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
27.9%
/ 100 outcomes
In court-decided eviction outcomes for Continental Divide, NM, tenants prevail in roughly 27.9% 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
82d
filing → judgment
From the moment an unlawful-detainer notice is filed in Continental Divide, NM until a money judgment is entered, a contested eviction takes about 82 days on average. Longer timelines mean more lost rent and higher carry costs for landlords.
Cost range
$3.0–7.0k
legal + lost rent
A typical eviction in Continental Divide, NM costs landlords $2,993 to $7,039 all-in, covering court filing fees, process-server costs, attorney time, and lost rent during the calendar between filing and possession.
Average rent
$789
25% stretched on rent
Average gross rent in Continental Divide, NM is $789 per month per the U.S. Census American Community Survey (5-year 2023). 25% of renter households here spend more than 30% of pre-tax income on rent, the federal cost-burden threshold.
Renters
42.3%
of households
42.3% of occupied housing units in Continental Divide, NM 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
34.1%
9.1% unemp.
34.1% of Continental Divide, NM residents live below the federal poverty line, and unemployment runs at 9.1%. 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 +24.5% (2024)
7.2
Regional political climate
County-weighted neighbor mix
7.2
State political climate
New Mexico legislature & governorship
3.9
Economic stress
34.1% poverty · 9.1% unemp.
1.0
Supply constraint
$789 average · 42.3% renters
1.0
Rent Control risk
24.9% of income on rent
2.7
Eviction process difficulty
82 days filing → judgment
3.4
Tenant organizing strength
42.3% renters
1.0
Housing court bias
County bench composition
3.1
Geographic context
Risk heat across Continental Divide and the region
Click any city to see its score
How Continental Divide compares
Risk score vs. peers, county, state, and the U.S.
Rank in McKinley County
Very Low
#43of 44 cities
#43 of 44 cities in McKinley County for landlord eviction risk.
Rank in New Mexico
Very Low
#470of 518 cities
#470 of 518 cities in New Mexico for landlord eviction risk.
vs. county · state · U.S.
Score story
Six-stop tour of the risk profile
2.9
/ 10 · LOW
The verdict
A Low-tier market.
Composite 2.9/10. Mid-range market; standard documentation usually wins. The 50-year curve shows a slow, steady climb.
50-yr trend+1.0 over 50 yr
197620012026
Steady ratchet · no large swings
82d
Typical timeline
The money
What renting (and evicting) looks like.
Rent published at $789/mo. A contested eviction takes 82 days and costs $2,993–$7,039 per case.
50-yr trendCalendar drag rising since '15
197620012026
Court-clerk data lands in the next release.
42.3%
Renters
The renters
Who you'll be renting to.
Out of 231 residents, 42.3% rent. 25% are spending 30%+ income on rent, 34.1% below the poverty line.
50-yr trendRenter share rising
197620012026
ACS 1970-present · once the migration overlay is in.
7.2
Local + regional
The politics
Mid-range climate. Not a coastal market.
Local & regional political climate score 7.2 and 7.2 (Dem margin +24.5% (2024)). State climate at 3.9, a mid-range statehouse.
50-yr trendTracks county vote margin
197620012026
Built on 50-yr presidential margins back to 1976.
3.9
State politics
The process
Moderate calendar, moderate friction.
State political climate 3.9/10 sets the legislative ceiling for landlord remedies, and it shows up in the process. Eviction process difficulty reads 3.4, housing court bias 3.1, rent-control risk 2.7. Standard process speed for the state.
50-yr trendProcess difficulty +-1.6 since '00
197620012026
Court-clerk data lands in the next release.
1
Economic stress
The stress
Economic pressure is the background risk.
Economic stress: 1. Supply constraint: 1. The numbers behind those: 34.1% poverty, 9.1% unemployment, 25% of income on rent.
50-yr trendTwo visible dips · '08 + COVID
197620012026
Mirrors BLS unemployment series.
US eviction landscape · timeline × all-in cost
Continental Divide sits in the slow & expensive quadrant
Bubble size = population · color = risk score
Continental Divide · 82d · ~$5.0k all-in ($61/day) · score 2.9National average: 58d · $4.6k all-inHover any bubble for stats · click to openColor: 0–4 4–7 7–10
Landlording in Continental Divide, New Mexico, presents a manageable operating environment for documented landlords. The Eviction Risk Score is 2.9/10 (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.
Continental Divide is a city of 231 residents where 42.3% of occupied units are renter-occupied, and the typical renter spends 24.9% of income on rent. At an average rent of $789/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 Continental Divide eviction process actually works
Eviction process difficulty here reads 3.4/10, 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 Continental Divide closes 82 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 Continental Divide's timeline is usually the calendar, not the motion practice. Housing court bias scores 3.1/10 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 Continental Divide runs $2,993 to $7,039 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 82 days of typical timeline and $789/month in lost rent, that crossover happens fast here.
03Operations
Security deposits, screening, and lease terms
Tenant organizing strength scores 1/10 in Continental Divide, and the city has limited rent control exposure (2.7/10). 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 Mexico, 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 Continental Divide: 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 New Mexico's statutory language. Fix those four, and most cases settle or default. Skip them, and a $7,039 all-in fight is the realistic worst case.
04bPractical traps
Local traps to avoid in Continental Divide
Trap · NMSA 47-8 UORRA
Compare Continental Divide to nearby cities in McKinley County via the related-cities grid below. Each municipality scores separately on the same nine sub-factors. State context: NMSA 47-8 UORRA.
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, 1,016 eviction cases were filed across the tracker's coverage area, 0.91× the historical baseline (below baseline). Past 12 months: 12,651 filings. Pandemic-era cumulative: 74,831.
1,016Past month
12,651Past 12 months
0.91×vs baseline (past mo)
21.2%Repeat-tenant filings
Notice requirement: at least three days notice (in some cases more). Filing fee: minimum filing fee of $77 (depending on the court level).
Last 36 months of filings2023-05-01 – 2026-04-01
Filings climbed 5% over the past 12 months.
Source: Eviction Lab Tracking System, Princeton University. Open Data Commons Attribution license.
05FAQ
Frequently asked questions
Q1
How long does a typical eviction take in Continental Divide?
A typical eviction in Continental Divide averages 82 days from the initial notice to the final lockout. This includes the notice period, court processing, and sheriff's execution of the Writ of Restitution.
Q2
What's the first step if my tenant doesn't pay rent?
If your tenant doesn't pay rent, your first formal step is to serve a 3-day pay-or-quit notice. This gives them three days to pay the overdue rent or vacate the property.
Q3
Can I just change the locks if a tenant stops paying?
No, absolutely not. Changing locks, turning off utilities, or removing a tenant's belongings without a court order (Writ of Restitution) is an illegal "self-help" eviction in New Mexico. This can lead to severe penalties and lawsuits against you.
Q4
Do I need a lawyer for an eviction in Continental Divide?
While you can represent yourself in Magistrate Court, it's often wise to consult or hire an attorney, especially if you're unfamiliar with the process or if the tenant contests the eviction. An attorney ensures proper procedures are followed, saving you time and money in the long run.
Q5
What are the limits on security deposits in New Mexico?
In New Mexico, landlords can charge a maximum of 1.00 month's rent for a security deposit. You must return the deposit within 30 days of the tenant vacating, along with an itemized statement for any deductions.
A 2.9/10 places Continental Divide in the 10th percentile of New Mexico 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 Continental Divide (2.9/10)
Same risk band nationally · click any city for its full breakdown.
