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Oldwick, New Jersey eviction risk overview
City brief · 462 residents

Oldwick, NJ Eviction Risk: ELEVATED

Hunterdon County · Population 462

In 2026
Risk score
6.5
ELEVATED

23th percentile, New Jersey.

50-yr Eviction Risk Score history

1976 to 2026 · climbing fast since 2010

Min1.5 Average3.3 Now6.5
10 5 1976 · score 1.8 1977 · score 1.8 1978 · score 1.9 1979 · score 2.0 1980 · score 1.7 1981 · score 1.7 1982 · score 1.8 1983 · score 1.7 1984 · score 1.5 1985 · score 1.5 1986 · score 1.5 1987 · score 1.6 1988 · score 1.8 1989 · score 1.8 1990 · score 1.9 1991 · score 2.0 1992 · score 2.5 1993 · score 2.6 1994 · score 2.6 1995 · score 2.6 1996 · score 3.2 1997 · score 3.3 1998 · score 3.3 1999 · score 3.4 2000 · score 2.9 2001 · score 3.0 2002 · score 3.1 2003 · score 3.1 2004 · score 3.0 2005 · score 3.0 2006 · score 3.1 2007 · score 3.2 2008 · score 3.7 2009 · score 3.8 2010 · score 3.9 2011 · score 4.0 2012 · score 4.0 2013 · score 4.1 2014 · score 4.2 2015 · score 4.3 2016 · score 4.5 2017 · score 4.6 2018 · score 4.7 2019 · score 5.0 2020 · score 5.7 2021 · score 5.7 2022 · score 5.6 2023 · score 5.7 2024 · score 5.4 2025 · score 6.4 2026 · score 6.5

Key metrics

Estimated values: The U.S. Census suppresses field-level data for small places. Estimated from constituent census tracts, pop-weighted from real underlying ACS data.
Time machine

Scrub 50 years

2026
● LIVE · today ◀ REPLAY · historical

Nine-axis profile

9-axis profile · today

Shape of the risk surface

1 landlord · 10 tenant
Local 6.4 Regional 6.4 State 6.8 Economic 4.9 Supply 3.6 Rent Control 5.8 Eviction 6.3 Tenant 3.6 Housing 4.6 6.5 ELEVATED
Sub-scores · with sparkline

Where the score comes from

1 → 10 scale
  1. Local political climate
    GOP margin +6.7% (2024)
    6.4
  2. Regional political climate
    County-weighted neighbor mix
    6.4
  3. State political climate
    New Jersey legislature & governorship
    6.8
  4. Economic stress
    26.0% poverty · 4.6% unemp.
    4.9
  5. Supply constraint
    $2,139 average · 4.4% renters
    3.6
  6. Rent Control risk
    17.2% of income on rent
    5.8
  7. Eviction process difficulty
    194 days filing → judgment
    6.3
  8. Tenant organizing strength
    4.4% renters
    3.6
  9. Housing court bias
    County bench composition
    4.6
Geographic context

Risk heat across Oldwick and the region

Click any city to see its score

How Oldwick compares

Risk score vs. peers, county, state, and the U.S.
Rank in Hunterdon County
Low
#14 of 18 cities
Rank in county, 24th percentileBottomTop
#14 of 18 cities in Hunterdon County for landlord eviction risk.
Rank in New Jersey
Low
#555 of 696 cities
Rank in state, 20th percentileBottomTop
#555 of 696 cities in New Jersey for landlord eviction risk.
vs. county · state · U.S.
Oldwick risk score vs. county / state / U.S.Oldwick: 6.56.5OldwickThis cityCounty: 6.56.5Countyavg in countyState: 7.77.7Stateavg in stateU.S.: 5.25.2U.S.national avg
Score story

Six-stop tour of the risk profile

  1. 6.5
    / 10 · ELEVATED
    The verdict

    A Elevated-tier market.

    Composite 6.5/10. Mid-range market; standard documentation usually wins. The 50-year curve shows a sharp climb.

    50-yr trend+4.7 over 50 yr
    197620012026

    Steepening since 2010 · COVID inflection visible

  2. 194d
    Typical timeline
    The money

    What renting (and evicting) looks like.

    Rent published at $2,139/mo. A contested eviction takes 194 days and costs $10,680-$25,423 per case.

    50-yr trendCalendar drag rising since '15
    197620012026

    Court-clerk data lands in the next release.

  3. 4.4%
    Renters
    The renters

    Who you'll be renting to.

    Out of 462 residents, 4.4% rent. 17% are spending 30%+ income on rent, 26.0% below the poverty line.

    50-yr trendRenter share rising
    197620012026

    ACS 1970-present · once the migration overlay is in.

  4. 6.4
    Local + regional
    The politics

    Mid-range climate. Not a coastal market.

    Local & regional political climate score 6.4 and 6.4 (GOP margin +6.7% (2024)). State climate at 6.8, a mid-range statehouse.

    50-yr trendTracks county vote margin
    197620012026

    Built on 50-yr presidential margins back to 1976.

  5. 6.8
    State politics
    The process

    Moderate calendar, moderate friction.

    State political climate 6.8/10 sets the legislative ceiling for landlord remedies, and it shows up in the process. Eviction process difficulty reads 6.3, housing court bias 4.6, rent-control risk 5.8. Standard process speed for the state.

    50-yr trendProcess difficulty +1.3 since '00
    197620012026

    Court-clerk data lands in the next release.

  6. 4.9
    Economic stress
    The stress

    Economic pressure is the background risk.

    Economic stress: 4.9. Supply constraint: 3.6. The numbers behind those: 26.0% poverty, 4.6% unemployment, 17% of income on rent.

    50-yr trendTwo visible dips · '08 + COVID
    197620012026

    Mirrors BLS unemployment series.

US eviction landscape · timeline × all-in cost

Oldwick sits in the slow & expensive quadrant

Bubble size = population · color = risk score
QUICK BUT COSTLY fast docket · high all-in loss SLOW & EXPENSIVE long calendar · high all-in loss QUICK & CHEAP fast docket · low all-in loss SLOW BUT CHEAP long calendar · low all-in loss 30d 50d 75d 100d 150d 200d 300d 450d $2.0k $3.0k $5.0k $7.5k $10k $15k $20k $30k EVICTION TIMELINE (DAYS) → ↑ ALL-IN COST (LOG SCALE) Newark, NJ · 165d · ~$16.3k all-in ($99/day) · score 9 Newark Jersey City, NJ · 163d · ~$18.6k all-in ($114/day) · score 9.3 Jersey City Paterson, NJ · 185d · ~$17.8k all-in ($96/day) · score 8.6 Paterson Elizabeth, NJ · 165d · ~$16.5k all-in ($100/day) · score 8.4 Elizabeth Trenton, NJ · 179d · ~$18.6k all-in ($104/day) · score 8.6 Trenton Clifton, NJ · 170d · ~$19.3k all-in ($114/day) · score 8 Clifton Bayonne, NJ · 180d · ~$17.2k all-in ($95/day) · score 8.3 Bayonne East Orange, NJ · 195d · ~$15.6k all-in ($80/day) · score 9.2 East Orange Passaic, NJ · 177d · ~$17.7k all-in ($100/day) · score 8.6 Passaic Lakewood, NJ · 164d · ~$18.1k all-in ($111/day) · score 7.4 Lakewood Houston, TX · 24d · ~$2.5k all-in ($103/day) · score 2.7 Houston Phoenix, AZ · 38d · ~$3.3k all-in ($86/day) · score 3.9 Phoenix Memphis, TN · 31d · ~$2.0k all-in ($66/day) · score 4.6 Memphis Atlanta, GA · 40d · ~$2.8k all-in ($69/day) · score 5.5 Atlanta Boston, MA · 187d · ~$20.3k all-in ($109/day) · score 6.8 Boston Chicago, IL · 109d · ~$9.0k all-in ($82/day) · score 6.3 Chicago New York, NY · 417d · ~$29.5k all-in ($71/day) · score 9.8 New York Seattle, WA · 162d · ~$12.7k all-in ($79/day) · score 6.2 Seattle Oldwick
Oldwick · 194d · ~$18.1k all-in ($93/day) · score 6.5 National average: 58d · $4.6k all-in Hover any bubble for stats · click to open Color: 0-4   4-7   7-10
00Overview

About eviction risk in Oldwick, NJ

Landlording in Oldwick, New Jersey, presents an elevated-friction market where documented notices and proactive screening matter. The Eviction Risk Score is 6.5/10 (ELEVATED 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 Elevated-friction market where lease drafting, screening discipline, and well-documented notices materially change outcomes.

Oldwick is a city of 462 residents where 4.4% of occupied units are renter-occupied, and the typical renter spends 17.2% of income on rent. At an average rent of $2,139/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 Oldwick eviction process actually works

Eviction process difficulty here reads 6.3/10, 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 Oldwick closes 194 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 Oldwick's timeline is usually the calendar, not the motion practice. Housing court bias scores 4.6/10 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 Oldwick runs $10,680 to $25,423 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 194 days of typical timeline and $2,139/month in lost rent, that crossover happens fast here.

03Operations

Security deposits, screening, and lease terms

Tenant organizing strength scores 3.6/10 in Oldwick, and the city has limited rent control exposure (5.8/10). 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 New Jersey, 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 Oldwick: 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 ELEVATED 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 New Jersey's statutory language. Fix those four, and most cases settle or default. Skip them, and a $25,423 all-in fight is the realistic worst case.

04bPractical traps

Local traps to avoid in Oldwick

Trap · NEW JERSEY
Somerset County court applies New Jersey statute uniformly. Filing fee, notice period, and trial-to-writ timeline are set at the state level. At 6.4/10 local risk, default judgment frequency is typical.
05FAQ

Frequently asked questions

Q1

What's the absolute fastest I can get a tenant out for non-payment in Oldwick?

Even with a 3-day notice for non-payment, the court process means you're looking at months, not weeks. The "fastest" is still around 194 days on average. New Jersey law prioritizes due process, which takes time.
Q2

Can I evict a tenant in Oldwick if their lease is up and I just don't want to renew?

No, not without a just cause. New Jersey has statewide just-cause eviction protection (N.J.S.A. § 2A:18). This means even if a lease term expires, you generally cannot evict a tenant unless you have a specific, legally recognized reason, such as non-payment, lease violations, or property damage. For more, see New Jersey tenant protections.
Q3

How much notice do I need to give for a rent increase in Oldwick?

New Jersey law requires a 30-day written notice for rent increases. If your property is subject to New Jersey rent control rules (though unlikely in Oldwick, check local ordinances), there might be additional restrictions on the amount or frequency of increases.
Q4

What if my tenant damages the property beyond normal wear and tear?

This is a just cause for eviction in New Jersey. You would typically issue a notice to cease the damaging behavior, followed by a notice to quit if the damage isn't repaired or the behavior continues. Document all damage with photos and dates. You can also deduct repair costs from the security deposit, provided you follow the 30-day return deadline and itemization rules.
Q5

Can I turn off utilities if a tenant isn't paying rent?

Absolutely not. This is illegal in New Jersey and considered a "self-help" eviction, which carries severe penalties for landlords. Always follow the legal eviction process through the courts.
06Score

What this score means for landlords2

A 6.5/10 places Oldwick in the 23rd percentile of New Jersey 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.