In court-decided eviction outcomes for Donna, TX, tenants prevail in roughly 17.5% 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
26d
filing → judgment
From the moment an unlawful-detainer notice is filed in Donna, TX until a money judgment is entered, a contested eviction takes about 26 days on average. Longer timelines mean more lost rent and higher carry costs for landlords.
Cost range
$1.1–3.5k
legal + lost rent
A typical eviction in Donna, TX costs landlords $1,114 to $3,502 all-in, covering court filing fees, process-server costs, attorney time, and lost rent during the calendar between filing and possession.
Average rent
$806
35% stretched on rent
Average gross rent in Donna, TX is $806 per month per the U.S. Census American Community Survey (5-year 2023). 35% of renter households here spend more than 30% of pre-tax income on rent, the federal cost-burden threshold.
Renters
42.5%
of households
42.5% of occupied housing units in Donna, 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
40.4%
4.7% unemp.
40.4% of Donna, TX residents live below the federal poverty line, and unemployment runs at 4.7%. 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 +2.9% (2024)
6.3
Regional political climate
County-weighted neighbor mix
6.3
State political climate
Texas legislature & governorship
1.5
Economic stress
40.4% poverty · 4.7% unemp.
8.0
Supply constraint
$806 average · 42.5% renters
5.6
Rent Control risk
35.3% of income on rent
8.7
Eviction process difficulty
26 days filing → judgment
1.5
Tenant organizing strength
42.5% renters
8.4
Housing court bias
County bench composition
9.1
Geographic context
Risk heat across Donna and the region
Click any city to see its score
How Donna compares
Risk score vs. peers, county, state, and the U.S.
Rank in Hidalgo County
Elevated
#25of 57 cities
#25 of 57 cities in Hidalgo County for landlord eviction risk.
Rank in Texas
High
#330of 1,841 cities
#330 of 1,841 cities in Texas for landlord eviction risk.
vs. county · state · U.S.
Score story
Six-stop tour of the risk profile
2.6
/ 10 · LOW
The verdict
A Low-tier market.
Composite 2.6/10. 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
26d
Typical timeline
The money
What renting (and evicting) looks like.
Rent published at $806/mo. A contested eviction takes 26 days and costs $1,114–$3,502 per case.
50-yr trendCalendar drag rising since '15
197620012026
Court-clerk data lands in the next release.
42.5%
Renters
The renters
Who you'll be renting to.
Out of 16,833 residents, 42.5% rent. 35% are spending 30%+ income on rent, 40.4% below the poverty line.
50-yr trendRenter share rising
197620012026
ACS 1970-present · once the migration overlay is in.
6.3
Local + regional
The politics
Mid-range climate. Not a coastal market.
Local & regional political climate score 6.3 and 6.3 (GOP margin +2.9% (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 9.1, rent-control risk 8.7. Standard process speed for the state.
50-yr trendProcess difficulty +-3.5 since '00
197620012026
Court-clerk data lands in the next release.
8
Economic stress
The stress
Economic pressure is the real risk.
Economic stress: 8. Supply constraint: 5.6. The numbers behind those: 40.4% poverty, 4.7% unemployment, 35% of income on rent.
50-yr trendTwo visible dips · '08 + COVID
197620012026
Mirrors BLS unemployment series.
US eviction landscape · timeline × all-in cost
Donna sits in the quick & cheap quadrant
Bubble size = population · color = risk score
Donna · 26d · ~$2.3k all-in ($89/day) · score 2.6National average: 58d · $4.6k all-inHover any bubble for stats · click to openColor: 0–4 4–7 7–10
Landlording in Donna, Texas, presents a manageable operating environment for documented landlords. The Eviction Risk Score is 2.6/10 (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.
Donna is a city of 16,833 residents where 42.5% of occupied units are renter-occupied, and the typical renter spends 35.3% of income on rent. At an average rent of $806/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 Donna 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 Donna closes 26 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 Donna's timeline is usually the calendar, not the motion practice. Housing court bias scores 9.1/10 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 Donna runs $1,114 to $3,502 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 26 days of typical timeline and $806/month in lost rent, that crossover happens fast here.
03Operations
Security deposits, screening, and lease terms
Tenant organizing strength scores 8.4/10 in Donna, and the city sits at the top of the rent control risk spectrum (8.7/10). 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 Donna: 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 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 $3,502 all-in fight is the realistic worst case.
04bPractical traps
Local traps to avoid in Donna
Trap · 9.1/10
For landlords, the 5.4/10 score is most actionable when combined with Hidalgo County's specific court behavior. Housing-court bias sub-score: 9.1/10. Use proactive screening and documented notices.
05FAQ
Frequently asked questions
Q1
Can I change the locks if a tenant doesn't pay rent?
No, absolutely not. In Texas, self-help evictions like changing locks, turning off utilities, or removing a tenant's belongings are illegal. You must follow the legal eviction process through the courts. Violating this can lead to severe penalties, including fines and having to pay the tenant damages.
Q2
How long do I have to return a security deposit in Donna, TX?
You have 30 days from the date the tenant vacates the property and provides you with a forwarding address. If you need to make deductions for damages beyond normal wear and tear, you must provide an itemized list of those deductions within the same 30-day period.
Q3
What if my tenant files for bankruptcy during an eviction?
If a tenant files for bankruptcy, an automatic stay goes into effect, which immediately halts all collection and eviction proceedings. You must stop the eviction process and consult with an attorney specializing in bankruptcy law. Continuing an eviction after being notified of bankruptcy can result in serious legal trouble.
Q4
Do I need a lawyer for an eviction in Donna?
While you can represent yourself in Justice Court for an eviction, it's highly recommended to consult or hire an attorney. Eviction law has specific procedural requirements, and small errors can lead to delays or dismissal of your case. An attorney can ensure the process is handled correctly and efficiently, saving you time and money in the long run.
Q5
Can I evict a tenant for having unauthorized pets?
Yes, if your lease agreement prohibits pets or specifies certain types of pets, and the tenant violates that clause, it can be grounds for eviction. You would typically issue a notice to cure or quit (giving them a chance to remove the pet) or a notice to vacate, depending on the terms of your lease and state law regarding lease violations.
A 2.6/10 places Donna in the 84th 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 Donna (2.6/10)
Same risk band nationally · click any city for its full breakdown.
