana
High
#121of 496 cities
#121 of 496 cities in Montana for landlord eviction risk.
vs. county · state · U.S.
Score story
Six-stop tour of the risk profile
2.3
/ 10 · VERY LOW
The verdict
A Very low-tier market.
Composite 2.3/10. 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
28d
Typical timeline
The money
What renting (and evicting) looks like.
Rent published at $1,188/mo. A contested eviction takes 28 days and costs $1,014–$2,895 per case.
50-yr trendCalendar drag rising since '15
197620012026
Court-clerk data lands in the next release.
21.2%
Renters
The renters
Who you'll be renting to.
Out of 733 residents, 21.2% rent. 20% are spending 30%+ income on rent, 18.4% below the poverty line.
50-yr trendRenter share rising
197620012026
ACS 1970-present · once the migration overlay is in.
6.1
Local + regional
The politics
Mid-range climate. Not a coastal market.
Local & regional political climate score 6.1 and 6.1 (Dem margin +7.0% (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 1.6, housing court bias 6.4, rent-control risk 5.2. Standard process speed for the state.
50-yr trendProcess difficulty +-3.4 since '00
197620012026
Court-clerk data lands in the next release.
7.5
Economic stress
The stress
Economic pressure is the background risk.
Economic stress: 7.5. Supply constraint: 5.6. The numbers behind those: 18.4% poverty, 6.0% unemployment, 20% of income on rent.
50-yr trendTwo visible dips · '08 + COVID
197620012026
Mirrors BLS unemployment series.
US eviction landscape · timeline × all-in cost
Walkerville sits in the quick & cheap quadrant
Bubble size = population · color = risk score
Walkerville · 28d · ~$2.0k all-in ($70/day) · score 2.3National average: 58d · $4.6k all-inHover any bubble for stats · click to openColor: 0–4 4–7 7–10
Landlording in Walkerville, Montana, presents a manageable operating environment for documented landlords. The Eviction Risk Score is 2.3/10 (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.
Walkerville is a city of 733 residents where 21.2% of occupied units are renter-occupied, and the typical renter spends 20.0% of income on rent. At an average rent of $1,188/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 Walkerville eviction process actually works
Eviction process difficulty here reads 1.6/10, 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 Walkerville closes 28 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 Walkerville's timeline is usually the calendar, not the motion practice. Housing court bias scores 6.4/10 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 Walkerville runs $1,014 to $2,895 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 28 days of typical timeline and $1,188/month in lost rent, that crossover happens fast here.
03Operations
Security deposits, screening, and lease terms
Tenant organizing strength scores 4.7/10 in Walkerville, and the city has limited rent control exposure (5.2/10). 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 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 Walkerville: 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 $2,895 all-in fight is the realistic worst case.
04bPractical traps
Local traps to avoid in Walkerville
Trap · 18.4%
Local poverty rate is 18.4%, and the rent-burden distribution skews the eviction-filings curve toward moderate volume in Silver Bow County. Rent-control-risk sub-score: 5.2/10. Tenant organizing is most active in the rental concentration corridors.
05FAQ
Frequently asked questions
Q1
What's the absolute fastest I can get a tenant out for not paying rent in Walkerville?
Legally, the absolute fastest you could potentially get a tenant out in Walkerville for non-payment is around 15-20 days, but that's if everything goes perfectly: you serve the 3-day notice immediately, they don't respond, the court schedule is open, and the sheriff is available for a quick lockout. The typical timeline is closer to 28 days. Don't count on the fastest scenario.
Q2
Can I just change the locks if a tenant stops paying rent?
No, absolutely not. Changing locks, turning off utilities, or removing a tenant's belongings without a court order is an illegal "self-help" eviction in Montana. You will face significant penalties, including potentially having to pay the tenant damages and attorney fees. Always follow the legal eviction process through the courts.
Q3
Do I need an attorney for an eviction in Walkerville?
While you can represent yourself in Justice Court, an attorney is highly recommended, especially if you're not familiar with the Montana Residential Landlord and Tenant Act. They can ensure all notices are correct, court procedures are followed, and represent you effectively if the tenant contests the eviction. It can save you time and money in the long run.
Q4
What if the tenant damages the property during the eviction?
Document all damages with photos and videos immediately after the tenant vacates. You can deduct the cost of repairs from the security deposit. If the damages exceed the deposit, you can pursue the tenant for the remaining amount in small claims court, or your attorney can include it in the original eviction lawsuit if it's substantial. Always follow Montana tenant protections for deductions.
Q5
Is "cash for keys" a good idea in Walkerville?
Cash for keys can be a very good idea in Walkerville. If you offer a tenant a reasonable sum (e.g., half a month's rent) to move out quickly and leave the property in good condition, it can save you the stress, time, and higher costs of a full eviction. It's a negotiation, but it often leads to a faster and less contentious outcome.
A 2.3/10 places Walkerville in the 81st 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 Walkerville (2.3/10)
Same risk band nationally · click any city for its full breakdown.
