In court-decided eviction outcomes for Hico, TX, tenants prevail in roughly 12.5% 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
25d
filing → judgment
From the moment an unlawful-detainer notice is filed in Hico, TX until a money judgment is entered, a contested eviction takes about 25 days on average. Longer timelines mean more lost rent and higher carry costs for landlords.
Cost range
$0.9–3.3k
legal + lost rent
A typical eviction in Hico, TX costs landlords $860 to $3,303 all-in, covering court filing fees, process-server costs, attorney time, and lost rent during the calendar between filing and possession.
Average rent
$767
33% stretched on rent
Average gross rent in Hico, TX is $767 per month per the U.S. Census American Community Survey (5-year 2023). 33% of renter households here spend more than 30% of pre-tax income on rent, the federal cost-burden threshold.
Renters
23.1%
of households
23.1% of occupied housing units in Hico, TX 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
11.2%
3.6% unemp.
11.2% of Hico, TX residents live below the federal poverty line, and unemployment runs at 3.6%. 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 +68.0% (2024)
2.4
Regional political climate
County-weighted neighbor mix
2.4
State political climate
Texas legislature & governorship
1.5
Economic stress
11.2% poverty · 3.6% unemp.
5.5
Supply constraint
$767 average · 23.1% renters
4.3
Rent Control risk
33.0% of income on rent
7.7
Eviction process difficulty
25 days filing → judgment
1.2
Tenant organizing strength
23.1% renters
5.9
Housing court bias
County bench composition
6.7
Geographic context
Risk heat across Hico and the region
Click any city to see its score
How Hico compares
Risk score vs. peers, county, state, and the U.S.
Rank in Erath County
Low
#5of 6 cities
#5 of 6 cities in Erath County for landlord eviction risk.
Rank in Texas
Moderate
#862of 1,841 cities
#862 of 1,841 cities in Texas for landlord eviction risk.
vs. county · state · U.S.
Score story
Six-stop tour of the risk profile
2.3
/ 10 · VERY LOW
The verdict
A Very low-tier market.
Composite 2.3/10. 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
25d
Typical timeline
The money
What renting (and evicting) looks like.
Rent published at $767/mo. A contested eviction takes 25 days and costs $860–$3,303 per case.
50-yr trendCalendar drag rising since '15
197620012026
Court-clerk data lands in the next release.
23.1%
Renters
The renters
Who you'll be renting to.
Out of 1,771 residents, 23.1% rent. 33% are spending 30%+ income on rent, 11.2% below the poverty line.
50-yr trendRenter share rising
197620012026
ACS 1970-present · once the migration overlay is in.
2.4
Local + regional
The politics
Light-statute interior market.
Local & regional political climate score 2.4 and 2.4 (GOP margin +68.0% (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 1.2, housing court bias 6.7, rent-control risk 7.7. Standard process speed for the state.
50-yr trendProcess difficulty +-3.8 since '00
197620012026
Court-clerk data lands in the next release.
5.5
Economic stress
The stress
Economic pressure is the background risk.
Economic stress: 5.5. Supply constraint: 4.3. The numbers behind those: 11.2% poverty, 3.6% unemployment, 33% of income on rent.
50-yr trendTwo visible dips · '08 + COVID
197620012026
Mirrors BLS unemployment series.
US eviction landscape · timeline × all-in cost
Hico sits in the quick & cheap quadrant
Bubble size = population · color = risk score
Hico · 25d · ~$2.1k all-in ($83/day) · score 2.3National average: 58d · $4.6k all-inHover any bubble for stats · click to openColor: 0–4 4–7 7–10
Landlording in Hico, Texas, presents a manageable operating environment for documented landlords. The Eviction Risk Score is 2.3/10 (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.
Hico is a city of 1,771 residents where 23.1% of occupied units are renter-occupied, and the typical renter spends 33.0% of income on rent. At an average rent of $767/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 Hico eviction process actually works
Eviction process difficulty here reads 1.2/10, 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 Hico closes 25 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 Hico's timeline is usually the calendar, not the motion practice. Housing court bias scores 6.7/10 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 Hico runs $860 to $3,303 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 25 days of typical timeline and $767/month in lost rent, that crossover happens fast here.
03Operations
Security deposits, screening, and lease terms
Tenant organizing strength scores 5.9/10 in Hico, and the city carries meaningful rent control exposure (7.7/10). 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 Texas, 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 Hico: 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 Texas's statutory language. Fix those four, and most cases settle or default. Skip them, and a $3,303 all-in fight is the realistic worst case.
04bPractical traps
Local traps to avoid in Hico
Trap · 7.7/10
The 4.5/10 score weighs nine sub-factors including political climate, court bias, supply constraint, and tenant organizing strength. Hico's rent-control-risk sub-score is 7.7/10, driven by demographic and political pressure for tenant relief.
05FAQ
Frequently asked questions
Q1
What if my tenant claims they're waiting on rental assistance?
In Hico, if a tenant claims they are waiting on rental assistance, you are not legally required to delay the eviction process. While it's always good to be empathetic, your primary goal is to protect your investment. You can continue with the 3-day notice and filing. If assistance comes through before the court date, you can dismiss the case. Just be careful about accepting partial payments without a clear written agreement, as mentioned before.
Q2
Can I turn off utilities if a tenant won't leave?
Absolutely not. Turning off utilities (water, electricity, gas) is considered a "self-help" eviction and is illegal in Texas. You could face significant penalties, including fines and damages to the tenant. You must follow the legal eviction process through the courts, even if it feels slow or unfair.
Q3
Do I need a lawyer for an eviction in Hico?
While you can represent yourself in Justice Court for a Forcible Detainer case, it's highly recommended to at least consult with an attorney, especially if it's your first eviction or if the tenant is disputing the case. An attorney knows the local court procedures and can ensure you don't make a technical error that could cause delays or even dismissal of your case. The cost of a lawyer can often be less than the lost rent and frustration of a botched eviction.
Q4
How long does an appeal typically add to the eviction timeline?
If a tenant appeals a Justice Court judgment in Hico, it can add significant time, often 30-60 days or more, to the process. The case moves to the County Court at Law. Tenants are usually required to pay a bond or ongoing rent into the court registry during an appeal, but sometimes they don't. This is another situation where having an attorney is crucial to navigate the appeal process.
A 2.3/10 places Hico in the 58th percentile of Texas 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 Hico (2.3/10)
Same risk band nationally · click any city for its full breakdown.
