In court-decided eviction outcomes for Buxton, ND, tenants prevail in roughly 12.4% 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
21d
filing → judgment
From the moment an unlawful-detainer notice is filed in Buxton, ND until a money judgment is entered, a contested eviction takes about 21 days on average. Longer timelines mean more lost rent and higher carry costs for landlords.
Cost range
$0.7–2.4k
legal + lost rent
A typical eviction in Buxton, ND costs landlords $715 to $2,433 all-in, covering court filing fees, process-server costs, attorney time, and lost rent during the calendar between filing and possession.
Average rent
$689
14% stretched on rent
Average gross rent in Buxton, ND is $689 per month per the U.S. Census American Community Survey (5-year 2023). 14% of renter households here spend more than 30% of pre-tax income on rent, the federal cost-burden threshold.
Renters
14.2%
of households
14.2% of occupied housing units in Buxton, 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
5.4%
1.7% unemp.
5.4% of Buxton, ND residents live below the federal poverty line, and unemployment runs at 1.7%. 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 +31.6% (2024)
4.4
Regional political climate
County-weighted neighbor mix
4.4
State political climate
North Dakota legislature & governorship
1.5
Economic stress
5.4% poverty · 1.7% unemp.
3.5
Supply constraint
$689 average · 14.2% renters
3.0
Rent Control risk
14.3% of income on rent
3.0
Eviction process difficulty
21 days filing → judgment
1.5
Tenant organizing strength
14.2% renters
3.6
Housing court bias
County bench composition
3.1
Geographic context
Risk heat across Buxton and the region
Click any city to see its score
How Buxton compares
Risk score vs. peers, county, state, and the U.S.
Rank in Traill County
Moderate
#6of 11 cities
#6 of 11 cities in Traill County for landlord eviction risk.
Rank in North Dakota
Low
#296of 406 cities
#296 of 406 cities in North Dakota for landlord eviction risk.
vs. county · state · U.S.
Score story
Six-stop tour of the risk profile
1.6
/ 10 · VERY LOW
The verdict
A Very low-tier market.
Composite 1.6/10. Mid-range market; standard documentation usually wins. The 50-year curve shows a slow, steady climb.
50-yr trend-0.8 over 50 yr
197620012026
Steady ratchet · no large swings
21d
Typical timeline
The money
What renting (and evicting) looks like.
Rent published at $689/mo. A contested eviction takes 21 days and costs $715–$2,433 per case.
50-yr trendCalendar drag rising since '15
197620012026
Court-clerk data lands in the next release.
14.2%
Renters
The renters
Who you'll be renting to.
Out of 360 residents, 14.2% rent. 14% are spending 30%+ income on rent, 5.4% below the poverty line.
50-yr trendRenter share rising
197620012026
ACS 1970-present · once the migration overlay is in.
4.4
Local + regional
The politics
Mid-range climate. Not a coastal market.
Local & regional political climate score 4.4 and 4.4 (GOP margin +31.6% (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 1.5, housing court bias 3.1, rent-control risk 3. Standard process speed for the state.
50-yr trendProcess difficulty +-3.5 since '00
197620012026
Court-clerk data lands in the next release.
3.5
Economic stress
The stress
Economic pressure is the background risk.
Economic stress: 3.5. Supply constraint: 3. The numbers behind those: 5.4% poverty, 1.7% unemployment, 14% of income on rent.
50-yr trendTwo visible dips · '08 + COVID
197620012026
Mirrors BLS unemployment series.
US eviction landscape · timeline × all-in cost
Buxton sits in the quick & cheap quadrant
Bubble size = population · color = risk score
Buxton · 21d · ~$1.6k all-in ($75/day) · score 1.6National average: 58d · $4.6k all-inHover any bubble for stats · click to openColor: 0–4 4–7 7–10
Landlording in Buxton, North Dakota, presents a manageable operating environment for documented landlords. The Eviction Risk Score is 1.6/10 (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.
Buxton is a city of 360 residents where 14.2% of occupied units are renter-occupied, and the typical renter spends 14.3% of income on rent. At an average rent of $689/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 Buxton eviction process actually works
Eviction process difficulty here reads 1.5/10, 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 Buxton closes 21 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 Buxton'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 Buxton runs $715 to $2,433 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 21 days of typical timeline and $689/month in lost rent, that crossover happens fast here.
03Operations
Security deposits, screening, and lease terms
Tenant organizing strength scores 3.6/10 in Buxton, and the city has limited rent control exposure (3/10). 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 Buxton: 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 $2,433 all-in fight is the realistic worst case.
04bPractical traps
Local traps to avoid in Buxton
Trap · 14.2%
14.2% renter share against 360 residents produces roughly 51 rental occupants in Buxton. Traill County voted R 24.9% in 2020. Eviction filings tend to cluster in the multifamily rental corridor.
05FAQ
Frequently asked questions
Q1
What if my Buxton tenant just disappears?
If your tenant abandons the property, North Dakota law (N.D.C.C. § 47-16-15) requires you to send a notice to their last known address, stating your intent to dispose of their property if they don't claim it within 30 days. After that period, you can generally dispose of or sell the property. Always document the condition of the unit and the abandoned items.
Q2
Can I evict a tenant for having a pet if my lease says "no pets"?
Yes, if your lease clearly prohibits pets and the tenant brings one in, that's a lease violation. You would typically issue a 3-day notice to cure the violation (remove the pet) or quit. If they don't comply, you can proceed with eviction. Service animals are an exception, protected by federal fair housing laws.
Q3
Do I need a lawyer for an eviction in Buxton?
While North Dakota's eviction process is relatively straightforward, having an attorney is highly recommended, especially if it's your first eviction or if the tenant is contesting it. A lawyer ensures all legal requirements are met, saving you time and potential costly mistakes. The cost of an attorney is often less than the lost rent and headaches from a botched self-filing.
Q4
What if my tenant claims they can't pay due to financial hardship?
Sympathy is understandable, but your primary business is renting property. Unless you choose to offer a payment plan (which should be in writing), you must follow the eviction process. North Dakota does not have statewide tenant protections for financial hardship that would stop an eviction.
Q5
How much notice do I need to give for a rent increase in Buxton?
For month-to-month leases, you typically need to provide at least 30 days' written notice before a rent increase takes effect. For fixed-term leases, you can only increase rent after the lease term expires, and a new lease is signed. North Dakota has no rent control rules.
Q6
Can I turn off utilities if my tenant isn't paying rent?
Absolutely not. Turning off utilities, changing locks, or removing a tenant's belongings is illegal self-help eviction in North Dakota. You must follow the legal eviction process through the courts. Such actions can lead to lawsuits against you.
A 1.6/10 places Buxton in the 29th 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 Buxton (1.6/10)
Same risk band nationally · click any city for its full breakdown.
