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Lakewood Park, Tennessee eviction risk overview
City brief · 1,140 residents

Lakewood Park, TN Eviction Risk: VERY LOW

Coffee County · Population 1,140

In 2026
Risk score
1.7
VERY LOW

4th percentile, Tennessee.

50-yr Eviction Risk Score history

1976 to 2026 · climbing fast since 2010

Min1.7 Average2.7 Now1.7
10 5 1976 · score 2.8 1977 · score 2.8 1978 · score 2.8 1979 · score 2.9 1980 · score 2.5 1981 · score 2.5 1982 · score 2.6 1983 · score 2.5 1984 · score 1.9 1985 · score 1.9 1986 · score 1.9 1987 · score 1.9 1988 · score 2.0 1989 · score 2.0 1990 · score 2.0 1991 · score 2.1 1992 · score 2.8 1993 · score 2.8 1994 · score 2.8 1995 · score 2.9 1996 · score 2.8 1997 · score 2.8 1998 · score 2.8 1999 · score 2.9 2000 · score 3.1 2001 · score 3.1 2002 · score 3.2 2003 · score 3.1 2004 · score 2.8 2005 · score 2.9 2006 · score 2.9 2007 · score 2.9 2008 · score 2.9 2009 · score 2.9 2010 · score 3.0 2011 · score 3.0 2012 · score 2.7 2013 · score 2.8 2014 · score 2.8 2015 · score 2.8 2016 · score 2.6 2017 · score 2.7 2018 · score 2.8 2019 · score 2.8 2020 · score 3.1 2021 · score 3.1 2022 · score 3.1 2023 · score 3.1 2024 · score 2.9 2025 · score 2.9 2026 · score 1.7

Key metrics

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.
Time machine

Scrub 50 years

2026
● LIVE · today ◀ REPLAY · historical

Nine-axis profile

9-axis profile · today

Shape of the risk surface

1 landlord · 10 tenant
Local 3.2 Regional 3.2 State 1.9 Economic 5.3 Supply 4.6 Rent Control 1.0 Eviction 2.0 Tenant 4.6 Housing 1.5 1.7 VERY LOW
Sub-scores · with sparkline

Where the score comes from

1 → 10 scale
  1. Local political climate
    GOP margin +55.1% (2024)
    3.2
  2. Regional political climate
    County-weighted neighbor mix
    3.2
  3. State political climate
    Tennessee legislature & governorship
    1.9
  4. Economic stress
    41.4% poverty · 1.9% unemp.
    5.3
  5. Supply constraint
    $1,046 average · 12.3% renters
    4.6
  6. Rent Control risk
    31.7% of income on rent
    1.0
  7. Eviction process difficulty
    33 days filing → judgment
    2.0
  8. Tenant organizing strength
    12.3% renters
    4.6
  9. Housing court bias
    County bench composition
    1.5
Geographic context

Risk heat across Lakewood Park and the region

Click any city to see its score

How Lakewood Park compares

Risk score vs. peers, county, state, and the U.S.
Rank in Coffee County
Very Low
#5 of 5 cities
Rank in county, 0th percentileBottomTop
#5 of 5 cities in Coffee County for landlord eviction risk.
Rank in Tennessee
Very Low
#490 of 501 cities
Rank in state, 2nd percentileBottomTop
#490 of 501 cities in Tennessee for landlord eviction risk.
vs. county · state · U.S.
Lakewood Park risk score vs. county / state / U.S.Lakewood Park: 1.71.7Lakewood ParkThis cityCounty: 2.32.3Countyavg in countyState: 3.33.3Stateavg in stateU.S.: 5.25.2U.S.national avg
Score story

Six-stop tour of the risk profile

  1. 1.7
    / 10 · VERY LOW
    The verdict

    A Very low-tier market.

    Composite 1.7/10. Mid-range market; standard documentation usually wins. The 50-year curve shows a slow, steady climb.

    50-yr trend-1.1 over 50 yr
    197620012026

    Steady ratchet · no large swings

  2. 33d
    Typical timeline
    The money

    What renting (and evicting) looks like.

    Rent published at $1,046/mo. A contested eviction takes 33 days and costs $955-$3,032 per case.

    50-yr trendCalendar drag rising since '15
    197620012026

    Court-clerk data lands in the next release.

  3. 12.3%
    Renters
    The renters

    Who you'll be renting to.

    Out of 1,140 residents, 12.3% rent. 32% are spending 30%+ income on rent, 41.4% below the poverty line.

    50-yr trendRenter share rising
    197620012026

    ACS 1970-present · once the migration overlay is in.

  4. 3.2
    Local + regional
    The politics

    Light-statute interior market.

    Local & regional political climate score 3.2 and 3.2 (GOP margin +55.1% (2024)). State climate at 1.9, a mid-range statehouse.

    50-yr trendTracks county vote margin
    197620012026

    Built on 50-yr presidential margins back to 1976.

  5. 1.9
    State politics
    The process

    Moderate calendar, moderate friction.

    State political climate 1.9/10 sets the legislative ceiling for landlord remedies, and it shows up in the process. Eviction process difficulty reads 2, housing court bias 1.5, rent-control risk 1. Standard process speed for the state.

    50-yr trendProcess difficulty +-3.0 since '00
    197620012026

    Court-clerk data lands in the next release.

  6. 5.3
    Economic stress
    The stress

    Economic pressure is the background risk.

    Economic stress: 5.3. Supply constraint: 4.6. The numbers behind those: 41.4% poverty, 1.9% unemployment, 32% of income on rent.

    50-yr trendTwo visible dips · '08 + COVID
    197620012026

    Mirrors BLS unemployment series.

US eviction landscape · timeline × all-in cost

Lakewood Park sits in the quick & cheap quadrant

Bubble size = population · color = risk score
QUICK BUT COSTLY fast docket · high all-in loss SLOW & EXPENSIVE long calendar · high all-in loss QUICK & CHEAP fast docket · low all-in loss SLOW BUT CHEAP long calendar · low all-in loss 30d 50d 75d 100d 150d 200d 300d 450d $2.0k $3.0k $5.0k $7.5k $10k $15k $20k $30k EVICTION TIMELINE (DAYS) → ↑ ALL-IN COST (LOG SCALE) Murfreesboro, TN · 35d · ~$2.2k all-in ($63/day) · score 2 Murfreesboro Franklin, TN · 35d · ~$2.1k all-in ($61/day) · score 1.4 Franklin Smyrna, TN · 38d · ~$2.0k all-in ($52/day) · score 3.3 Smyrna Spring Hill, TN · 35d · ~$1.8k all-in ($52/day) · score 2.4 Spring Hill Nashville-Davidson metropolitan government, TN · 37d · ~$2.1k all-in ($57/day) · score 4.5 Nashville-Davidson metropolitan government Memphis, TN · 31d · ~$2.0k all-in ($66/day) · score 4.6 Memphis Knoxville, TN · 35d · ~$2.0k all-in ($57/day) · score 2.2 Knoxville Chattanooga, TN · 31d · ~$2.1k all-in ($67/day) · score 2.8 Chattanooga Clarksville, TN · 35d · ~$2.1k all-in ($59/day) · score 2.3 Clarksville Johnson City, TN · 31d · ~$2.0k all-in ($63/day) · score 1.5 Johnson City Houston, TX · 24d · ~$2.5k all-in ($103/day) · score 2.7 Houston Phoenix, AZ · 38d · ~$3.3k all-in ($86/day) · score 3.9 Phoenix Atlanta, GA · 40d · ~$2.8k all-in ($69/day) · score 5.5 Atlanta Boston, MA · 187d · ~$20.3k all-in ($109/day) · score 6.8 Boston Chicago, IL · 109d · ~$9.0k all-in ($82/day) · score 6.3 Chicago New York, NY · 417d · ~$29.5k all-in ($71/day) · score 9.8 New York Seattle, WA · 162d · ~$12.7k all-in ($79/day) · score 6.2 Seattle Lakewood Park
Lakewood Park · 33d · ~$2.0k all-in ($60/day) · score 1.7 National average: 58d · $4.6k all-in Hover any bubble for stats · click to open Color: 0-4   4-7   7-10
00Overview

About eviction risk in Lakewood Park, TN

Landlording in Lakewood Park, Tennessee, presents a manageable operating environment for documented landlords. The Eviction Risk Score is 1.7/10 (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.

Lakewood Park is a city of 1,140 residents where 12.3% of occupied units are renter-occupied, and the typical renter spends 31.7% of income on rent. At an average rent of $1,046/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 Lakewood Park eviction process actually works

Eviction process difficulty here reads 2/10, 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 Lakewood Park closes 33 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 Lakewood Park's timeline is usually the calendar, not the motion practice. Housing court bias scores 1.5/10 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 Lakewood Park runs $955 to $3,032 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 33 days of typical timeline and $1,046/month in lost rent, that crossover happens fast here.

03Operations

Security deposits, screening, and lease terms

Tenant organizing strength scores 4.6/10 in Lakewood Park, 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 Tennessee, 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 Lakewood Park: 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 Tennessee's statutory language. Fix those four, and most cases settle or default. Skip them, and a $3,032 all-in fight is the realistic worst case.

04bPractical traps

Local traps to avoid in Lakewood Park

Trap · 50.2 POINTS
Politically, Coffee County voted Republican by 50.2 points in 2020, a baseline that correlates with landlord-neutral legislative pressure. Combined with 31.7% rent-to-income ratio, expect baseline enforcement of T.C.A. 66-28 URLTA.
05FAQ

Frequently asked questions

Q1

Can I evict a tenant for any reason in Lakewood Park?

For month-to-month leases, you can typically terminate with a 30-day notice without needing a specific "just cause." For fixed-term leases, you generally need a lease violation (like non-payment) to evict before the term ends. Tennessee does not have statewide just-cause eviction laws.

Q2

What's the most common mistake landlords make during eviction?

The biggest mistake is improper notice. Either serving it incorrectly, not giving enough time, or using the wrong type of notice. Always double-check your notice periods and delivery methods. Any error here can get your case thrown out and force you to start over.

Q3

Do I need a lawyer for an eviction in Coffee County?

You are not legally required to have a lawyer for an Unlawful Detainer action in Tennessee General Sessions Court. However, if you're unfamiliar with court procedures or if the tenant hires an attorney, having your own legal counsel can significantly improve your chances of a smooth and successful eviction. It's often worth the cost for peace of mind and efficiency.

Q4

Is there rent control in Lakewood Park?

No, Tennessee has a statewide ban on rent control. This means landlords in Lakewood Park (and anywhere else in Tennessee) are generally free to set market rates for rent and increase them as they see fit, provided they follow lease terms and proper notice for increases. For more, see our Tennessee rent control rules.

Q5

How long do I have to return a security deposit?

In Tennessee, you have 30 days from the date the tenant moves out to either return the full security deposit or provide an itemized list of deductions to the tenant. If you fail to do so, you could forfeit your right to withhold any portion of the deposit.

06Score

What this score means for landlords2

A 1.7/10 places Lakewood Park in the 4th percentile of Tennessee 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.