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.
Tenant beats landlord
15.4%
/ 100 outcomes
In court-decided eviction outcomes for Murray City, OH, tenants prevail in roughly 15.4% 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
43d
filing → judgment
From the moment an unlawful-detainer notice is filed in Murray City, OH until a money judgment is entered, a contested eviction takes about 43 days on average. Longer timelines mean more lost rent and higher carry costs for landlords.
Cost range
$1.3–3.8k
legal + lost rent
A typical eviction in Murray City, OH costs landlords $1,336 to $3,782 all-in, covering court filing fees, process-server costs, attorney time, and lost rent during the calendar between filing and possession.
Average rent
$765
11% stretched on rent
Average gross rent in Murray City, OH is $765 per month per the U.S. Census American Community Survey (5-year 2023). 11% of renter households here spend more than 30% of pre-tax income on rent, the federal cost-burden threshold.
Renters
10.2%
of households
10.2% of occupied housing units in Murray City, OH 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
19.1%
7.3% unemp.
19.1% of Murray City, OH residents live below the federal poverty line, and unemployment runs at 7.3%. 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 +44.3% (2024)
6.2
Regional political climate
County-weighted neighbor mix
6.2
State political climate
Ohio legislature & governorship
2.4
Economic stress
19.1% poverty · 7.3% unemp.
5.4
Supply constraint
$765 average · 10.2% renters
3.0
Rent Control risk
11.3% of income on rent
1.1
Eviction process difficulty
43 days filing → judgment
2.1
Tenant organizing strength
10.2% renters
1.6
Housing court bias
County bench composition
1.7
Geographic context
Risk heat across Murray City and the region
Click any city to see its score
How Murray City compares
Risk score vs. peers, county, state, and the U.S.
Rank in Hocking County
Very Low
#8of 9 cities
#8 of 9 cities in Hocking County for landlord eviction risk.
Rank in Ohio
Moderate
#659of 1,251 cities
#659 of 1,251 cities in Ohio for landlord eviction risk.
vs. county · state · U.S.
Score story
Six-stop tour of the risk profile
2.4
/ 10 · VERY LOW
The verdict
A Very low-tier market.
Composite 2.4/10. Mid-range market; standard documentation usually wins. The 50-year curve shows a slow, steady climb.
50-yr trend+0.2 over 50 yr
197620012026
Steady ratchet · no large swings
43d
Typical timeline
The money
What renting (and evicting) looks like.
Rent published at $765/mo. A contested eviction takes 43 days and costs $1,336–$3,782 per case.
50-yr trendCalendar drag rising since '15
197620012026
Court-clerk data lands in the next release.
10.2%
Renters
The renters
Who you'll be renting to.
Out of 295 residents, 10.2% rent. 11% are spending 30%+ income on rent, 19.1% below the poverty line.
50-yr trendRenter share rising
197620012026
ACS 1970-present · once the migration overlay is in.
6.2
Local + regional
The politics
Mid-range climate. Not a coastal market.
Local & regional political climate score 6.2 and 6.2 (GOP margin +44.3% (2024)). State climate at 2.4, a mid-range statehouse.
50-yr trendTracks county vote margin
197620012026
Built on 50-yr presidential margins back to 1976.
2.4
State politics
The process
Moderate calendar, moderate friction.
State political climate 2.4/10 sets the legislative ceiling for landlord remedies, and it shows up in the process. Eviction process difficulty reads 2.1, housing court bias 1.7, rent-control risk 1.1. Standard process speed for the state.
50-yr trendProcess difficulty +-2.9 since '00
197620012026
Court-clerk data lands in the next release.
5.4
Economic stress
The stress
Economic pressure is the background risk.
Economic stress: 5.4. Supply constraint: 3. The numbers behind those: 19.1% poverty, 7.3% unemployment, 11% of income on rent.
50-yr trendTwo visible dips · '08 + COVID
197620012026
Mirrors BLS unemployment series.
US eviction landscape · timeline × all-in cost
Murray City sits in the quick & cheap quadrant
Bubble size = population · color = risk score
Murray City · 43d · ~$2.6k all-in ($60/day) · score 2.4National average: 58d · $4.6k all-inHover any bubble for stats · click to openColor: 0–4 4–7 7–10
Landlording in Murray City, Ohio, presents a manageable operating environment for documented landlords. The Eviction Risk Score is 2.4/10 (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.
Murray City is a city of 295 residents where 10.2% of occupied units are renter-occupied, and the typical renter spends 11.3% of income on rent. At an average rent of $765/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 Murray City eviction process actually works
Eviction process difficulty here reads 2.1/10, 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 Murray City closes 43 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 Murray City's timeline is usually the calendar, not the motion practice. Housing court bias scores 1.7/10 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 Murray City runs $1,336 to $3,782 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 43 days of typical timeline and $765/month in lost rent, that crossover happens fast here.
03Operations
Security deposits, screening, and lease terms
Tenant organizing strength scores 1.6/10 in Murray City, and the city has limited rent control exposure (1.1/10). 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 Ohio, 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 Murray City: 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 Ohio's statutory language. Fix those four, and most cases settle or default. Skip them, and a $3,782 all-in fight is the realistic worst case.
04bPractical traps
Local traps to avoid in Murray City
Trap · PRACTICAL TRAP
Cost-versus-timeline trade-off: at 43 days and roughly $3,782 on the high end, cash-for-keys at $1,512 to $2,269 typically beats the legal route for non-aggravated cases. Default judgment frequency is high under ORC 1923 + 5321.
05FAQ
Frequently asked questions
Q1
What if my tenant claims they lost their job? Do I still have to evict?
While you can certainly offer a payment plan or other assistance, you are not legally obligated to do so. Ohio law permits you to proceed with eviction for non-payment of rent regardless of the tenant's financial circumstances. It's a business decision. Many landlords will try to work something out, but if an agreement can't be reached or isn't honored, you must follow the eviction process to protect your investment.
Q2
Can I change the locks if my tenant stops paying rent?
Absolutely not. This is an illegal "self-help" eviction and can get you into serious legal trouble, including fines and potential lawsuits from the tenant. You must follow the legal eviction process through the courts. Only a sheriff, acting on a court order (Writ of Restitution), can legally remove a tenant and their belongings.
Q3
Do I need a lawyer for an eviction in Murray City?
For a simple, uncontested non-payment eviction, you might be able to handle it yourself, especially if you're comfortable with court procedures. However, if the tenant contests the eviction, claims lease violations were your fault, or you anticipate any complications, hiring an attorney is highly recommended. Given the typical eviction cost range, an attorney can often save you money by ensuring the process is handled correctly and efficiently, minimizing lost rent and avoiding costly mistakes. See our Athens County eviction guide for more local context.
Q4
What if my tenant damages the property beyond the security deposit amount?
If the cost of repairs for damages exceeds the security deposit, you can pursue the tenant for the difference. This typically involves filing a separate small claims court action after the eviction is complete and you've assessed the full extent of the damages. Keep detailed records, photos, and receipts for all repairs to support your claim.
A 2.4/10 places Murray City in the 55th percentile of Ohio 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 Murray City (2.4/10)
Same risk band nationally · click any city for its full breakdown.
