Skip to content
Stonebridge, New Jersey eviction risk overview
City brief · 1,966 residents

Stonebridge, NJ Eviction Risk: HIGH

Middlesex County · Population 1,966

In 2026
Risk score
7.7
HIGH

70th percentile, New Jersey.

50-yr Eviction Risk Score history

1976 to 2026 · climbing fast since 2010

Min1.5 Average3.4 Now7.7
10 5 1976 · score 1.8 1977 · score 1.8 1978 · score 1.9 1979 · score 1.9 1980 · score 1.6 1981 · score 1.7 1982 · score 1.7 1983 · score 1.7 1984 · score 1.5 1985 · score 1.5 1986 · score 1.5 1987 · score 1.5 1988 · score 1.7 1989 · score 1.8 1990 · score 1.9 1991 · score 1.9 1992 · score 2.5 1993 · score 2.5 1994 · score 2.5 1995 · score 2.5 1996 · score 3.2 1997 · score 3.2 1998 · score 3.3 1999 · score 3.3 2000 · score 3.4 2001 · score 3.5 2002 · score 3.6 2003 · score 3.6 2004 · score 3.3 2005 · score 3.3 2006 · score 3.4 2007 · score 3.5 2008 · score 3.9 2009 · score 4.1 2010 · score 4.1 2011 · score 4.2 2012 · score 4.3 2013 · score 4.4 2014 · score 4.5 2015 · score 4.5 2016 · score 4.5 2017 · score 4.5 2018 · score 4.7 2019 · score 4.9 2020 · score 5.5 2021 · score 5.5 2022 · score 5.4 2023 · score 5.5 2024 · score 5.1 2025 · score 6.2 2026 · score 7.7

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 6.5 Regional 6.5 State 6.8 Economic 5.0 Supply 1.8 Rent Control 5.4 Eviction 6.3 Tenant 1.8 Housing 4.9 7.7 HIGH
Sub-scores · with sparkline

Where the score comes from

1 → 10 scale
  1. Local political climate
    Dem margin +8.0% (2024)
    6.5
  2. Regional political climate
    County-weighted neighbor mix
    6.5
  3. State political climate
    New Jersey legislature & governorship
    6.8
  4. Economic stress
    1.6% poverty · 7.3% unemp.
    5.0
  5. Supply constraint
    $1,474 average · 1.9% renters
    1.8
  6. Rent Control risk
    67.9% of income on rent
    5.4
  7. Eviction process difficulty
    195 days filing → judgment
    6.3
  8. Tenant organizing strength
    1.9% renters
    1.8
  9. Housing court bias
    County bench composition
    4.9
Geographic context

Risk heat across Stonebridge and the region

Click any city to see its score

How Stonebridge compares

Risk score vs. peers, county, state, and the U.S.
Rank in Middlesex County
Low
#33 of 52 cities
Rank in county, 37th percentileBottomTop
#33 of 52 cities in Middlesex County for landlord eviction risk.
Rank in New Jersey
Elevated
#233 of 696 cities
Rank in state, 67th percentileBottomTop
#233 of 696 cities in New Jersey for landlord eviction risk.
vs. county · state · U.S.
Stonebridge risk score vs. county / state / U.S.Stonebridge: 7.77.7StonebridgeThis cityCounty: 7.97.9Countyavg in countyState: 7.77.7Stateavg in stateU.S.: 5.25.2U.S.national avg
Score story

Six-stop tour of the risk profile

  1. 7.7
    / 10 · HIGH
    The verdict

    A High-tier market.

    Composite 7.7/10. High statutory friction with active tenant counsel, so assume defenses on every filing. The 50-year curve shows a sharp climb.

    50-yr trend+5.9 over 50 yr
    197620012026

    Steepening since 2010 · COVID inflection visible

  2. 195d
    Typical timeline
    The money

    What renting (and evicting) looks like.

    Rent published at $1,474/mo. A contested eviction takes 195 days and costs $10,241-$28,062 per case.

    50-yr trendCalendar drag rising since '15
    197620012026

    Court-clerk data lands in the next release.

  3. 1.9%
    Renters
    The renters

    Who you'll be renting to.

    Out of 1,966 residents, 1.9% rent. 68% are spending 30%+ income on rent, 1.6% below the poverty line.

    50-yr trendRenter share rising
    197620012026

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

  4. 6.5
    Local + regional
    The politics

    Mid-range climate. Not a coastal market.

    Local & regional political climate score 6.5 and 6.5 (Dem margin +8.0% (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 4.9, rent-control risk 5.4. Standard process speed for the state.

    50-yr trendProcess difficulty +1.3 since '00
    197620012026

    Court-clerk data lands in the next release.

  6. 5
    Economic stress
    The stress

    Economic pressure is the background risk.

    Economic stress: 5. Supply constraint: 1.8. The numbers behind those: 1.6% poverty, 7.3% unemployment, 68% of income on rent.

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

    Mirrors BLS unemployment series.

US eviction landscape · timeline × all-in cost

Stonebridge 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 Toms River, NJ · 166d · ~$16.0k all-in ($96/day) · score 7.2 Toms River 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 Camden, NJ · 185d · ~$17.8k all-in ($96/day) · score 8.6 Camden East Orange, NJ · 195d · ~$15.6k all-in ($80/day) · score 9.2 East Orange 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 Stonebridge
Stonebridge · 195d · ~$19.2k all-in ($98/day) · score 7.7 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 Stonebridge, NJ

Landlording in Stonebridge, New Jersey, presents a high-friction environment where attorney involvement on every filing is the norm. The Eviction Risk Score is 7.7/10 (HIGH 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 High-friction landlord market where lease drafting, screening discipline, and well-documented notices materially change outcomes.

Stonebridge is a city of 1,966 residents where 1.9% of occupied units are renter-occupied, and the typical renter spends 67.9% of income on rent. At an average rent of $1,474/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 Stonebridge 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 Stonebridge closes 195 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 Stonebridge's timeline is usually the calendar, not the motion practice. Housing court bias scores 4.9/10 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 Stonebridge runs $10,241 to $28,062 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 195 days of typical timeline and $1,474/month in lost rent, that crossover happens fast here.

03Operations

Security deposits, screening, and lease terms

Tenant organizing strength scores 1.8/10 in Stonebridge, and the city has limited rent control exposure (5.4/10). 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 Stonebridge: 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 HIGH 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 $28,062 all-in fight is the realistic worst case.

04bPractical traps

Local traps to avoid in Stonebridge

Trap · NJSA 2A:18-61.1 ANTI-EVICTION ACT
Compare Stonebridge to nearby cities in Middlesex County via the related-cities grid below. Each municipality scores separately on the same nine sub-factors. State context: NJSA 2A:18-61.1 Anti-Eviction Act.
05FAQ

Frequently asked questions

Q1

Can I evict a tenant in Stonebridge if their lease term ends?

No, not without a just cause. New Jersey's Anti-Eviction Act requires a specific, legally recognized reason to evict, even if the lease term has expired. Simply wanting the tenant out is not enough. You must have one of the "good causes" listed in the statute.

Q2

What are common mistakes landlords make with security deposits in New Jersey?

The most common mistakes include failing to return the deposit within 30 days, not placing it in an interest-bearing account, not providing annual interest statements, or making improper deductions. Get familiar with New Jersey security deposit rules to avoid hefty penalties.

Q3

Is rent control a risk in Stonebridge, NJ?

While Stonebridge itself does not have local rent control ordinances, New Jersey has a rent-control-risk sub-score of 5.4/10. This indicates a moderate statewide risk, meaning local municipalities can and do implement rent control. Always check for local ordinances in addition to state laws. Our New Jersey rent control rules guide has more details.

Q4

How important is it to have a lawyer for an eviction in Stonebridge?

Extremely important. Given the complexity of New Jersey's Anti-Eviction Act, the just-cause requirement, and the court's bias toward tenants, attempting an eviction without an attorney is a high-risk gamble. A lawyer can ensure proper notices, filings, and representation, saving you significant time and money in the long run.

06Score

What this score means for landlords2

A 7.7/10 places Stonebridge in the 70th 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.