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
10.1%
/ 100 outcomes
In court-decided eviction outcomes for Frontier, ND, tenants prevail in roughly 10.1% 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
19d
filing → judgment
From the moment an unlawful-detainer notice is filed in Frontier, ND until a money judgment is entered, a contested eviction takes about 19 days on average. Longer timelines mean more lost rent and higher carry costs for landlords.
Cost range
$0.7–2.1k
legal + lost rent
A typical eviction in Frontier, ND costs landlords $716 to $2,141 all-in, covering court filing fees, process-server costs, attorney time, and lost rent during the calendar between filing and possession.
Average rent
$1,008
26% stretched on rent
Average gross rent in Frontier, ND is $1,008 per month per the U.S. Census American Community Survey (5-year 2023). 26% of renter households here spend more than 30% of pre-tax income on rent, the federal cost-burden threshold.
Renters
5.3%
of households
5.3% of occupied housing units in Frontier, ND 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
0.6%
7.5% unemp.
0.6% of Frontier, ND residents live below the federal poverty line, and unemployment runs at 7.5%. 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 +8.4% (2024)
5.4
Regional political climate
County-weighted neighbor mix
5.4
State political climate
North Dakota legislature & governorship
1.5
Economic stress
0.6% poverty · 7.5% unemp.
4.9
Supply constraint
$1,008 average · 5.3% renters
1.8
Rent Control risk
25.9% of income on rent
1.0
Eviction process difficulty
19 days filing → judgment
1.0
Tenant organizing strength
5.3% renters
1.8
Housing court bias
County bench composition
1.0
Geographic context
Risk heat across Frontier and the region
Click any city to see its score
How Frontier compares
Risk score vs. peers, county, state, and the U.S.
Rank in Cass County
High
#4of 26 cities
#4 of 26 cities in Cass County for landlord eviction risk.
Rank in North Dakota
High
#52of 406 cities
#52 of 406 cities in North Dakota for landlord eviction risk.
vs. county · state · U.S.
Score story
Six-stop tour of the risk profile
2.2
/ 10 · VERY LOW
The verdict
A Very low-tier market.
Composite 2.2/10. Mid-range market; standard documentation usually wins. The 50-year curve shows a slow, steady climb.
50-yr trend-0.4 over 50 yr
197620012026
Steady ratchet · no large swings
19d
Typical timeline
The money
What renting (and evicting) looks like.
Rent published at $1,008/mo. A contested eviction takes 19 days and costs $716–$2,141 per case.
50-yr trendCalendar drag rising since '15
197620012026
Court-clerk data lands in the next release.
5.3%
Renters
The renters
Who you'll be renting to.
Out of 169 residents, 5.3% rent. 26% are spending 30%+ income on rent, 0.6% below the poverty line.
50-yr trendRenter share rising
197620012026
ACS 1970-present · once the migration overlay is in.
5.4
Local + regional
The politics
Mid-range climate. Not a coastal market.
Local & regional political climate score 5.4 and 5.4 (GOP margin +8.4% (2024)). State climate at 1.5, a mid-range statehouse.
50-yr trendTracks county vote margin
197620012026
Built on 50-yr presidential margins back to 1976.
1.5
State politics
The process
Moderate calendar, moderate friction.
State political climate 1.5/10 sets the legislative ceiling for landlord remedies, and it shows up in the process. Eviction process difficulty reads 1, housing court bias 1, rent-control risk 1. Standard process speed for the state.
50-yr trendProcess difficulty +-4.0 since '00
197620012026
Court-clerk data lands in the next release.
4.9
Economic stress
The stress
Economic pressure is the background risk.
Economic stress: 4.9. Supply constraint: 1.8. The numbers behind those: 0.6% poverty, 7.5% unemployment, 26% of income on rent.
50-yr trendTwo visible dips · '08 + COVID
197620012026
Mirrors BLS unemployment series.
US eviction landscape · timeline × all-in cost
Frontier sits in the quick & cheap quadrant
Bubble size = population · color = risk score
Frontier · 19d · ~$1.4k all-in ($75/day) · score 2.2National average: 58d · $4.6k all-inHover any bubble for stats · click to openColor: 0–4 4–7 7–10
Landlording in Frontier, North Dakota, presents a manageable operating environment for documented landlords. The Eviction Risk Score is 2.2/10 (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.
Frontier is a city of 169 residents where 5.3% of occupied units are renter-occupied, and the typical renter spends 25.9% of income on rent. At an average rent of $1,008/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 Frontier eviction process actually works
Eviction process difficulty here reads 1/10, 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 Frontier closes 19 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 Frontier's timeline is usually the calendar, not the motion practice. Housing court bias scores 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 Frontier runs $716 to $2,141 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 19 days of typical timeline and $1,008/month in lost rent, that crossover happens fast here.
03Operations
Security deposits, screening, and lease terms
Tenant organizing strength scores 1.8/10 in Frontier, and the city has limited rent control exposure (1/10). 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 Dakota, 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 Frontier: 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 North Dakota's statutory language. Fix those four, and most cases settle or default. Skip them, and a $2,141 all-in fight is the realistic worst case.
04bPractical traps
Local traps to avoid in Frontier
Trap · N.D.C.C. 47-16
Compare Frontier to nearby cities in Cass County via the related-cities grid below. Each municipality scores separately on the same nine sub-factors. State context: N.D.C.C. 47-16.
05FAQ
Frequently asked questions
Q1
What if my tenant refuses to leave after the 3-day notice?
If your tenant doesn't pay or move out after the 3-day notice, you must file an eviction lawsuit (Action for Eviction) in the Cass County court. You cannot physically remove them yourself. The court will then issue a summons, and if you win, a writ of restitution will authorize the sheriff to remove them.
Q2
Can I change the locks if the tenant is late on rent?
No, absolutely not. Changing locks, shutting off utilities, or removing a tenant's belongings are illegal self-help eviction tactics in North Dakota. You must follow the legal eviction process through the court system to regain possession of your property. Doing otherwise can lead to significant legal penalties.
Q3
How long does the entire eviction process take in Frontier?
The typical eviction timeline in Frontier, North Dakota, is approximately 19 days from the initial 3-day notice to regaining possession of the property. This is a relatively fast process compared to many other states.
Q4
Do I need an attorney for an eviction in Frontier?
While you are not legally required to have an attorney for an eviction in North Dakota, it is highly recommended. An attorney specializing in landlord-tenant law can ensure all notices are properly served, court documents are correctly filed, and procedures are followed, saving you time and preventing costly mistakes. The cost of an attorney often outweighs the potential for delays or errors if you handle it yourself.
Q5
Are there any rent control laws in Frontier, ND?
No, there are no statewide rent control laws in North Dakota, and Frontier does not have any local ordinances implementing rent control. This means landlords generally have the freedom to set rent prices as they see fit, subject to market conditions and lease agreements. You can learn more about North Dakota rent control rules here.
A 2.2/10 places Frontier in the 88th percentile of North Dakota 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 Frontier (2.2/10)
Same risk band nationally · click any city for its full breakdown.
