In court-decided eviction outcomes for Burgaw, NC, tenants prevail in roughly 20.0% 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
44d
filing → judgment
From the moment an unlawful-detainer notice is filed in Burgaw, NC until a money judgment is entered, a contested eviction takes about 44 days on average. Longer timelines mean more lost rent and higher carry costs for landlords.
Cost range
$1.7-4.0k
legal + lost rent
A typical eviction in Burgaw, NC costs landlords $1,702 to $4,027 all-in, covering court filing fees, process-server costs, attorney time, and lost rent during the calendar between filing and possession.
Average rent
$943
29% stretched on rent
Average gross rent in Burgaw, NC is $943 per month per the U.S. Census American Community Survey (5-year 2023). 29% of renter households here spend more than 30% of pre-tax income on rent, the federal cost-burden threshold.
Renters
32.5%
of households
32.5% of occupied housing units in Burgaw, NC 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
22.3%
11.5% unemp.
22.3% of Burgaw, NC residents live below the federal poverty line, and unemployment runs at 11.5%. 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 +35.0% (2024)
4.2
Regional political climate
County-weighted neighbor mix
4.2
State political climate
North Carolina legislature & governorship
2.3
Economic stress
22.3% poverty · 11.5% unemp.
8.7
Supply constraint
$943 average · 32.5% renters
6.6
Rent Control risk
29.4% of income on rent
5.6
Eviction process difficulty
44 days filing → judgment
1.9
Tenant organizing strength
32.5% renters
7.1
Housing court bias
County bench composition
7.0
Geographic context
Risk heat across Burgaw and the region
Click any city to see its score
How Burgaw compares
Risk score vs. peers, county, state, and the U.S.
Rank in Pender County
High
#3of 10 cities
#3 of 10 cities in Pender County for landlord eviction risk.
Rank in North Carolina
Moderate
#444of 774 cities
#444 of 774 cities in North Carolina for landlord eviction risk.
vs. county · state · U.S.
Score story
Six-stop tour of the risk profile
4.2
/ 10 · MODERATE
The verdict
A Moderate-tier market.
Composite 4.2/10. Mid-range market; standard documentation usually wins. The 50-year curve shows a sharp climb.
50-yr trend+2.0 over 50 yr
197620012026
Steepening since 2010 · COVID inflection visible
44d
Typical timeline
The money
What renting (and evicting) looks like.
Rent published at $943/mo. A contested eviction takes 44 days and costs $1,702-$4,027 per case.
50-yr trendCalendar drag rising since '15
197620012026
Court-clerk data lands in the next release.
32.5%
Renters
The renters
Who you'll be renting to.
Out of 3,850 residents, 32.5% rent. 29% are spending 30%+ income on rent, 22.3% below the poverty line.
50-yr trendRenter share rising
197620012026
ACS 1970-present · once the migration overlay is in.
4.2
Local + regional
The politics
Mid-range climate. Not a coastal market.
Local & regional political climate score 4.2 and 4.2 (GOP margin +35.0% (2024)). State climate at 2.3, a mid-range statehouse.
50-yr trendTracks county vote margin
197620012026
Built on 50-yr presidential margins back to 1976.
2.3
State politics
The process
Moderate calendar, moderate friction.
State political climate 2.3/10 sets the legislative ceiling for landlord remedies, and it shows up in the process. Eviction process difficulty reads 1.9, housing court bias 7, rent-control risk 5.6. Standard process speed for the state.
50-yr trendProcess difficulty +-3.1 since '00
197620012026
Court-clerk data lands in the next release.
8.7
Economic stress
The stress
Economic pressure is the real risk.
Economic stress: 8.7. Supply constraint: 6.6. The numbers behind those: 22.3% poverty, 11.5% unemployment, 29% of income on rent.
50-yr trendTwo visible dips · '08 + COVID
197620012026
Mirrors BLS unemployment series.
US eviction landscape · timeline × all-in cost
Burgaw sits in the quick & cheap quadrant
Bubble size = population · color = risk score
Burgaw · 44d · ~$2.9k all-in ($65/day) · score 4.2National average: 58d · $4.6k all-inHover any bubble for stats · click to openColor: 0-4 4-7 7-10
Landlording in Burgaw, North Carolina, presents a manageable operating environment for documented landlords. The Eviction Risk Score is 4.2/10 (MODERATE 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.
Burgaw is a city of 3,850 residents where 32.5% of occupied units are renter-occupied, and the typical renter spends 29.4% of income on rent. At an average rent of $943/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 Burgaw eviction process actually works
Eviction process difficulty here reads 1.9/10, 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 Burgaw closes 44 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 Burgaw's timeline is usually the calendar, not the motion practice. Housing court bias scores 7/10 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 Burgaw runs $1,702 to $4,027 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 44 days of typical timeline and $943/month in lost rent, that crossover happens fast here.
03Operations
Security deposits, screening, and lease terms
Tenant organizing strength scores 7.1/10 in Burgaw, and the city has limited rent control exposure (5.6/10). 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 North Carolina, 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 Burgaw: 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 MODERATE 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 North Carolina's statutory language. Fix those four, and most cases settle or default. Skip them, and a $4,027 all-in fight is the realistic worst case.
04bPractical traps
Local traps to avoid in Burgaw
Trap · 30.0 POINTS
Politically, Pender County voted Republican by 30.0 points in 2020, a baseline that correlates with landlord-neutral legislative pressure. Combined with 29.4% rent-to-income ratio, expect baseline enforcement of NCGS 42-26.
05FAQ
Frequently asked questions
Q1
What if my tenant claims I haven't made repairs?
If a tenant claims you haven't made necessary repairs, they might try to use this as a defense in court. In North Carolina, tenants generally cannot withhold rent for repairs without a court order, but they can counterclaim. Always document all repair requests, your responses, and completion dates. Address legitimate repair issues promptly to avoid this defense.
Q2
Can I evict a tenant in Burgaw for having unauthorized pets?
Yes, if your lease specifically prohibits pets or requires prior approval, and the tenant violates this clause, you can evict them. You would typically issue a notice to cure the violation (remove the pet) or quit, depending on your lease terms and state law for lease violations. If they don't comply, you can proceed with an eviction.
Q3
How long do I have to store a tenant's abandoned property?
In North Carolina, if a tenant leaves personal property after an eviction, you must store it for at least 7 days. After 7 days, if the property is worth less than $500, you can dispose of it. If it's worth more than $500, you must send a notice to the tenant's last known address and hold it for 30 days before selling or disposing of it.
Q4
Is it worth it to go to small claims court for unpaid rent after an eviction?
Yes, it often is. After you get a Judgment for Possession, you can also get a money judgment for unpaid rent and damages. While collecting on a money judgment can be difficult, it's worth pursuing. You can garnish wages or bank accounts if you know where the tenant works or banks. Don't just walk away from what you're owed.
Q5
Can I refuse to renew a lease without a reason in Burgaw?
Generally, yes. North Carolina does not have statewide just-cause eviction requirements. As long as you provide proper notice according to your lease and state law (e.g., 30 days for a month-to-month lease) and are not doing so for discriminatory or retaliatory reasons, you can choose not to renew a lease. See our North Carolina rent control rules for more on this.
Q6
What if the tenant files for bankruptcy during the eviction process?
If a tenant files for bankruptcy, it triggers an "automatic stay," which immediately halts all collection actions, including evictions. You cannot proceed with the eviction until the bankruptcy court lifts the stay. This requires filing a motion with the bankruptcy court, which is definitely a time to call an attorney.
A 4.2/10 places Burgaw in the 44th percentile of North Carolina 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.
Cities with similar eviction risk to Burgaw (4.2/10)
Same risk band nationally · click any city for its full breakdown.
